Warriors fall, Chang hurt
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By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The night started with a reading of the "Pledge of Allegiance" and ended, for the University of Hawai'i football team, with the realization that there isn't always justice for all.
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UH's gritty defensive effort was obscured in Rice's frenetic 27-24 victory at Aloha Stadium.
Warrior defensive end Travis Laboy manhandles Rice quarterback Greg Henderson, slamming him to the Aloha Stadium turf in the second quarter.
Brandon Skeen, who earlier missed three field goals, kicked the winning field goal from 26 yards with 2:26 to play, completing the Owls' surge from a 10-point deficit.
A crowd of 32,946 watched the Warriors lose their second in a row to fall to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.
"It's too frustrating for words," UH middle linebacker Chris Brown said. "We gave it everything we had and . . . it's so frustrating. That's all I can say."
Now, the Warriors will hold their collective breath as they await health reports on quarterback Tim Chang, who suffered a sprain on his right (throwing) wrist, and safety Nate Jackson, who did not play after the first quarter because of a concussion.
Chang, who entered as the nation's leader in total offense, suffered the injury when he was knocked down while releasing a pass in the fourth quarter. He said he knew immediately that his right wrist was injured, and he did not play in UH's final three possessions.
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"It was one of those things," said Chang, who vowed to play in Saturday's road game against Southern Methodist.
UH quarterback Tim Chang avoids a defender on this play. Chang was not so fortunate later, injuring his right wrist when he was hit after a pass attempt.
Nick Sabula, who had chased Chang on the play, said, "I feel bad. I tried to apologize to him. I didn't mean to do anything."
By then, the Owls had caused enough damage — intercepting four passes, including one that bandit (a combination linebacker and safety) Dan Dawson parlayed into 74-yard touchdown sprint — and blocking a punt.
"We had a lot of bad things happen to us," UH coach June Jones said.
The Warriors appeared to have solved their problems in the red zone (the area between the Rice 20 and end zone). In seizing a 21-7 halftime lead, they scored three red-zone touchdowns — two on wideout Ashley Lelie catches and freshman Mike Bass' 3-yard run.
On defense, the Warriors were able to contain the Owls' run-oriented, triple-option offense. They went with four defensive linemen and four linebackers (by shifting safety Robert Grant to outside linebacker). On some plays, they brought nine players into the tackle box, the imaginary rectangle near the line of scrimmage.
But, UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa noted, "we were missing the key."
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Jackson, who suffered the concussion in the first quarter, was the defender responsible for tailing the halfback on option plays to the perimeter.
Rice linebacker Dan Dawson sacks UH quarterback Jared Flint. Dawson made 12 solo tackles and scored on a 74-yard interception return.
After the concussion, Jackson "kept going out there (on the field) and we kept pulling him back," Lempa said. "He wanted to play so bad, but we knew he wasn't 100 percent. We just couldn't put him in there, even though he wanted to play."
Jackson's absence hurt the Warriors not in defending runs — they were able to slow the Owls — but on play-action passes. They were burned three times on long passes — one which led to quarterback Greg Henderson's 28-yard, juke-and-sprint touchdown; the other resulting in Henderson's 39-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Derek Gary in the third quarter.
Still, the Warriors led 24-14 following Justin Ayat's 37-yard field goal with 10:35 left in the third quarter.
Later, when the Warriors drove to the Owls' 22, Chang threw a pass into the left flat. On three previous passes into that area, Dawson noticed that he was left unblocked. "I decided to wait . . . 'One Mississippi, two Mississippi' . . . and then go for it," Dawson said.
Dawson stepped in front of wideout Justin Colbert, intercepted and sprinted for the touchdown that closed the Owls to 24-21. "And that," Dawson said, smiling, "was the story of my touchdown of 2001."
On UH's final possession of the third quarter, Chang's pass ricocheted off Dawson's hand to defensive end Brandon Green, who raced 27 yards. Eight plays later, Skeen converted from 31 yards. Skeen, who filled in for injured Derek Crabtree, had missed his previous six field-goal attempts from beyond 30 yards.
