Ferd Lewis
UH-FSU among the best

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

For sheer decibel level, there might not have been anything louder in 85 seasons of University of Hawai'i football history than Friday's victory over Fresno State.

So, where does the Warriors' 38-34 triumph rate on the all-time victory list?

Glad you asked.

The biggest victories in UH football annals and how they stack up:

1. Hawai'i 27, Illinois 17. Dec. 30, 1992. San Diego. (Coach: Bob Wagner.) This Holiday Bowl triumph was the final touch on an 11-2 season that gave UH its only Top 20 finish.
2. Hawai'i 31, Fresno St. 24. Nov. 13, 1999. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: June Jones.) The double-overtime thriller earned the Warriors a share of the WAC title and a bowl berth.
3. Hawai'i 56, Brigham Young 14. Oct. 28, 1989. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Wagner.) A decade of futility against the Cougars disappeared in one big blowout, opening the way for the school's first NCAA bowl appearance.
4. Hawai'i 6, Nebraska 0. Sept. 17, 1955. Lincoln, Neb. (Coach: Hank Vasconcellos.) Ten months after closing the season with a 50-0 loss to the Cornhuskers at Honolulu Stadium, UH went on the road as a 40-point underdog and brought back a win.
5. Hawai'i 59, BYU 28. Dec. 1, 1990. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Wagner.) In the afternoon Ty Detmer got the Heisman, but when the lights went on the show belonged to quarterback Garrett Gabriel and UH.
6. Hawai'i 27, Iowa 24. Sept. 3, 1988. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Wagner.) In his debut, freshman Jason Elam kicked the deciding field goal in a victory over the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes.
7. Hawai'i 10, Washington 7. Sept. 15, 1973. Seattle. (Coach: Dave Holmes.) Classified as a small college team at the time, UH stunned the Huskies before 52,500.
8. Hawai'i 14, California 0. Jan. 1, 1935. Honolulu Stadium. (Coach: Otto Klum.) A then-record crowd of 18,500 saw UH close out its last undefeated season.
9. Hawai'i 30, San Jose State 20. Nov. 29, 1975. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Larry Price.) UH got its first upset of a nationally ranked opponent, rallying from a 14-point deficit to beat Steve DeBerg and the 15th-ranked Spartans.
10. Hawai'i 38, Fresno State 34. Oct. 26, 2001. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Jones.)
11. Hawai'i 23, Oregon State 17. Dec. 25, 1999. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Jones.) O'ahu Bowl victory put the finishing touch on an NCAA-record worst-to-first turnaround.
12. Hawai'i 16, West Virginia 13. Oct. 11, 1980. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Dick Tomey.) Falaniko Noga blocked a field goal to preserve the upset of the 15-point favorite Mountaineers.
13. Hawai'i 27, Wyoming 22. Nov. 18, 1978. Aloha Stadium. (Coach: Tomey.) Down 19-0 at halftime, UH rallied for 27 points to clinch the first of five consecutive winning seasons.