SAN JOSE, Calif. — Ask wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullins how many passes he caught in the University of Hawai'i's 42-35 overtime victory over San Jose State and he said he had no idea.

"I really don't; none at all," Grice-Mullins said.

"I was upset about the one I dropped," he said. "I wanted to make up for that."

A school-record-tying 14 receptions — one for a touchdown— and 175 yards was a pretty good stab at redemption in helping the Warriors to a 7-0 record.

"He was pretty amazing, all our receivers were," said receivers coach Ron Lee. "Wet, muddy conditions like these really test your quarterbacks and receivers."

Grice-Mullins said "I just knew that when they came to me (with passes) I had to catch them. I had to make plays when we needed them."

Grice-Mullins said, "the veteran players wanted to show the younger guys to keep on believing, that we weren't done yet and that it is how you respond that determines who wins."

He caught his passes while wearing eye black under his eyes representing his parents — Sheila and Alvin — of Rialto, Calif. "Pop" and "Mom."

Grice-Mullins said, "they're always behind me. They're my left and my right, they come to all our road games."

FIESTA BOWL IMPRESSED

Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson, who hosted Fiesta Bowl scout Steve Horrell, said his guest came away impressed.

"He was impressed with the comeback and how they found a way to win a game that had seemed to have gotten away from them," Benson said.

The Fiesta Bowl, one of five Bowl Championship Series games, is played on Jan. 2, 2008.

HAWAI'I FANS TREATED

In addition to the ha'a before the game, the Warriors performed both their renditions of the haka and ha'a after the game to a rousing response from a sizeable Hawai'i contingent at the game.

In a Spartan Stadium crowd of 20,473, approximately 5,000 — many of whom stayed to the end — were Hawai'i faithful.

More than 20 NFL scouts — enough to line the back wall of the press box during a rainy period — were on hand for the game.

UH's Jason Rivers had 12 catches, including a TD in overtime.

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