By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

With his first pass of a Western Athletic Conference record-setting 70 attempts Saturday night, University of Hawai'i quarterback Tim Chang wound up and let fly a spiral that ...

Squarely hit the sideline down marker.

The opening misfire aside, before a 14-point first quarter was very far along, it was obvious that Chang was on his game in ways we have rarely glimpsed.

Somewhere between scrambling to get off a chuck-and-duck pass downfield to Jeremiah Cockheran and his own determined runs up the middle, Chang took control with a maturity and purpose we've been waiting for.

In diving to try and secure a teammate's fumble and knowing when to throw away passes instead of stubbornly forcing them into coverage, Chang seemed to step from one stage of his development into another in the 41-21 victory over Rice.

It wasn't so much Chang's 397 yards and two touchdowns (on 42 completions) that told the tale in this one, but the absence of an interception for the first time in the past nine games he has finished. It was the frequency with which he tucked the ball in and ran for yards when the situation dictated.

Now, the hope and, indeed, the necessity is that Chang is turning a significant corner that will allow him to take the Warriors where they have to go.

Beginning with Tulsa on Saturday, the Warriors play four of their next six games — all WAC contests — on the road. If the Warriors are to make a run in the conference race, as is their avowed goal this season, then the road stops at Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State and Nevada are where they'll have to do it.

And it is their quarterback, more than anyone on the roster, who will have to help take them there.

"We talked all this offseason about being that kind of a guy," UH head coach June Jones said. "We talked about taking that next step and I think he's growing into it.

"He's way more aggressive, and shown more toughness and athleticism. To be quite honest, he's getting scary (for the defense)."

Saturday was as complete an effort as Chang has turned in his four seasons at UH and it came against a school that has been one of his foremost tormentors, even if the winless Owls no longer resemble the Dan Dawson-led teams of yesteryear.

"He has definitely grown into the job in so many ways," said UH quarterback coach Dan Morrison. "He knows, by his own inner clock, not only when to run, but where to run and when to throw the ball away."

Going on the 30th start of his UH career, you'd like to think the QB we've watched grow season by season from his Saint Louis School days is ready to take that next leap for the Warriors.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.