On their way to five consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships in football, the Boise State Broncos didn't beat opponents as much as they just plain dominated them, especially in the crucial second half.

To wrest the crown from them, somebody was going to have to do unto Boise what the much-feared Broncos had done to the WAC for so long.

Last night, somebody finally did.

It was the team in black and it was something to behold in a 39-27 WAC title-certifying victory for the University of Hawai'i at Aloha Stadium.

After six years of often beyond-frustrating futility against the Broncos, truth be told UH — and its fans — would have taken any kind of a victory and loved it. A fluke win. A last-second victory. Double overtime, anything to edge them closer to an unbeaten season and Bowl Championship Series berth.

But the way these now 11-0 Warriors won last night, stretching their own nation-leading streak of wins over two seasons to 12 was both better and appropriate. They dominated in prime time. In front of a national TV audience and bowl committees, they reached out and took the game and the trophy well before the official midfield presentation, leaving no doubt to whom it belonged.

After two overtime victories and some closer-than-necessary wins this season, the Warriors let there be no misunderstanding on this night, outscoring the Broncos 20-10 in the second half, including pitching a fourth-quarter shutout.

Inspired by the biggest home crowd in school history (49,651) and the largest turnout for a WAC game anywhere in nine seasons, the Warriors stuffed the Broncos' vaunted running game. They held Boise State to a season-low 101 yards — and just 32 in the telltale second half. After surrendering two first-half touchdowns to Boise's Heisman Trophy candidate, running back Ian Johnson, they held him to 11 yards on seven second-half carries.

Time and again a defense that was placed in tough spots responded. Often with resounding hits that set the tone for the night. If the Warriors were going to win, they were going to do it with force. With attitude.

"I was tired of seeing them (the Broncos) put up 40, 50 points," UH defensive coordinator Greg McMackin said afterward, flashing a smile. "To tell you the truth, we should have held them to 17."

UH's defense was so good — and its record-setting offense rose to the occasion so well — that the Warriors were even able to overcome the kind of special teams breakdowns that had doomed them the past two seasons in 41-34 and 44-41 losses. Two blocked PAT kicks and a 35-yard kickoff return to help set up a touchdown were the kind of setbacks last night that would have spelled defeat in the past. But not this time.

Now it is the Warriors who are knocking on the BCS door with one regular-season game, against Washington, remaining.

Boise State has been so dominating, so seemingly invincible for so long that it was assumed it would be a blue moon before anybody took the Broncos down again in the WAC.

Turns out all it took was the Warriors coming to play championship caliber football, the kind that had once gotten Boise State there, under a full moon.

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