RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii slotback Chad Owens fended off Michigan State's Cole Corey in the second quarter after one of his 13 receptions in last night's game at Aloha Stadium.

Bowl bound

Hawaii rallies from a 21-0 deficit
to beat Michigan State and earn
a spot in the Hawaii Bowl

Michigan State stole Christmas from Hawaii 15 years ago and tried to do it again last night. But the Warriors were just too good when they had to be and too resilient.

Stars of the Game Chad Owens, Hawaii The slotback caught 13 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns. DeAndra Cobb, Michigan St. The running back carried 16 times for 128 yards and also had three kick returns for 110 yards. Key Matchup Michigan State punter Brandon Fields vs. Hawaii punt returner Chad Owens Owens did most of his damage as a receiver with four touchdown receptions. Fields kicked four times for a 43-yard average, and his low, bouncing kicks succeeded in containing Owens, who returned only two punts for 18 yards. Dave Rayner, the Spartans' kicker and designated short punter, tried a fake-punt pass play late in the game, but the Warriors smelled it out and he was sacked by Darrell Tautofi. Say What? "He definitely isn't from Michigan." John L. Smith Michigan State coach, when told the referee from last night's game, Frank White, lives in Hawaii

Hawaii came back from a two-touchdown halftime deficit to beat Michigan State 41-38 before an Aloha Stadium crowd of 36,938 (turnstile) and ESPN2 audience, earning a berth in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl against Alabama-Birmingham.

In the process, the Warriors (7-5) washed away much of the stain of a season in which they were so decimated by injuries and battered on the road so badly that coach June Jones described them as "fragile."

They were anything but that last night in completing their home regular season at 7-1.

Moments after last night's game, Jones -- who had more than a few fans doubting him and his team during the season -- accepted a third consecutive invitation to the Hawaii Bowl.

"We proved everyone wrong," senior offensive lineman Uriah Moenoa said. "We let the game speak for itself."

The Warriors, 4-5 just three weeks earlier after an embarrassing 70-14 loss at Fresno State, completed one of the most spectacular three-game runs in school history, rivaled perhaps only by the 2001 finish, when UH beat Miami (Ohio), Air Force and Brigham Young, but had nowhere to go with a 9-3 record.

This year, a loss to Idaho, Northwestern or Michigan State, and not only were the Warriors out, but the Hawaii Bowl faced the prospect of UAB vs. Akron.

But, like a child making a stretch run of perfect behavior to earn the bicycle under the Christmas tree, the Warriors finished if not perfect, good enough to win all three.

Jones was relatively low-key after one of the biggest victories in his six seasons at Hawaii.

"Nobody thought we could do it," he said. "This is huge for the kids."

Michigan State, which dominated Hawaii 33-13 in the 1989 Aloha Bowl, finished its year at 5-7.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii senior West Keli'ikipi ran into Michigan State defenders Roderick Maples, Jason Harmon and Jaren Hayes in last night's game at Aloha Stadium.

UH had the record-setting duo of quarterback Tim Chang and receiver/punt returner Chad Owens to thank once again, as well as a defense that limited MSU to 10 points in the second half.

For the second game in a row, Chang fired a school-record-tying four touchdown passes to Owens. And Chang scored on a 1-yard run -- his first rushing touchdown of the year -- to give UH the lead for the first time, 34-31, with 9:22 left.

Owens caught 13 passes for 283 yards, 2 yards off the school record set by Ashley Lelie.

"Thank you for everyone who doubted us," Owens said. "When you're doubted, that gives you the extra momentum to win like we did tonight."

Chang went without an interception while completing 29 of 49 passes for 416 yards. He was at his finest on the go-ahead 80-yard drive, steadily leading UH downfield. The biggest two plays came via his legs, not his arm; in addition to the touchdown, which required a second-effort at the goal line, Chang scrambled for 22 yards and a first down on third and 11 at the MSU 31.

"It was a great drive. Everybody looked in each other's eyes and we just knew the moment," Chang said. "We did whatever it took. I tried to tuck the ball a couple of times to keep the chains moving and things just worked out for the best."

"I saw a different Timmy Chang on that drive," Owens said. "To finish it the way he did, after he got stopped. What can you say?"

The final TD from Chang to Owens, for 15 yards, gave the Warriors the cushion they needed, 41-31 with 3:43 left to play, for MSU had one rally left.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Michigan State tight end Eric Knott dove over Hawaii safety Landon Kafentzis for the first touchdown of last night's game.

The Spartans drove from their own 41, and Jason Teague scored on a 1-yard run for his third TD of the game with 1:31 to go.

But Hawaii's C.J. Allen-Jones recovered MSU's onside kick, and the Warriors ran out the clock.

"The underclassmen didn't want to send us out (with a loss)," Chang said. "We needed the last three wins and we pulled together as a team."

Chang and Owens' third scoring connection went for a 9-yard touchdown that could've tied the score at 28 with 3:36 left in the third quarter. But Justin Ayat's extra-point try (from 35 yards, after two Hawaii penalties) was blocked by Kevin Vickerson.

Dave Rayner gave MSU some breathing room with 14:05 left, as his 49-yard field goal made it 31-27, Spartans.

The Spartans were flagged for 119 yards in penalties and had two touchdowns called back. That did not please MSU coach John L. Smith, but he did credit Hawaii.

"Those guys are a great football team," he said. "We knew we had to score a bunch."

The Spartans led 28-14 at halftime after pounding UH's defense for 403 yards.

Hawaii closed to 21-14 on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Chang to Owens with 56 seconds left in the first half.

But the Spartans regained the momentum immediately as DeAndra Cobb broke away for a 50-yard run and Teague battled into the end zone for an 8-yard TD, just 32 seconds after UH's score.

Cobb rushed for 128 yards to lead MSU, which led 21-0 after the first quarter.

Stanton threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Knott and MSU took a 7-0 lead at 8:21 of the first quarter.

Jehuu Caulcrick expanded the lead to 14-0 with a 2-yard run, capping a 72-yard drive at 1:31 of the first, and Teague added a 1-yard score at 9:32 of the second quarter.

West Keli'ikipi got UH on the board with a 1-yard run with 7:53 left in the first half. Chang completed a 50-yard pass to Owens to set up the score.

The Warriors defense allowed only 195 yards after halftime. Senior linebacker Watson Ho'ohuli led UH with 12 tackles, including four for loss.

"The fear of going out as losers really sunk in and motivated us to pull this off," said UH senior defensive back Abe Elimimian, who had 11 tackles.