Posted at 5:25 p.m., Saturday, October 4, 2003
Tulsa rallies past Warriors, 27-16
Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. — Quarterback James Kilian threw, ran and even had two receptions today in leading Tulsa to a 27-16 football victory over Hawai'i.Kilian passed for 106 yards and rushed for a game-high 115 yards, including a 29-yard sprint that was his team’s longest this season.
It was the third straight victory for the Golden Hurricane (3-2, 1-0 Western Athletic Conference), which has already tallied its best record since 2000.
Hawai'i (2-3, 1-1 WAC) dominated most of the first half and led by as many as 13 points.
But quarterback Timmy Chang, who had averaged 379.5 yards passing a game, finished with just 240 yards. And Tulsa repeatedly wormed its way through Hawai'i’s defense with a quartet of rushers to take the lead for good early in the fourth quarter.
Tulsa came no closer than Hawai'i’s 20 in its first five drives but got its break when Oliver Fletcher intercepted Chang with 4:39 to go in the half.
On Hawai'i’s 40-yard line, the Golden Hurricane pulled off a sneak play it had used earlier in the game, with Kilian taking a pass from Monroe Nichols after a fake reverse.
The play gave Tulsa 14 yards, and seconds later, Kilian found Richard McQuillar wide open in the middle for a 22-yard touchdown pass to narrow Hawai'i’s lead to 16-10 at the half.
Tulsa’s other touchdowns came on a 15-yard run by Jermaine Landrum and Uril Parrish’s 9-yard touchdown run.
Mike Bass’ 27-yard dash helped set up Hawai'i’s first touchdown, a 1-yard run by West Keliikipi. Seven minutes later, Keliikipi capped an 80-yard Warrior drive with a 10-yard run for another touchdown.
A 25-yard field goal by Justin Ayat in the second quarter was Hawai'i’s last visit to the end zone.
Hawai'i returns home to play Fresno State next Saturday at Aloha Stadium.