CORVALLIS, Ore. — Hawai'i head coach Greg McMackin took the 45-7 blowout loss to Oregon State yesterday harder than most setbacks in a 40-year coaching career.

Afterward, outside a somber UH locker room, he stared into television cameras and apologized not only to "the people of Hawai'i" but his friends and family in his native Oregon, where the game had been something of a homecoming for he and wife, Heather.

"I feel like we not only let down the Hawai'i people, but I have a lot of friends in Oregon and I am sorry we didn't play better," McMackin said.

McMackin was born and raised in Springfield, Ore., met and married Heather in Oregon and had some of his first coaching jobs in the state.

Earlier in the week he said this game had a "personal" tinge to it in being something of a homecoming.

"I think the world of those guys (here) and ever since I got this job a lot of Oregon people have been contacting me and I wish we would have played better for them," McMackin said.

And, he offered a pledge to Hawai'i fans. "I really want to tell the people of Hawai'i that we didn't play well today and I take full responsibility for that and I promise them that we will play well the next time we get on the football field."

UH, after an open date next week, plays San Jose State Sept. 27 at Aloha Stadium.

"The good thing is that we have an (open) week to heal up a little bit so we have two weeks to get ready for San Jose State, which is going to be a ball game," McMackin said.