Game 7 | Warriors break through on road to beat Bulldogs

Oct. 18 at Ruston, La. • UH 44, Lousiana Tech 41

Advertiser Staff

RUSTON, La. — Happiness is the University of Hawai'i football team gathering at midfield for a 60-man group hug and then a gosh-awful dance to celebrate a 44-41 comeback victory over Louisiana Tech at Joe Aillet Stadium.

It is the family of running back Michael Brewster, delightfully recalling how he parlayed a shovel pass into the decisive 17-yard sprint to paydirt with 3:59 to play.

It is UH offensive lineman Uriah Moenoa, howling while standing on the Bulldogs' logo, and wideout Jeremiah Cockheran declaring, "I don't like Bulldogs ... I'm a pitbull man."

"Everybody knows when we're happy," Moenoa said, "we're crazy."

And the postgame locker room was a madhouse, with the Warriors finally proving the road does not have to be so hard. By winning their first road game on their fourth try this season — an outcome secured when Bulldog kicker Josh Scobee's 53-yard attempt was wide left with 1:22 to go — the Warriors announced their candidacy for the Western Athletic Conference title. They are 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the WAC.

"It's awesome," UH wideout Britton Komine said. "The drama is unreal when you're on the field. It was an awesome feeling to take one away."

The Warriors withstood the breakout performance of Ryan Moats, who rushed for 267 yards, and a fourth quarter in which the lead see-sawed four times.

Behind Tim Chang's 534 passing yards, UH tied it at 31 with 3:10 to play when Chad Owens completed an acrobatic 8-yard catch, went ahead 37-34 when Komine juked past cornerback Corey Brazil to pull in a 56-yarder and, finally, landed the decisive blow on Brewster's catch-and-run play.

"It was just a matter of reading blocks," said Brewster, who credited slotback Se'e Poumele, center Derek Faavi and Moenoa. "Everybody got on a man and pushed him away from me. That's how it was."

HAWAI'I 21 3 0 20 — 44

LOUISIANA TECH 10 7 14 10 — 41

First Quarter

UH—Gerald Welch 2 pass from Tim Chang (Justin Ayat kick)

Tech—FG Josh Scobee 22

UH—Jeremiah Cockheran 27 pass from Chang (Ayat kick)

Tech—Chris Norwood 39 pass from Luke McCown (Scobee kick)

UH—West Keli'ikipi 11 run (Ayat kick)

Second Quarter

UH—FG Ayat 29

Tech—D.J. Curry 2 pass from McCown (Scobee kick)

Third Quarter

Tech—Ryan Moats 2 run (Scobee kick)

Tech—Erick Franklin 16 pass from McCown (Scobee kick)

Fourth Quarter

UH—Chad Owens 8 pass from Chang (Ayat kick)

Tech—FG Scobee 40

UH—Britton Komine 56 pass from Chang (kick failed)

Tech—Moats 11 run (Scobee kick)

UH—Michael Brewster 17 pass from Chang (Ayat kick)

Attendance—19,128

RUSHING: Hawai'i—Michael Brewster 4-54, West Keliikipi 6-38, John West 4-28, Tim Chang 6-(minus 7), Team 3-(minus 9). LaTech—Ryan Moats 34-269, King 1-0, Luke Cown 11-49.

PASSING: Hawai'i—Tim Chang 33-46-4—534. Luke McCown 31-48-1—405, Causey 0-1-0—0.

RECEIVING: Hawai'i—Chad Owens 8-162, Jeremiah Cockheran 6-102, Jason Rivers 4-82, Britton Komine 4-82, Gerald Welch 3-42, Michael Brewster 3-32, Daniel Inferrera 2-23, Se'e Poumele 2-10, West Keliikipi 1-1. LaTech—D.J. Curry 12-125, Chris Norwood 7-92, Ryan Moats 5-81, Erick Franklin 3-55, Piper 2-17, Capps 1-24, Davis 1-11.