Tim Chang passed for 426 yards on 27 of 54 attempts to lead the Warriors to a 31-15 win against the Miners last night at Aloha Stadium. But among the eight different players credited with receptions for UH, it was the running back who led in catches and receiving yardage.

Michael Brewster did not score a touchdown, but contributed in UH's scoring drives with eight receptions for 138 yards. That surpassed his season total of 130 yards entering last night's game. The bulk of his yardage came on shovel passes from Chang.

Shovel passes are short, maybe a yard or two in distance and tossed underhanded or pitched forward to the running back from behind the line of scrimmage. In UH's case, the back follows blockers as if on a sweep.

"I'm having fun, man," Brewster said. "Coach puts the ball in my hands, hey, I'm glad he did."

Hawai'i's first scoring drive was aided by a 40-yard shovel pass to Brewster to the UTEP 21. Two plays later, Chang hit Se'e Poumele on a 10-yard TD pass that gave UH a 6-3 lead with 3:32 left in the first quarter.

He also had a 13-yard gain on a shovel pass that set up Justin Ayat's 33-yard field goal that increased UH's lead to 9-3. Brewster also had a 44-yarder to the UTEP 15 that set up Ayat's 25-yard field goal as time expired at the half that gave UH a 15-6 lead.

Chang said the shovel passes worked because of the offensive line and Brewster reading his blocks correctly.

"Brew did a good job of turning up, reading his blocks and hitting the hole when getting the chance," Chang said.

Not all of his yardage came on shovel passes. He also had a couple out of the backfield, but not in the flats. He got open deep on two plays for big yardage. He credited getting open because the wide receivers drew coverage away from him.

"Our wide receivers, they played a great game," he said. "They (the Miners) are covering the receivers, so (when I come) out of the backfield, they aren't expecting me."

As for the receivers, they're happy for Brewster, even if it means taking catches away from them.

"We needed somebody to come through and Brewster came through for us a couple times," receiver Gerald Welch said. "We wish we could get the ball every play, but sometimes you have to go to somebody else. It only helps the team."

Brewster, a 5-foot-6, 176-pound junior, came to UH via the University of Tennessee. After graduating from Nimitz High in Houston, he walked-on at Tennessee, playing in four games and rushing for 48 yards on five carries.

"They called me up and told me to walk-on," Brewster said of his decision to play for the Volunteers.

He did not say why he decided to transfer.

"I just left," he said.

Brewster spent the 2001 season on UH's scout team before getting into eight games last year with the Warriors, when he had two catches for 36 yards.

Now, his catch-and-run ability gives UH another weapon on offense. He said his move to UH turned out to be great.

"I'm having fun," he said. "I'm around all kinds of nice people."