UH wins a howler

Hawaii leads the entire way but needs a goal-line stand to give Nevada its second loss in the WAC

DIFFERENT people have different ideas of fun.

Hawaii nose tackle Mike Lafaele loved the fact that Nevada fought back in the fourth quarter and the Warriors needed to make a goal-line stand to hold off the Wolf Pack.

UH prevailed 41-34, but not until the defense stopped Nevada's offense with four tries from the Hawaii 3 last night at Aloha Stadium.

"I like this kind of game, where they keep coming after us. It shows how tough our defense is. It's a lot of fun. It makes the celebration a lot better," Lafaele said.

Quarterback Colt Brennan, who passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another, would prefer a blowout like the ones UH dealt UNLV and Eastern Illinois in previous home games.

Brennan, who completed 36 of 47 attempts with no interceptions, passed for 419 yards and went into the game leading the nation in touchdowns responsible for. He was worried that this game would end up as a loss responsible for. And there'd be no fun in that.

"Once I fumbled, all the fun went out," said Brennan, whose miscue with less than 4 minutes left gave Nevada the ball at the 3 and its chance for a first WAC win in Hawaii.

With a full moon over Halawa at the end of a day that included WAC victories by Utah State (over Fresno State) and Idaho, the Aloha Stadium stage was set for something exciting.

That's what the 29,427 in attendance got, as Nevada kept clawing back.

In the end, Hawaii's prolific offense and improving defense proved too much for visiting Nevada to overcome, and the home team held serve for the seventh consecutive time in this series.

"It got a little antsy at the end, but I'm glad we came out on top," UH coach June Jones said. "(Brennan) was pretty phenomenal. At the end of the game, we fumbled the ball, but I'm glad it didn't make a difference and overshadow the great game he played."

The Warriors (3-2, 1-1 WAC) led all the way, but needed the entire game to shake the gum-on-the-shoe Wolf Pack.

Offensive stars, as usual, were plenty for UH, and they helped the Warriors build what seemed a comfortable lead. Nate Ilaoa rushed for 151 yards and managed 68 more receiving. Davone Bess caught 10 passes for 139 yards, including a touchdown. Ian Sample grabbed five for 107 yards and two scores.

Nevada closed to 41-34 on touchdown connections of 13 and 5 yards from Travis Moore to Anthony Pudewell, the second with 3:57 left.

Travis Branzell then recovered an onside kick. But Nevada was called for being offside and the Wolf Pack kicked it away to UH.

The Warriors took over at their own 5 with less than 4 minutes remaining, but on the second play, Brennan rolled left and had the ball knocked out of his grasp by Jason DeMars. Charles Wilson recovered at the Hawaii 3.

Nevada could not move the ball in four plays, the last with Amani Purcell pressuring Moore and Leonard Peters providing the pass coverage in the end zone as the ball and Nevada's hopes fell to the ground.

"We were doubling on that slot (Mike McCoy) and we were lucky they went to him," Peters said. "They were going to have to throw it through me or over me, and that's what they did (over)."

Purcell pressured Moore into a hasty throw.

"People think I'm the hero," Peters said. "But the defensive line and linebackers were pressuring them all game."

Lafaele said stopping Luke Lippincott for no gain on first down was crucial.

"They came at us that first play running the ball. We knew they couldn't run on us," Lafaele said.

Lafaele sought out Brennan afterward.

"He told me after the game to just trust us and I sure do now," Brennan said.

For the second game in a row, two of Brennan's TD passes were to Sample.

"I like the trend," Sample said. "I hope I can keep it up."

The Warriors led 31-21 at halftime, but Nevada (3-3, 0-2) took the momentum to the lockers after putting together a successful 2-minute drill aided by two Hawaii penalties. The 80-yard drive was capped by Nevada starting quarterback Jeff Rowe's 3-yard touchdown pass to McCoy.

After the break, Dan Kelly's second field goal, a 25-yarder, pushed UH's lead to 34-21 at 7:49 of the third quarter.

Hawaii threatened to add to the lead on the next series, but Ilaoa fumbled at the Wolf Pack 1. Leonard forced and recovered Brandon Fragger's fumble on the next play at the Nevada 21, but again UH could not score.

This time Joe Garcia blocked Kelly's 24-yard field-goal try.

The UH defense continued to come up big in key spots.

Karl Noa knocked the ball out of Rowe's hands and Purcell recovered, apparently giving Hawaii the ball at the Nevada 33. But the replay official ruled Rowe was already down before the ball came out and the Wolf Pack retained possession.

Once again, Hawaii stopped Nevada, this time on fourth and 1 at midfield. Three plays later, Brennan was in the end zone after a 6-yard run.

Hawaii led 10-7 after a first quarter in which the two quarterbacks combined for just one incomplete pass in 19 attempts. Brennan was 13-for-14 and Rowe 5-for-5 .

One of Rowe's passes was a 19-yard touchdown to Jack Darlington, and Brennan hit Sample for a 17-yard score.

Sample's first touchdown was reviewed by officials because it appeared he may have been out of bounds before he could put the ball over the goal line.

There was no doubt on Sample's next score, which came on the Warriors' next offensive play. Brennan found him wide open on a post pattern for a 63-yard score, and UH led 17-7 early in the second quarter.

The Warriors extended the lead on a 9-yard pass from Brennan to Bess. It culminated a 61-yard drive set up by Kenny Patton's recovery of a fumble by Nevada's Robert Hubbard.

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