WARRIOR FOOTBALL
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Ryan Grice-Mullen tried to slip away from Wisconsin's Allen Langford in the first quarter yesterday. Grice-Mullen caught 11 passes for 139 yards.
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Bess gets company
Though he had just romped through the Wisconsin secondary to post one of his best games in college and join some pretty exclusive company in the process, Hawaii receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen couldn't muster much excitement over his personal accomplishment last night.
The freshman slot receiver caught a season-high 11 passes for 139 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark, making him and teammate Davone Bess the first UH duo to reach the milestone in the same year.
But after the game, the disappointment of the Warriors' seventh loss, a 41-24 defeat to the Badgers, weighed more on his mind than any statistical accolades.
"It's a nice accomplishment for both of us to be the first ones in school history, not too many other guys in the nation have done that," he said. "But this season has been kinda downhill, so you fade that out of the way.
"You go over 1,000, but you don't think about it because you're looking at the record (4-7) and that overrides everything. It's good to have that, but I'd give it up for the win any day."
Grice-Mullen's totals last night put him at 75 catches for 1,061 yards, both good for second on the team.
He actually passed the 1,000-yard mark twice in yesterday's game. He reached 1,001 yards with a 12-yard reception over the middle late in the second quarter. He then lost 4 yards on his first reception of the third period, but got those back moments later with a catch covering 15 yards.
Bess had four catches for 34 yards yesterday to increase his yardage total to 1,082. He had his streak of 100-yard games stopped at five, but raised his touchdown total to 14 with two scoring grabs.
The freshmen became only the 20th combination in college football history to reach 1,000 yards together.
"In this offense we really stress the inside guys as the primary targets, and obviously if the offense is moving the ball those are the two guys who should be doing well," UH quarterback Colt Brennan said.
"It's pretty cool to be part of that. They've stayed so humble all season and they've just worked and fought and I'm glad they accomplished that."
But for all of the plays Brennan and his receivers made, it was those that didn't quite connect last night that left them frustrated after the game.
"I think it was there, but it was always that one step away," Grice-Mullen said. "On the deep routes it was one step away. On defense, guys making a tackle or deflecting balls, it was one step away. Once we overcome that one step we'll do real good."
Grice-Mullen missed about half of fall camp with an injury that knocked him down the depth chart, and he didn't start the first game against USC. But when starting slotback Jason Ferguson went down with a season-ending knee injury in the opening moments against the Trojans, Grice-Mullen was pressed into duty.
"I was still focused, I never let it get me down," he said of the injury. "I stayed motivated and I stayed ready, because you never know when your chance to get back in will come."
With Grice-Mullen and Bess putting up big numbers as freshmen and Brennan only in his sophomore season, the Warriors offense figures to be in good hands for the next few years.
But they'll first look to end their first season together on a positive note with next week's finale against San Diego State.
"I'm excited for next week, I'm excited to get back to working much harder over the summer," Grice-Mullen said. "We've got to come out and work harder next year and get ready to put more points on the board.
"I felt it was an OK year because we got the yardage and the catches, but we have to put more points on the board. That comes from working hard and working on the little stuff."
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii freshman Davone Bess hauled in a Colt Brennan pass in front of Wisconsin's Mark Zalewski for a first-quarter touchdown yesterday at Aloha Stadium.
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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Wisconsin cornerback Allen Langford was called for pass interference on Hawaii receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen in the first half of yesterday's game.
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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Wisconsin's Booker Stanley dove for a couple of extra yards against UH's Brad Kalilimoku, bottom, and Mike Lafaele.
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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii kick returner Andre Taylor tried to keep his footing during a return in the first half yesterday at Aloha Stadium.
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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan looked for an escape from Wisconsin defensive end Kurt Ware during the first half of yesterday's game at Aloha Stadium.
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