UH routs Air Force
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Not until the final whistle, signaling the end to last night's 52-30 victory over Air Force at Aloha Stadium, did the University of Hawai'i football team stand at ease.
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"We battled," UH safety Jacob Espiau said, "and we kept battling. We battled all night."
Warrior receiver Ashley Lelie beats Air Force defender Paul Mayo, then turns it into a 53-yard scoring play in the second quarter.
There were no pauses — not after Ashley Lelie caught his ninth pass, finishing his tab at three touchdowns and a school-record 285 receiving yards; not after Nick Rolovich winged it for 505 yards and five scoring passes; not after Chad Owens ran and bounced and ran some more for a 100-yard kickoff return.
In the closing minutes, the crowd serenaded "B-Y-U ... B-Y-U" — publicity for the Warriors' next game against Brigham Young Dec. 8 — and then, with 1:10 to play, UH coach June Jones was doused with ice water.
"We knew we couldn't relax until the game was really over," UH middle linebacker Chris Brown said.
In the postgame celebration, it was time to reflect.
In the next-to-last game of Jones' third season as head coach, the Warriors finally defeated a run-option team.
In improving to 8-3, with their seventh victory in the last eight games, the Warriors also ousted the Falcons (5-6) from bowl contention. Air Force, which has one game remaining, needed a winning record to meet the NCAA's bowl requirements.
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It also provided some satisfaction for UH supporters still annoyed by the Falcons' defection from the Western Athletic Conference in 1999. Air Force and seven other secessionists left behind WAC schools, including UH, to form the Mountain West Conference.
Warrior safety Nate Jackson knocks Air Force running back Leotis Palmer off his feet in the second quarter.
But the I-told-you-so boasts were shelved for unabashed praise of Lelie, who pulled in scoring passes of 53, 47 and, with 7:40 left, 76 yards.
"He was like Shaq out there," UH slotback Channon Harris said. "He was head-and-shoulders above everybody else. Once, I stopped running because I knew he would catch a long pass. I said, 'Way to go, Ashley. I'll meet you on the sideline.' "
UH wideout Justin Colbert said Lelie's performance was comparable to the Madden 2002 video football games the Warriors play regularly.
"Ashley had the type of stats those little video characters get," Colbert said. "What can you say? He's a great performer."
Lelie shared credit with Rolovich, who is 7-1 since replacing injured Tim Chang as the starting quarterback.
"I was wide open (and) Rolo hit me on the money," Lelie said. "I don't have to make any spectacular catches. (The passes) were right there by my chest."
Rolovich was sacked once, when a defender hurdled a cut-block, but most of the time could have counted to "five Mississippi" before passing.
"I feel I haven't played a game yet," Rolovich said afterward. "I feel I haven't been hit. ... When I can come out feeling like this, I feel the offensive line did a great job."
Despite injuries, the Warriors managed to make timely defensive plays against an Air Force offense that amassed 545 rushing yards.
The Warriors forced two fumbles, both of which were parlayed into touchdowns, and made two third-down stands that resulted in one field goal.
"We were our own worst enemy," Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said. "We fumbled twice in the first half, which probably took 14 points away from us. We've been a good team that can't make the big play."
In a pick-your-poison decision, the Warriors decided to focus on the Falcons' run options. They opened with a 4-4 alignment, in which safeties Espiau and Robert Grant were moved to outside linebacker. The plan was for Espiau or Grant to track quarterback Keith Boyea, and safety Nate Jackson to hunt for the pitch runner.
But the Warriors, with seven defensive starters suffering from shoulder ailments, could not escape further pain. Jackson suffered a neck stinger on the first play of the second half and, at times, Brown, defensive end Travis Laboy and outside linebacker Matt Wright left with injuries. For one series, the UH linebacker corps consisted of two safeties, 17-year-old redshirt freshman Patrick Lavar Harley and redshirt freshman Watson Hoohuli.
"I went up to the referee and asked him, 'Did you ever see so many guys get hurt?' " Espiau recalled. "It was amazing. But we were going to keep fighting through, and we did."
