UH at LaTech Wrap-Ups

The Advertiser has game stats and a scoring breakdown.

Stephen Tsai talks to June Jones about how the Warriors came back to win the crazy game.

"These guys have so much character," Jones said. "I wouldn't want to win it any other way. We won it on the road and by coming from behind. It's a big statement, and it says a lot about each of the players. I am so proud of them. They had that attitude they were not going to lose the game."

In the same article, Tsai takes a look at Greg McMackin's final play call:

McMackin's strategy was to blitz Kalilimoku and safety Jacob Patek into the right side of the Bulldogs' backfield and, presumably, into the anticipated path of Champion. The scheme calls for a rotation, with Lewis defending the right wideout.

"I thought Mac was really trying to roll 7s," said Rich Miano, who coaches the UH defensive backs. "It was a big-time gutsy call for him to call what he called. We were rolling to that side. If they go the other way, we're not as strong."

Champion noticed the shift as the ball was snapped — a nanosecond too late to call a timeout.

Dave Reardon's wrap-up discusses Gerard Lewis knocking down that final 2-point attempt to save the day.

"Just doing my job," Lewis said matter-of-factly, like he did last season to set up the Purdue victory with an interception, like he did last week with a fumble recovery to set the tone in the season opener.

"He's a baller," Jones said, when asked about Lewis' penchant for making the key play.

But this was much bigger than his previous exploits. This play saved the game, and the Warriors' long-term hopes.

"This could be the turning point of our season," receiver Davone Bess said.

Another turning point could be Dan Kelly's clutch game-tying field goal. Ferd Lewis talks to Kelly about how he felt leading up to it.

"When I step on the field and go kick I just go blank," Kelly said. " I don't feel anything, I really mean it. God gave me the ability to shut off my emotions when I go out to kick. From the time I step on the field until the time I kick the ball, I really don't feel anything. At least I don't remember anything."

"Of course if you want to ask me what my stomach felt like before I went out to kick, it was in a ball. I felt like my stomach was up to my throat," Kelly said. "I was nervous. But, for some reason as soon as I hit that field, it quit."

Ferd hopes that UH will learn from this game.

We finally saw the Warriors approach their best only when pushed to it. And pushed hard in the 87-degree heat. Maybe from now on in this 12-game regular season, the stark reminders of how close their season of portent was to turning to disappointment, in their minds, we'll see what the Warriors are capable of earlier rather than later.

Perhaps now they fully grasp that being the 20th-ranked team in the country comes with a mighty burden of proof. They need to have more than a nodding realization that they are going to get everybody's best shot every night out. They should understand that the longer you let an underdog linger, the more they become emboldened and inspired. Shaking Tech was like, well, getting a Bulldog off your pants leg.

In a story discussing Jason Rivers' big night, Dooley going for two, the UH defense, and Dan Kelly's kick, Dave Reardon notes why UH was penalized 15 yards on the opening kickoff.

Hawaii was warned before the game by WAC officials not to do the haka, but the Warriors did it anyway in front of the LaTech football team and was penalized 15 yards before the game even started for unsportsmanlike conduct. Hawaii had to kick off from its own 15-yard line.

Geez, give me a break. The WAC should ban mascots and loud fans while they're at it.

Ferd Lewis writes that LaTech coach Derek Dooley was happy with the way his defense played.

"It's not every day a guy throws for 500 yards against you and you feel like you did a pretty good job against him," Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley said marveling at the irony of his own statement.

Brennan had a hand in all three UH turnovers — a fumble, a fumbled handoff exchange and an interception — that Tech capitalized on to score 21 points.

Despite the stats, it wasn't the best game for Colt. Nevertheless, he's once again nominated for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week Award. Vote for Colt!