ASHLEY Lelie did nothing yesterday to hurt his chances in next year's National Football League Draft should the junior opt to skip his senior season. Lelie’s stock on the rise
In Hawaii's 72-45 victory over nationally ranked Brigham Young, he caught eight passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns to finish with five school records safely tucked away. But if the former Radford High player plans not to be around next year for the Warriors, he isn't acting like it.
"I'm still here for a while," he said after the game, then laughed at his own joke. "I'm most likely coming back for another year. I'm 80 percent sure at this point."
Lelie finished the season with 84 receptions, breaking Dwight Carter's single-season mark of 77 set in 1999. He already had surpassed Carter's single-season mark in yards with 1,713. Carter piled up 1,253 yards in June Jones' first season as coach for UH.
The lanky Lelie is also Hawaii's all-time leader with 3,341 career receiving yards and 194 receptions in only 36 games. Lelie has caught at least one pass in 32 consecutive games and now has 10 games with at least 100 yards in receptions. He has managed to produce at least 200 yards in each of his last three matchups.
If he wants to turn pro, Jones figures Lelie will be a Sunday sensation. If he wants to come back for another year, Jones will welcome him with open arms.
"This victory just gives us more momentum going into next year," Lelie said. "We're not losing too many people. The chemistry is great. That's what's got me leaning to staying."
No class: BYU players took exception with a late hit by Pisa Tinoisamoa and Jacob Espiau on receiver Andrew Ord after he caught a pass from quarterback Charlie Peterson. The play spilled into the BYU cheerleaders, prompting players and male cheerleaders to exchange blows.
BYU senior offensive lineman Jason Scukanec called the play classless, blaming several Hawaii players for the scuffle.
"A lot of their guys obviously don't know how to win with grace," Scukanec said. "Hitting a cheerleader. I told the guy why not hit somebody with a helmet and pads on. Even their own coaches said something to them. It was disgraceful.
"You see that in teams that don't win a lot of games and don't know how to handle it. There were a lot of second- and third-team guys in there late in the game playing that way. Their coaches need to teach them how to win with dignity."
Hawaii finished the game with 15 penalties for 168 yards. BYU managed 12 penalties for 110 yards in what was a sloppy game at times. Many of UH's penalties were for excessive celebration after scoring. Jones even got one just before the half for arguing with an official on the field.
"It's a direct reflection on their coaching staff," Scukanec said.
Inside the numbers: Hawaii's 72 points are the most BYU has ever given up in its 79-year history. UCLA previously held that distinction with 68 points in a 1993 game. In BYU's top five worst defensive performances scoring-wise, Hawaii figures in three of those. The Rainbows beat the Cougars 56-14 in 1989 and 59-28 in 1990. All three of those lopsided losses for BYU were at Aloha Stadium.
Those weren't the only figures to turn some heads. The game lasted 4 hours and 24 minutes. It forced ESPN to leave in the fourth quarter to join a scheduled basketball game. It also resulted in an astounding 105 offensive plays for BYU and a more manageable 73 for Hawaii.
For the third consecutive game, Hawaii yielded more than 600 yards -- and won. The two teams combined for 1,258 yards and 117 points. The closing over/under line in Las Vegas was 76. For those in the know, the over was the lock of the year.