The blow that knocked Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan out of Saturday's Fresno State game was a legal hit, according to a review by the Western Athletic Conference yesterday.

Although Bulldog linebacker Marcus Riley's helmet made contact with Brennan, commissioner Karl Benson said, "the Fresno player did make contact with his shoulder pads prior to the helmet hit, thus it was not an illegal hit. It was a legal hit."

Brennan, who lay motionless on the turf after being leveled, left the game with 10 minutes, 34 seconds remaining and was taken to the locker room, where he remained until after the 37-30 UH victory. Brennan suffered what a UH spokesman said was a "mild" concussion. He is listed as "day-to-day" and will be examined further, UH said.

"I'm feeling better today," Brennan said last night. "I kinda feel like I left my body exposed and he was coming full speed. I think in the NFL a case may be made (about the hit) but this isn't the NFL. This is college football. Honestly, I think I'm the only one that I have to blame."

Benson said both he and the game's referee, Bill Athan, reviewed video of the play and based upon it, "it appears that the no call (of a flagrant foul) was the correct call." Had the officiating crew determined the hit to be flagrant, Riley could have been ejected.

Benson said it was also a "close call" whether Riley led with a forearm but he said he believed the "player led with shoulder pad first."

Benson said officials correctly flagged FSU earlier when a player's hand went under the back of Brennan's helmet, knocking it off, though it was a helmet infraction, not a face mask call. Of a disputed pass interference penalty on UH, Benson said, "it was a judgment call" and declined to say whether the review showed it to be the correct one.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.