Game 8 | Inspired UH turns back Miners

Oct. 25 at Aloha Stadium • UH 31, UTEP 15

Advertiser Staff

Before Hawai'i's bend-but-not-break defense broke Texas-El Paso's spirits, before Justin Ayat's four field goals, and before unheralded wideout Michael Miyashiro and safety David Gilmore delivered momentum-turning plays, there was Hawai'i coach June Jones' stirring speech.

Hours before what would become a 31-15 football victory, Jones summoned his players to a meeting room at the 'Ilikai Hotel, where they had spent the night, and spoke of his father.

"He told us how much his father meant to him, how much others should mean to us, and how we should play for them and each other," UH cornerback Abraham Elimimian said "It was such an emotional speech. It really fired us up."

While the offense was uneven, the defense was focused, limiting the Miners to one touchdown — a bungled one, at that — to boost the Warriors to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the Western Athletic Conference, good for sole possession of second place.

The Miners, who have lost five in a row in the Islands, fell to 2-6 and 1-2.

TEXAS-El PASO 3 3 3 6 — 15

HAWAI'I 6 9 10 6 — 31

First Quarter

UTEP—FG Keith Robinson 44

UH—Se'e Poumele 10 pass from Tim Chang (kick blocked)

Second Quarter

UH—FG Justin Ayat 33

UH—FG Ayat 25

UTEP—FG Robinson 44

UH—FG Ayat 25

Third Quarter

UH—FG Ayat 27

UH—Michael Miyashiro 6 pass from Chang (Ayat kick)

UTEP—FG Robinson 45

Fourth Quarter

UTEP—Jordan Palmer 1 run (run failed)

UH—Jeremiah Cockheran 13 pass from Chang (kick failed)

Attendance—34,971

RUSHING: UTEP—M. Austin 9-112, H. Jackson 24-100, B. Benekos 1-26, J. Palmer 12-16, J. Smith 3-3, C. Marrow 2-1, O. Cruz 2-minus 4, Team 1-minus 10. Hawai'i—Michael Brewster 5-22, Chang 2-11, West Keli'ikipi 2-7, John West 1-minus 1, Poumele 1-minus 2.

PASSING: UTEP—Palmer 12-28-1—154, Cruz 2-3-0—16, Team 0-0-0—0. Hawai'i—Chang 27-54-1—426.

RECEIVING: UTEP—Marrow 4-58, J. Crafts 3-38, A. Givens 2-33, C. Francies 2-16, J. Higgins 1-9, Jackson 1-8, C. Mauch 1-8. Hawai'i—Brewster 8-138, Poumele 6-75, Chad Owens 3-57, Cockheran 3-39, Britton Komine 2-76, Miyashiro 2-17, Gerald Welch 2-17, Daniel Inferrera 1-7.