There was no BCS bowl on the line for Washington. No undefeated season to protect. But what the Huskies did have to lose — a 21-point first-quarter lead against the No. 10 team in the country and a game that could have eased the chorus of dissatisfaction head coach Tyrone Willingham has faced all season — was lost with no paucity of anger or frustration.

"It's a real disappointment because our young men played a heck of a football game," Willingham said. "It's that old football circumstance that one more play would have won the football game. We just did not make one more play."

Willingham was particularly frustrated with a number of calls and reversals that favored UH.

The Warriors successfully challenged three calls: One that resulted in a touchdown for UH, and two that negated potential first downs for the Huskies.

"To play a game like they played and to have some things surrounding that kind of shape the football game, that (makes me) angry, because things shouldn't be like that," Willingham said.

The Huskies shot out to a shocking (for UH fans) three-touchdown lead in the first quarter behind a relentless running attack and the big-play ability of its defense.

Quarterback Jake Locker, who connected on 9 of 17 passes for 142 yards and ran for another 76 yards, struck first with a 10-yard touchdown run.

On the ensuing UH possession, outside linebacker E.J. Savannah recovered a Colt Brennan fumble, which set up Luke Kravitz's 1-yard touchdown run to put Washington up 14-0.

On the next Hawai'i possession, St. Louis graduate Wilson Afoa, sacked Brennan for a six-yard loss, which forced the Warriors to punt on fourth-and-12. The Huskies then scored again on 2-yard run by Kravitz.

"Anytime (the other team) turns the ball over like that, you have opportunities to put points up," Willingham said.

But in the second quarter, with Washington ahead 28-14, Locker's pass to wide receiver Anthony Russo on second-and-14 was ruled incomplete on review. The Huskies were forced to punt two plays later, which provided Hawai'i the opportunity to cut into the lead with less than a minute and a half to go.

Hawai'i did just that when Brennan connected with Jason Rivers on a 13-yard touchdown score that was originally ruled incomplete because officials believed Rivers was out of bounds.

In the third quarter, running back Louis Rankin fumbled the ball, but backup quarterback Carl Bonnell recovered the ball at the Hawai'i 20-yard-line and advanced the ball nine yards. UH challenged that play, too, and officials ruled the ball was down at the point of the fumble.

"You can't play against two teams," said Huskies free safety Nate Williams. "We can't play against Hawai'i and the referees."

Finally, in the fourth, with the score tied 28-28, Locker appeared to connect with Quintin Daniels for a first down in Hawai'i territory, but officials determined that Locker had passed the line of scrimmage and the Huskies were again forced to punt.

"I couldn't see it but it was probably fitting for all the calls we had tonight," Willingham said.

UH scored the winning touchdown on the next possession.

Still, with Locker's 49-yard pass to Marcel Reece putting the Huskies in position to score late in the fourth, Washington was in the game until the final seconds when Ryan Mouton intercepted Locker's final pass.

"I was fully confident we could get down the field and score when we started the drive," an unbowed Locker said.

Said Willingham: "The truth is we didn't do well enough. I think we played a heck of a game on both sides because that is a very talented offense. They do a lot of things very well."

Rankin, who entered the game averaging 96 yards per game, victimized Hawai'i with 104 yards on 12 carries in the first half, but managed just 41 yards on nine carries the rest of the way as Hawai'i clamped down.

"We just kept him inside and tried to contain as best we could," said Hawai'i's Adam Leonard.

With Huskies faithful already calling for his head, Willingham stared straight ahead when asked about his future with the program.

He was just slightly more forthcoming when asked whether Hawai'i deserved to get a BCS bid.

"The polls will determine that," he said.

Huskies running back coach Trent Miles, who spent two seasons at UH as an assistant coach under Bob Wagner and Fred VonAppen, was more affirmative.

"Of course they deserve to go," he said. "They went 12-0. You can only play who they give you. They did everything they were asked to do. You can't take that away from them."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.