UH special teams save day

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Somehow, it was only appropriate in a game where quarterback Nick Rolovich passed for a school-record seven touchdowns that a special teams player turned out to be the man of the hour.

Red-shirt freshman Justin Ayat's 24-yard field goal with no time showing rallied the Warriors to a 52-51 win against Miami (Ohio). The final play of the game capped a highlight reel of big plays turned in by UH's special teams.

In fact, Ayat's field goal was the third consecutive contribution within a 2-minute, 31-second span.

After the RedHawks regained the lead, 51-49 with 1:08 left in the game on a 9-yard TD run by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, it was a blocked extra-point kick by Sean Butts that gave Ayat and the Warriors a chance to set up the game-winning kick.

Then it was Chad Owens' 34-yard kickoff return to the UH 42 that jump-started the winning drive.

"We really just try to contribute," Butts said. "We consider ourselves starters and we take pride. We want to win. We didn't want to get beat. That's what we try to do week in and week out. We want to make a difference."

They did so on a night the Warriors' defense allowed season-highs in points and yards (616).

But it began with Butts' block.

"Wayne (Hunter) and Houston (Ala) got a good push up front," Butts said. "We've been working on it with the D-line because I can't do the block without them."

But the specialists weren't done contributing.

On the ensuing kickoff, Owens knew what he had to do.

"I just wanted to put the team in (good) field position so we have a chance to win," said Owens, who had nine kickoff returns totaling a season-high 233 yards.

From the UH 42, Ayat knew what was possibly coming up.

"When Sean blocked that extra point I knew that with a little bit of time left, they would probably just get in position for a field goal," Ayat said. "I didn't know how far, but luckily, Rolo kept us in it, drove us down the field and gave me an easy field goal."

Well, not that easy.

With five seconds to play, Ayat was summoned for a 29-yarder. His attempt went wide left. But he got a reprieve because the RedHawks were called for offsides, making his next attempt five yards closer.

"I was relaxed, but through the corner of my eye I saw the guy (who went offsides) jump," Ayat said. "I kind of hurried myself. That was my fault. Thankfully, I got a second chance. After missing the first one, it was just a matter of settling down. It was just go through it, stay with my technique. It was pretty much like kicking an extra point. It was pretty close, right down the middle, so not that much pressure."

Owens felt the second chance was a blessing.

"I think it was meant to be," Owens said. "They went offsides. He missed it, but it gave us one more shot to win the game and we won the game."