FRESNO, Calif. >>Hawaii quarterback Darnel Arceneaux shook off his season-long slump with a 21-for-34 performance -- including 11 completions in a row in one stretch -- for 257 yards, but it wasn't enough to avoid the Islanders' seventh straight loss, 55-48 to the Fresno Frenzy. Islanders fall short again
From staff and wire reports
"I'm hurt," coach Chad Carlson said. "We keep losing, but all I know is we don't have a quitter in us. These guys gave me everything they had."
The Islanders had the ball 5 yards away from the end zone with just two seconds left in the game when Carlson called an option play. Like so many things for the Islanders this season, it failed when Arceneaux had a desperation pass fall incomplete.
The close loss hurts more than the blowouts they have endured this year, because of all of the little things that could have turned defeat into victory.
Thanks to Arceneaux and a newly inspired offensive line, Hawaii scored on every possession except two. Those two may be the main topic of conversation on the long ride home, as Hawaii fumbled twice at the goal line on plays that Carlson says were legitimate touchdowns on film.
Regardless of what happened on film, the Islanders drop to 1-7 while the Frenzy -- the only team Hawaii has beaten this year -- improve to 3-5.
"That record (1-7) means nothing to me," Carlson said. "We could be as good as 5-2, we are just snake-bit. We have to spit out the poison and keep going and going."