LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Warriors left no doubt about the outcome with a huge second-half performance on their way to their fifth consecutive win, Saturday in Logan, Utah over the Utah State Aggies. The Warriors (6-2, 4-0 WAC) piled on
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Warriors left no doubt about the outcome with a huge second-half performance on their way to their fifth consecutive win, Saturday in Logan, Utah over the Utah State Aggies.
The Warriors (6-2, 4-0 WAC) piled on 31 points in the final two quarters to notch a 45-7 victory, after dominating the opening 30 minutes but holding just a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Alex Green took center stage and displayed UH’s ability to score on the ground, as well as the air, with 172 yards and four rushing touchdowns on the afternoon.
The running back averaged 11.5 yards per carry and had scoring runs of 36 and 60 yards in the second half.
Quarterback Bryant Moniz threw for 392 yards after throwing two interceptions in the Utah State end zone that halted scoring chances in the first half.
Moniz was 24 for 40, including an 18-yard touchdown strike to Greg Salas.
The Aggies (2-5, 0-3) were unable to handle Salas, as the senior had nine receptions for 160 yards and the score. It was the 14th 100-yard receiving day of his career.
Rodney Bradley had three grabs for 105 yards, while Kealoha Pilares fell just a yard shy of his fifth 100-yard game of the season, hauling in seven passes for 99 yards.
Defensively, UH held Utah State at bay, allowing just 208 total yards of offense and surrendering only 34 yards on the ground as the rush defense continues to improve after a slow start to the season.
Utah State quarterback Diondre Borel flashed his skills running the football by scoring the Aggies’ lone touchdown on a 35-yard scamper in the second quarter, tying the ballgame at 7-7.
There was little else for Utah State to cheer about on the day as the team committed three turnovers and was just 1 for 12 on third-down conversions.
UH got the scoring started with a 12-play, 91-yard drive that spanned 7:36 in the first quarter and was capped off by a two-yard score by Green.
With the score tied in the second quarter, the Warriors put together another 12-play drive, this one going for 59 yards as Green finished it off with a 17-yard touchdown run.
Hoping to add to its seven-point lead before the half, Moniz tossed his second interception of the game. Both passes were picked off by the Aggies in their own end zone. On a 1st and Goal at the 3-yard line, Moniz’s attempt was grabbed by Utah State’s Curtis Marsh and downed for a touchback.
The Warriors got some breathing room early in the third when David Graves had the defensive trifecta, getting credited with a forced fumble by Aggies punter Peter Caldwell, recovering the loose ball and then scooting six yards into the end zone for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
Another turnover on the Aggies’ ensuing possession put them further in the hole when Corey Paredes intercepted a Borel pass at the Utah State 36. Paredes, the reigning WAC Player of the Week, had two interceptions on the day, the first two of his career.
As a team, the Warriors now have 12 interceptions this season.
Green scored on the very next play to put UH up 28-7 with 8:30 still to play in the third.
Scott Enos added a 22-yard field goal late in the quarter after a nine-play drive stalled at the 5-yard line. Bradley and Pilares had catches of 36 and 19 yards, respectively, on the drive.
Salas got his lone score of the day early in the fourth, an 18-yard strike from Moniz for a 38-7 lead.
After being held out of the end zone for the first three ballgames, Salas has now scored eight times in the past five games — all Hawai‘i wins.
Green created the final math with a 60-yard run on the Warriors’ next possession.
With the game out of reach, Moniz sat the final 11:07 as Brent Rausch and Shane Austin got in some work under center.
This was the seventh straight WAC victory for the Warriors, who remain atop the conference standings and are one of just two unbeatens remaining, along with Boise State (6-0, 2-0).
It is just the third time is school history that UH has started 4-0 in WAC play. The first two were in 1981 (finished 5-0) and 2007 (finished 8-0).
Green’s 172 yards were a career high and just his second 100-yard rushing day as a Warrior, the other a 110-yard effort against the Aggies last season.
His four rushing touchdowns had not been accomplished since 1995, when Glenn Freitas equaled that total against UNLV.
UH comes back to Manoa looking for its sixth straight victory this week against Idaho (4-3, 1-1). Idaho knocked off New Mexico State, 37-14, Saturday.
The Warriors will take on the Vandals at 5:30 p.m. Hawaiian, this Saturday at Aloha Stadium.
HAWAII 45,
UTAH ST. 7
Hawaii 7 7 17 14 — 45
Utah St. 0 7 0 0 — 7
First Quarter
Haw—Green 2 run (S.Enos kick), 4:40.
Second Quarter
USU—Borel 35 run (Caldwell kick), 14:50.
Haw—Green 17 run (S.Enos kick), 9:27.
Third Quarter
Haw—Graves 6 fumble return (S.Enos kick), 9:22.
Haw—Green 36 run (S.Enos kick), 8:30.
Haw—FG S.Enos 22, 2:14.
Fourth Quarter
Haw—Salas 18 pass from Moniz (S.Enos kick), 14:23.
Haw—Green 60 run (S.Enos kick), 11:07.
A—17,111.
Haw USU
First downs 29 11
Rushes-yards 29-216 35-58
Passing 389 123
Comp-Att-Int 25-43-2 10-26-2
Return Yards 23 0
Punts-Avg. 5-32.2 10-43.5
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 6-54 6-59
Time of Possession 33:28 26:32
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Hawaii, Green 14-172, Dimude 8-32, Austin 1-9, Rausch 1-4, Moniz 3-2, Team 2-(minus 3). Utah St., K.Williams 7-39, Speight 11-23, Marshall 2-16, DeMartino 1-3, Borel 12-(minus 1), Higgins 1-(minus 3), Caldwell 1-(minus 19).
PASSING—Hawaii, Moniz 25-41-2-389, Rausch 0-2-0-0. Utah St., Borel 7-23-2-99, Higgins 2-2-0-10, Alder 1-1-0-14.
RECEIVING—Hawaii, Salas 9-158, Pilares 7-98, Green 4-24, Bradley 3-105, Pollard 2-4. Utah St., Watkins 3-59, Bartlett 2-22, Borel 1-14, Moats 1-11, Van Leeuwen 1-9, M.Morgan 1-7, K.Williams 1-1.
