Boise State running back Ian Johnson got his 1,000 yards for the season yesterday, but he didn't get 100 for the game.

That was a key statistic in Hawai'i's 39-27 victory over the Broncos yesterday at Aloha Stadium.

"He got away from us in that first quarter," Hawai'i defensive coordinator Greg McMackin said. "But I thought we did a great job after that."

Johnson finished with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. He entered the game averaging 105 yards per game.

Johnson did surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season in the first quarter, and now has 1,030.

But take away his 50-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Johnson had just 36 yards on 21 carries.

"We missed a gap in that first quarter," McMackin said. "So after that, we just made sure the guys kept their responsibilities and hit the gaps. And then we had some guys who really made plays."

One of them was linebacker Solomon Elimimian, who finished with a team-high 14 tackles.

"He got that one big run to hurt us, but we knew our defensive line was bigger than their offensive line," he said. "We were confident we were going to stop the run."

McMackin said the Warriors used a rotation of defensive linemen to wear down the Boise State offensive line.

UH defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold said tackles Michael Lafaele, Fale Laeli, Keala Watson, Siave Seti, Rocky Savaiigaea and Joshua Leonard all contributed, along with defensive ends David Veikune, Karl Noa, Amani Purcell and John Fonoti.

"The group of kids we have, they all love one another and there's no selfishness there," Reinebold said. "They don't care about who's getting the most snaps or the most tackles. All they care about is winning."

FONOTI MAKES BIG PLAY ON NIECE'S BIRTHDAY

John Fonoti had to skip his niece's 2-year-old birthday party yesterday, but he was busy doing something else.

Like helping preserve Hawai'i's 39-27 victory over Boise State yesterday.

"My niece, Italia, she had her birthday party today, and I wish I could have been there," Fonoti said. "I was thinking of her."

Fonoti, a sophomore defensive end, sacked Boise State's Taylor Tharp on a 4th-and-7 play with less than seven minutes remaining in the game. Fonoti also forced Tharp to fumble the ball, and Joshua Leonard recovered to give the Warriors possession.

Boise State never got the football back.

"I was just trying to do something out there, make something happen," Fonoti said. "If they made that first down, whew, anything could have happened."

Making it more impressive, Fonoti beat Boise State tackle Ryan Clady for the sack.

Clady, a 6-6, 315-pound junior, is an All-America candidate. Fonoti, a Farrington High graduate, is 6-3 and 250 pounds.

"He's tough, he's good," Fonoti said. "So I came up and did a little fake inside and then went outside. Once I saw the quarterback, I just went for the ball."

WARRIORS' 12-GAME STREAK IS NOW LONGEST

Yesterday was Hawai'i's 12th consecutive victory, a streak dating to the final game of last season.

It is the longest winning streak in school history, breaking the former mark of 11 that was set during the end of the 1980 and start of the 1981 seasons.

It is also the longest current winning streak in the nation. At least for the moment.

Kansas, which has an 11-game winning streak, will play Missouri today.

RECORD CROWD STORMS FIELD AFTER VICTORY

The turnstile attendance for last night's game was announced at 49,651 — the largest ever for a UH home game.

The previous record was 49,139 against Brigham Young in 1980. A game against USC in 1978 drew 48,767.

Thousands of the fans also ran onto the field after the victory. It is the first time in the history of Aloha Stadium that such a celebration took place with the fans on the field.

WARRIORS HAVE ESPN WIN STREAK GOING, TOO

Yesterday's game was televised nationally on ESPN2. It was the 25th time with June Jones as head coach that Hawai'i has appeared on national television.

The Warriors are now 13-12 in those games, including five consecutive victories.

BOWL REPRESENTATIVES WATCHING THE WARRIORS

A representative from the Orange Bowl was in attendance to scout the Warriors yesterday.

Representatives from the Sugar and Fiesta bowls are expected to attend next Saturday's season finale against Washington.

AND WHAT'S MORE

Local entertainer Willie K. performed the national anthem before the game and provided some comic relief when he nearly walked off the field before singing Hawai'i Pono'i. "Eh, they told me only one song," he said after running back on the field. The University of Hawai'i marching band performed at halftime.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.