DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Warrior receiver Chad Owens was hit by the Aztecs' Ricky Sharpe as he made this catch Saturday night.
Hawaii already 1 win Even if Hawaii beats Tulane in the ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Day, the 1992 UH team will still have the best record in school history against an all-college schedule at 11-2.
better than a year ago
The 19 victories in back-to-back
Notebook
seasons is a school record
By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comBut after improving to 10-3 by beating San Diego State (something the 1992 team couldn't do) last Saturday, 41-40, UH set a school record for wins in back-to-back seasons with 19. The 1988 and 1989 teams under Bob Wagner went 9-3 and 9-3-1.
On the surface, that might seem like a contrived statistic. But it is very significant for UH; over the years Hawaii has had many good seasons, but rarely followed up with another successful one the next year.
After that Holiday Bowl winning season of 1992, the Rainbows were ranked No. 20. But they went 6-6 in 1993 -- the start of a three-year decline that ended with Wagner being fired and worse times ahead under Fred von Appen.
Even June Jones -- architect of the greatest turnaround in NCAA history in 1999 after replacing vonAppen -- suffered a sophomore slump in 2000 that saw the record go from 9-4 to 3-9.
But now, after 9-3 and 10-3 regular seasons, Jones could have the Warriors on the road toward consistent success that he promised upon arrival.
The Warriors enjoyed a two-week stay in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, reaching No. 24. But a 21-16 loss to Alabama on Nov. 30 knocked them out.
If anything, Jones has shown that the run-and-shoot offense can put up numbers -- UH remains the top passing team by yardage in the nation -- and win games. In the coming years, with more games against Alabama, USC and Michigan State, the Warriors will have the chance to see if it works against elite teams. If it does, future visits to the rankings might last longer.
Here's a game-by-game look back at Hawaii's season:
HAWAII 61, EASTERN ILLINOIS 36
Aug. 31, at Aloha StadiumQuarterback Tim Chang started despite a broken pinkie suffered in training camp. He passed for three touchdowns and 374 yards.
The defense yielded 475 yards to the Division I-AA Panthers, but Pisa Tinoisamoa was in on 13 tackles and Hyrum Peters and Abu Ma'afala returned interceptions for touchdowns.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 35, HAWAII 32Sept. 6, at Provo, Utah
The Warriors led 17-14 at halftime, but didn't take full advantage of their opportunities and the Cougars avenged the 72-45 shellacking at Aloha Stadium the previous December.BYU running back Marcus Whalen rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Chang was intercepted four times as UH (1-1) lost for the eighth time with no wins in Provo.
HAWAII 31, TEXAS-EL PASO 6
Sept. 21, at El Paso, TexasShawn Withy-Allen came off the bench to replace Chang and lead UH (2-1, 1-0) to victory in its Western Athletic Conference opener.
Withy-Allen's 3-yard run and 17-yard pass to Britton Komine gave the Warriors second-half touchdowns. Withy-Allen also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Nate Ilaoa in the second quarter.
Peters' two interceptions led to two first-half scores.
HAWAII 42, SMU 10
Sept. 28, at Aloha StadiumUH (3-1, 2-0) survived six turnovers as its special teams and defense came up big.
The biggest play was freshman Kenny Patton's 74-yard return of Tinoisamoa's block of a Mustangs' field-goal attempt that put the game away midway through the third quarter.
BOISE STATE 58, HAWAII 31
Oct. 5, at Boise, IdahoThe Broncos delivered an early knockdown punch with 21 first-quarter points and continued to pour it on in the game that eventually determined the WAC championship.
BSU was better on offense, defense and special teams -- and a trick play for a touchdown on a 25-yard pass involving backups T.J. Acree and Donny Heck gave the Broncos the edge on gadget plays, too.
The Warriors (3-2, 2-1) scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was too late.
HAWAII 59, NEVADA 34
Oct. 12, at Aloha StadiumChang hit Komine with a 72-yard touchdown pass on the first play, and the Warriors (4-2, 3-1) scored a school record 42 points in the first quarter.
Komine caught eight passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns and Peters scored on another interception return, this one for 64 yards.
HAWAII 37, TULSA 14
Oct. 19, at Aloha StadiumChang passed for 403 yards and four touchdowns and became the Warriors' all-time passing yardage and total offense leader.
Five UH (5-2, 4-1) players scored a touchdown each.
HAWAII 31, FRESNO STATE 21
Oct. 25, at Fresno, Calif.The Warriors scored 22 points in the fourth quarter, with Chang hitting Komine for a 13-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 2:25 left in perhaps the biggest play of the season.
Justin Ayat kicked three field goals as the Warriors led 9-7 at halftime.
Chang passed for 462 yards and two touchdowns as UH (6-2, 5-1) beat the Bulldogs in Fresno for the first time since 1973.
HAWAII 40, SAN JOSE STATE 31
Nov. 2, at Aloha StadiumThe Warriors (7-2, 6-1) became the first team in the nation to receive a postseason bid, accepting an invitation to the Hawaii Bowl after hanging on to beat the Spartans.
Justin Colbert caught 11 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth game in a row with more than 100 yards receiving.
HAWAII 33, RICE 28
Nov. 16, at HoustonDefensive end Houston Ala made the single biggest defensive play of the season, tackling the Owls' Greg Henderson at the UH 11-yard line on fourth down with less than 30 seconds left.
UH (8-2, 7-1) finished a tough road schedule at 3-2. The following day the Warriors, who finished second in the WAC, entered the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll at No. 25.
HAWAII 20, CINCINNATI 19
Nov. 23, at Aloha StadiumJeremiah Cockheran caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from a hobbled Chang for the winning points with 5:10 left and Hawaii's defense stopped the Bearcats in the fourth quarter for UH's (9-2) seventh win in a row and 10th straight at Aloha Stadium. Chang left the game in the first half with a sprained knee, but returned to lead the winning drive.
But one of the season's most exciting finishes was marred by a five-minute postgame brawl involving dozens of players from both teams and fans who threw items at Cincinnati players. There were no arrests or major injuries.
Hawaii moved up to No. 24 in the coaches poll.
ALABAMA 21, HAWAII 16
Nov. 30, at Aloha StadiumChang was intercepted four times, and the No. 14 Crimson Tide came up with enough big plays on offense to complete their season with a win.
The Warriors (9-3), playing in front of a sold-out crowd and on national television, scored with 1:55 left on a 12-yard pass from Chang to Chad Owens. But Ayat's onside kick went out of bounds and Alabama ran out the clock.
Tinoisamoa improved his NFL Draft stock with a career-high 19 tackles.
HAWAII 41, SAN DIEGO STATE 40
Dec. 7, at Aloha StadiumNate Ilaoa's 2-yard touchdown run with 4:45 left capped a comeback from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit, and Travis LaBoy's sack on fourth down gave UH the ball back with 2:25 left and the Warriors ran out the clock.
UH (10-3) jumped to a 22-3 lead, but the Aztecs fired back with 23 unanswered points.
Komine ran his TD total to 10 on the season with two scoring passes from Chang, but the game's most spectacular offensive player was SDSU's J.R. Tolver, who caught 18 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
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