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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, November 3, 2002

Warriors earn bowl berth

 •  Defensive backs dedicate win to former teammate Jackson
 •  Warriors in good hands with receiving corps
 •  UH first to receive, accept a bowl berth
What did you think of the game? Join our discussion
 • Ferd Lewis: This is not a passing phase

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Check off "bowl invitation" from the University of Hawai'i football team's Christmas wish list.

Warriors receiver Justin Colbert scores on a first-quarter reception. Colbert had TD catches of 9 and 28 yards.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Last night, the Warriors withstood a late challenge from San Jose State to hold on for a 40-31 victory and secure a berth in the inaugural Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Day.

Under terms of the so-called "Santa Clause," the Warriors were guaranteed a reservation in the Christmas bowl if they finished the regular season with a winning record. The Warriors, who play 13 regular-season games this year, improved to 7-2 overall and 6-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.

They became the first NCAA Division I-A football team to accept a bowl berth this year. With one league game remaining, they also are guaranteed no lower than second in the WAC.

"Christmas Day we'll be bowling, so I'm very happy," said UH quarterback Tim Chang, who threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns last night.

Chang, a third-year sophomore, also completed two third-down passes in the decisive fourth-quarter drive, capped by Thero Mitchell's 3-yard scoring run with 1:33 to play.

Warriors running back John West does a header after being tripped up by San Jose State defensive back Melvin Cook.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

"This is such an awesome feeling," UH linebacker Chris Brown said. "You know, I still try to shake the boxes and guess what I'm going to get for Christmas. Now I know what I'm going to get for Christmas, and it's a great present. It's an unreal present. It's going to be a merry Christmas."

Two of Chang's passes were intercepted at the doorstep of the end zone, and the Warriors were penalized 14 times for 133 yards. They also were stunned when Juan Walden zigged and zagged his way on a 90-yard scoring play, closing the Spartans to 33-31 with 6:52 to play. It was Walden's sixth catch of the season and his first touchdown as a Spartan.

In the huddle before UH's final scoring drive, which started at the 20, Chang looked at the linemen and said, "Let's go put one in the end zone."

"Everybody was pumped up," right guard Vince Manuwai said.

"We were thinking about two words: Per diem," said right tackle Uriah Moenoa, noting the each Hawai'i Bowl participant would receive a daily allowance of $125 in the five days leading to Christmas. "We weren't going to give up and let San Jose come back. We were going to hang in there like a set of ornaments."

Chang threw a 13-yard pass to Neal Gossett on third-and-9. Later, Chang hit Gossett for a 7-yarder on third-and-4. Then, on second-and-goal from the 3, UH coach June Jones signaled for a power run.

Warriors linebacker Chris Brown intercepted a pass in the first quarter.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Manuwai recalled telling Mitchell, "Thero, there's going to be a big hole on the right side. Do what you have to do, brah."

The defensive tackle looped inside and Manuwai, just as he predicted, saw there was a clear path for Mitchell. Well, almost unobstructed. "I got tripped," Manuwai said, "and I had to try to get out of Thero's way."

Said Mitchell: "Basically, nothing was going to stop me. Even if I broke a leg, I still would have tried to hop in there on one leg. We just needed it. Coach had the confidence to call my number. I had to deliver, but any of the running backs could have done that."

When Scott Rislov's pass was intercepted on the the Spartans' ensuing drive, the countdown to the Warriors celebration had started.

"We couldn't execute," said SJSU running back Lamar Ferguson, who rushed for 87 yards before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. "And we ran out of time."

SJSU coach Fitz Hill was admittedly disappointed in his team's four turnovers and 14 penalties. After taking a 7-0 lead on the first of Kendrick Starling's two scoring catches, two turnovers — Brown's interception off a deflection and Ferguson's fumble — led to two Chang-to-Justin Colbert touchdown passes. Another UH scoring drive was set up when the Spartans were called for roughing backup quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen.

"It was very uncharacteristic of us," Hill said. "We made a lot of bad decisions. We had a lot of guys trying to to make plays, but not necessarily in the context of the team."

Jones also said the Warriors struggled. "But we won," he said, "and that's what good teams do. If they don't play their best, they still win."

Of UH's final scoring drive, Jones said, "We knew what we had to do, and Timmy kept the chains moving by making some big throws."

After the game, the Warriors gathered at midfield and accepted the postseason invitation from Jim Donovan, the Hawai'i Bowl's executive director.

Then each player grasped the invitation's impact.

"Sometimes it gets so frustrating for me," said Brown, who has played this season with a subluxed right shoulder that requires him to wear a harness. "It's like I'm playing with one arm. I keep sucking it up and telling myself it's all for a reason. Well, now we're in a bowl game and we're going to have a winning season. No matter how sore we are, it's worth it. If I never play football again, I know I'm going out a winner.

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