After that, it was a battle of reserve quarterbacks. Flint, who did not play last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, had replaced Chang. Henderson filled in for Kyle Herm, who suffered a concussion on Rice's second possession. Henderson also would leave the game with an injury, replaced by freshman Joe Moore.
"I was scared," Moore said. "I didn't even think I would play this year."
Henderson returned in the fourth quarter, leading the Owls to the UH 9, from where Skeen was summoned again.
"I wasn't afraid," said Skeen, whose go-ahead kick was true.
Lempa, who watched the field goal in disbelief, later said, "We gave it everything we had. We left everything on the field. We can be proud of that."
How they scored
At Aloha Stadium
RICE 0 7 14 6 — 27
HAWAI‘I 0 21 3 0 — 24
SECOND QUARTER
UH—Ashley Lelei 6 pass from Tim Chang (Justin Ayat kick) 14:17 0 7
UH—Mike Bass 3 run (Ayat kick) 9:24 0 14
Rice—Greg Henderson 28 run (Brandon Skeen kick) 8:37 7 14
UH—Lelie 16 pass from Chang (Ayat kick) :31 7 21
THIRD QUARTER
Rice—Derek Gary 39 pass from Henderson (Skeen kick) 12:51 14 21
UH—FG Ayat 47 10:35 14 24
Rice—Dan Dawson 74 interception return (Skeen kick) 7:03 21 24
FOURTH QUARTER
Rice—FG Skeen 31 13:09 24 24
Rice—FG Skeen 26 2:26 27 24
Attendance—32,946 (35,443 tickets distributed)
Scoring drives
SECOND QUARTER
• HAWAI‘I — 8 plays, 73 yards, 2:09 elapsed time. Ashley Lelie 6 pass from Tim Chang (Justin Ayat kick). Big play: Lelie 32 pass from Chang that gave UH possession at the Rice 6. Time: 14:17. Score: Hawai‘i 7, Rice 0.
• HAWAI‘I — 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:03 elapsed time. Mike Bass 3 run (Ayat kick). Big plays: Chang completed 4 of 6 passes for 55 yards. Time: 9:24. Score: Hawai‘i 14, Rice 0.
• RICE — 2 plays, 84 yards, 47 seconds elapsed time. Greg Henderson 28 run (Brandon Skeen kick). Big play: Leroy Bradley 41 pass from Henderson on first-and-10 at Rice’s 16. Time: 8:37. Score: Hawai‘i 14, Rice 7.
• HAWAI‘I — 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:41 elapsed time. Lelie 16 pass from Chang (Ayat kick). Big play: Bass 34 run on first-and-10 at the UH 20. Time: 31 seconds. Score: Hawai‘i 21, Rice 7.
THIRD QUARTER
• RICE — 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:09 elapsed time. Derek Gary 39 pass from Henderson (Skeen kick). Big play: Pass interference on third-and-8 at UH 47. Time: 12:51. Score: Hawai‘i 21, Rice 14.
• HAWAI‘I — 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:15 elapsed time. Ayat 47 field goal. Big play: Mark Tate 57 kick-off return. Time: 10:35. Score: Hawai‘i 24, Rice 14.
• RICE — Dan Dawson 74 interception return. (Skeen kick). Time: 7:03. Score: Hawai‘i 24, Rice 21.
FOURTH QUARTER
• RICE — 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:51 elapsed time. Skeen 31 field goal. Big play: Brandon Green interception at first-and-10 on 17.Time: 13:09. Score: Hawai‘i 24, Rice 24.
• RICE — 11 plays, 61 yards, 3:23 elapsed time. Skeen 26 field goal. Big play: Pass interference second-and-9. Time: 2:26. Score: Rice 27, Hawai‘i 24.
STARS OF THE GAME
• DAN DAWSON, Rice rover had 12 unassisted tackles and one assisted tackle, including two sacks, and returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown.
• ASHLEY LELIE, Hawai‘i wide receiver caught 11 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
