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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, October 17, 2009

Idaho bowls over Warriors, 35-23


Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hawai'i kickoff returner Jovonte Taylor (7) finds a seam in the Idaho defense during the first quarter.

DEAN HARE | Moscow-Pullman Daily News

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MOSCOW, Idaho — DeMaundray Woolridge ran for four touchdowns as Idaho became bowl eligible for the first time since 1999 today with a 35-23 victory over Hawai‘i, sending the Warriors to their fourth consecutive loss.

Idaho, which won its fifth in a row, is 6-1 overall and in first place in the Western Athletic Conference at 3-0. Hawai‘i is 2-4 and 0-3. It is the first time UH has lost four in a row and started 0-3 in the WAC since 2000.
Woolridge, a 5-foot-9, 231-pound tailback, crashed through the UH defense with 17 carries for 81 yards, including three scores in the second half to put the game away.
Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle led a balanced offense, completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. The Vandals had 194 yards rushing.
The Warrior offense was able to move the ball, but struggled in the red zone. UH quarterback Bryant Moniz completed 30 of 42 passes for 360 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for a touchdown and was sacked four times. Greg Salas had 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. UH had 77 yards rushing.
After taking a 14-10 halftime lead, Idaho went 81 yards in 14 plays, using 7 minutes, 34 seconds in its only drive of the third quarter with Woolridge scoring his second touchdown — on a 4-yard run — for a 21-10 lead with 5:37 remaining.
Moniz scored on a 15-yard run to close Idaho's lead to 21-17 with 14:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was Moniz’s first Division I rushing touchdown.
But Woolridge wasn’t done. He scored his third touchdown — on a 1-yard run — to give Idaho a 28-17 lead with 8:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Woolridge scored his fourth touchdown — on a 7-yard run — to give Idaho a 35-17 lead with 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Salas caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Moniz with 19 seconds remaining to close to 35-23.
The first half was marred by when UH receiver Rodney Bradley suffered a broken left leg and was taken off the field in an ambulance in the second quarter.
The game started out looking like an offensive slugfest with each team scoring on its first two drives.
The Vandals drove 65 yards in six plays with Woolridge scoring on a 29-yard run to take a 7-0 lead with 12:09 remaining in the first quarter.
The Warriors tied the game on their first drive of the game, driving 74 yards in seven plays. Inoke Funaki ran for a 8-yard touchdown with 8:55 remaining in the first quarter.
The Vandals wasted no time in regaining the lead, 14-7, with a 60-yard touchdown strike from Enderle to Maurice Shaw with 8:00 remaining.
The Warriors drove 64 yards in 11 plays on their next drive, but stalled at the Idaho 5. Scott Enos kicked a 22-yard field goal to cut Idaho's lead to 14-10 with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter.
During Hawai‘i's next drive, Bradley broke his left leg when he was tackled by Idaho's Shiloh Keo after a 16-yard catch for a first down. He was put on a stretcher and taken off the field in an ambulance with 10:42 remaining in the second quarter. The Warriors drove to the Idaho 9, but on fourth down a fake field-goal play fell short when Funaki completed a pass to Leon Wright-Jackson, who was stopped at the Idaho 2 with 4:15 to go in the second quarter.