VIDEO: H-TV: Recap of Monday's Events
VIDEO: Complete 2016 Hawai'i Bowl Kickoff Press Conference

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HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i football team went back to work on Monday morning at Cooke Practice Field, beginning to put the finishing touches on the turnaround 2016 season with the first day of bowl week practices.
 
Hawai'i Bowl week activity opened up early Monday with a focused 8:00 a.m. practice for just under two hours, working in extensive scout work for Saturday's opponent, Middle Tennessee. After two weeks of practice that spared time for the younger and redshirt players, Monday was an all-out practice in shells, revealing a well-rested rotation that had bounced back from the wear and tear of the 13-game season.
 
Select players participated in brief post-practice media availability – one of two such interview opportunities scheduled this week – before the entire squad took their turn in the Hawai'i Bowl Electronics Gift Suite. Up to thirty options of varied values ranged from college student-athlete practicality – juicers and high-grade toasters – to highly-coveted fun items like headphones, beach speakers and even an acoustic guitar.
 
In the early afternoon, first-year head coach Nick Rolovich joined players Marcus Kemp and Jahlani Tavai at the 2016 Hawai'i Bowl Kickoff Press Conference at Aloha Stadium. Also sharing the conference table were MT coach Rick Stockstill, as well as players Brent Stockstill and D.J. Sanders.
 
"We're honored to be here representing Hawai'i," Rolovich told the media at the conference. "This bowl is special to the island, we all know that. I think it's a great accomplishment for our senior class. It wasn't an easy season, but things fell our way, and we're able to be here and we're excited. Middle's a tremendous opponent; they have accomplished a lot the last few years and we hope to give them a good game, and give the fans a good showing on Christmas Eve."
 
One of those seniors, UH's top receiver, Kemp told the conference media that despite some tough times, "we never lost faith in how our season would end up."
 
On Tuesday, the bowl-related events begin to really ramp up for the Rainbow Warriors, led off by another 8:00 a.m. practice. Following meetings, the squad will move to their new home for the next five days, the Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki. A lu'au and dinner at the Royal Hawaiian will cap off the evening.
 
The Rainbow Warriors will meet the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 3:00 p.m. HT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and will be available on the WatchESPN app on mobile devices and gaming consoles. For tickets, visit the Hawai'i Ticket Office online, in person at the Stan Sheriff Center box office, or by phone at (808) 944-2697.

Game 14 Information
What: Hawai'i Bowl
Who: Hawai'i (6-7, 4-4 MW-2nd West) vs. Middle Tennessee (8-4, 5-3 C-USA-3rd East)
When: Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016
Time: 3:00 p.m. HT
Where: Honolulu, O'ahu
Stadium: Hawaiian Tel FCU Field at Aloha Stadium
National Television: ESPN with Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark May (analyst) and Maria Taylor (sidelines). ESPN Deportes with Kenneth Garay (play-by-play) and Alex Pombo (analyst)
National Radio: ESPN Radio with Kevin Winter (play-by-play) and Mike Golic, Jr.
Local Radio: ESPN 1420AM with Bobby Curran (play-by-play), John Veneri (analyst), and Mark Veneri (sidelines). Chris Hart and Gary Dickman host the "Countdown To Kickoff" beginning at 1:00 p.m. HT, and also the halftime show. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona, KTOH on Kaua'i, and KNWJ in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Video Streaming: www.espn.com/watchespn
Audio Streaming: www.espn.com/espnradio
Live Stats: HawaiiAthletics.com
Series Information: 2nd meeting
Bowl Central: Bowl Central on HawaiiAthletics.com