SAN JOSE, Calif. — The art of the Hawai'i football team's happiness was crafted by second-chance players, sculpted with brave-hearted grittiness, and inspired by the Believe Era.

When completed, it looked like the Warriors' 17-10 overtime victory over San Jose State last night in Spartan Stadium.

"I am so proud of these guys," head coach Greg McMackin said in the celebration of the Warriors' third consecutive victory.

At 5-6 overall, they remain in contention for a berth in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, needing to win their final two regular-season games.

Such postseason thoughts appeared to be slipping from their grasp when, after kicker Scott Enos was wide right on a 31-yard attempt, the Spartans were poised to drive for the go-ahead points.

But defensive tackle Tuika Tufaga, who joined the Warriors as a walk-on in 2007, forced a fumble that, as it turned out, would force overtime.

In the extra period, Leon Wright-Jackson scored on a 5-yard run and, later, cornerback Jeramy Bryant, who was activated after missing the past three games because of a tear in his left biceps, made the game-ending pass breakup.

"It was time to make a play," Bryant said. "The strength of God worked through me and helped me make the play."

The outcome triggered an on-field party — there were several thousand UH supporters in attendance — and capped an anxiety-filled week.

Until Friday's walk-through practice, the Warriors did not know who would open at quarterback. Bryant Moniz, who started the past six games, was recovering from bruised right ribs. During the walk-through, he grimaced every time he tried to throw a pass more than 20 yards.

It was then that McMackin made official what he felt all week: Shane Austin, a third-year sophomore who was fourth string at the start of the season, would make his first NCAA start. In recognition, Austin's family printed limited-edition T-shirts: "Game Time, Shane Time."

"It was a little different coming into a game knowing I would be the starter," Austin said.

Then Friday night, a time usually reserved for attending movies, the Warriors watched a video featuring the final six minutes of their 2007 road victory over the Spartans. In that game, the Warriors overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win in overtime and maintain what would be an undefeated regular season.

For Austin, butterflies transformed into chicken skin.

"It pumped us up," he said.

History, as it turned out, would be repeated last night. In the 2007 game, Michael Lafaele and Blaze Soares caused a fourth-quarter Spartan fumble, which would be parlayed into a touchdown. Also in that game, quarterback Colt Brennan would scramble for an important touchdown.

Last night, in chilly conditions, Austin would run 3 yards for the game's first touchdown. It came on an option play, in which Austin rolled to his right. When the defensive end stormed toward Wright-Jackson, Austin cut upfield.

For the Warriors, that first-quarter play would have to sustain them. Despite three interceptions — two by cornerback Lametrius Davis while tip-toeing the sideline, and the league-leading sixth of the season by safety Mana Silva — the Warriors could not redeem them for points.

But that would change in overtime. The Spartans won the toss, and elected to give the Warriors first possession. In overtime, each team gets a possession 25 yards from the goal line.

Austin threw 8 yards to slotback Jon Medeiros, then dodged a three-man blitz to complete a 10-yard throw to wideout Kealoha Pilares on a corner route.

Wright-Jackson's 2-yard run advanced the ball to the 5. From the coaches' booth, offensive coordinator Ron Lee and running backs coach Brian Smith noticed the Spartans were in the same coverage as they were when Austin scored in the first quarter.

At the urging of offensive line coach Gordy Shaw, quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich, who calls the offensive plays, signaled for "Saturn left," a speed option to the left, which was the narrow side of the formation.

"It was something that worked last year and the year before against them," Smith said.

Thing is, Austin, who only took first-team reps the past week, never fully practiced the play. "But I ran the option in high school, so I knew a little about it," Austin said.

Austin took the snap, and rolled to his left. When the defensive end charged into the backfield, Austin pitched to Wright-Jackson, who found nothing but empty FieldTurf ahead of him.

There were two keys: Austin's ability to appear as a running threat, and left tackle Aaron Kia's bracket block, to keep open Wright-Jackson's running lane.

"Shane really sold it," Wright-Jackson said.

That should not come as a surprise. Needing an elective, Austin is taking an advanced acting class.

"You want to hold the ball until the last second, and then let it go," Austin said. "Usually, you're going to get cleaned up. I got taken out on the play, but it was worth it."

For Kia, it was a chance to make up for consecutive false-start penalties that sabotaged a second-half drive.

"That was on me," he said of the penalties. "I take the blame."

But Shaw praised Kia's block on UH's final offensive play.

"He has to get the block for Leon to walk in like that," Shaw said. "He had two false starts. He gave up a sack. There's a lot of responsibility that goes with that position. But he never gave up, and he made the big block."

Wright-Jackson said: "A lot of people don't know how hard it is to be the backside tackle. Kia works hard. He puts in the effort. A lot of people need to get off of him. They don't understand unless they play that position. He did a great job. He sealed that block for me. And that's how we scored."

On the Spartans' overtime possession, their first three plays resulted in a 1-yard run and two incompletions.

UH then called timeout, and a 64-player huddle formed on the Warrior sideline.

While the coaches tried to figure out which defensive personnel to summon, Soares, a senior linebacker, led the chant.

"Everybody was saying, 'Believe,' " Soares said, a reference to the 2007 rally cry. "Everybody believed in each other. We saw it on everybody's face, that determination, that want-to, that gotta have it. That feeling was awesome. I just loved it."

The Warriors then called for the dollar defense, which features one true defensive lineman (Fetaiagogo Fonoti) and seven defensive backs. It is a multiple-blitz scheme that requires the corners to play man-to-man coverage.

Bryant was assigned to Kevin Jurovich, the Spartans' career leader in receptions.

Aligned on the left side, Jurovich ran a fade pattern down the left sideline. Kyle Reed, who entered in the second quarter, then fired a pass.

"It was going to (Jurovich)," said Bryant, who still does not have full flexibility in his left arm. "He was getting us. You can't lock down a player who's good all game long. He's going to get his."

Bryant had practiced sparingly the past week.

"I wasn't tired or exhausted," he said. "In moments like that, you can't be. I wanted the pick, but it didn't happen that way."

Instead, he made a diving breakup.

"That was an awesome play," Soares said. "We needed that. We believed."