MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Hawai'i head coach Greg McMackin termed the season-ending loss of receiver Rodney Bradley to a broken left leg the most "devastating" part of the Warriors' 35-23 loss to Idaho yesterday.

Bradley suffered the injury when he was hit after a 16-yard completion with 10 minutes, 48 seconds left in the second quarter.

Bradley, who left the game by ambulance amid the prayers of his teammates who had taken a knee at midfield, underwent successful surgery at a local hospital where a rod was inserted in his leg, according to UH officials.

Bradley, a junior from Dallas, entered the game third among the Warriors and fourth in the Western Athletic Conference in receiving, averaging 17.8 yards per catch and 5.8 catches per game. He had five touchdowns this season.

"I feel terrible about losing Rodney Bradley," McMackin said. "He'll be gone for the season and he's a big-time player."

Joe Avery, who finished with three catches for 41 yards, is expected to step into the vacancy in the lineup.

Slotback Greg Salas said: "I was running right behind (Bradley) on that play I clear out and he comes underneath, so I saw what he was running and I was kinda following to, maybe, make a block. The guy (Idaho safety Shiloh Keo) was going low. He juked the guy and because he got juked he hit (Bradley) on the lower part of the shin just as his foot was planted.

"I saw the look (of pain) on his face and the way he was holding his leg. It was horrible. You don't want to ever see that happen to any player, let alone a friend and teammate."

Keo said: "I think he might have rolled up on his ankle, I'm not sure. I hit him right about shin level. My prayers are with him. He's a hell of an athlete."

McMackin said he didn't see the play clearly enough to tell what happened, but, "I don't think anybody was intentionally trying to hurt him (Bradley). I know (Idaho coach Robb) Akey wouldn't stand for that."

Bradley had two catches for 58 yards in the game.

NOTES

University of Idaho linebacker JoJo Dickson said he wasn't in UH's plans, so he made sure he was in their nightmares.

A graduate of Baldwin High, Dickson said he wasn't really recruited by UH out of high school and "I just wanted to have them notice that they made a mistake on a great athlete."

Dickson, a 6-foot-2, 229-pound junior, was in on six tackles, had one sack, two tackles for losses and recovered a fumble for the 6-1 Vandals.

"I knew how I could play and I wanted to show them," Dickson said.

He said he wasn't contacted his senior year of high school until he was about to leave on a recruiting trip for Idaho, which had already offered him a scholarship.

"I got a last-minute phone call as I was leaving to come up here and they said maybe I could walk on or gray shirt (come in midterm the following January). I don't know if you call that being recruited, but I wasn't having it. I already had a firm deal here."

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McMackin claimed one of the timeouts UH was charged with in the final seconds of the first half following a first down was not his call. "The thing is I didn't call the timeout," McMackin said. "Why would you call a timeout when you have a first down? The official called the timeout and said he looked at me and I waved my head (up and down). But I didn't call a timeout. Absolutely not. I'm not stupid. Geez."

McMackin added: "That's why I was out talking to that official. I didn't call any timeout. It is absolutely stupid to call a timeout in that situation.

"The official said he looked over at me and I shook my head. That's his problem. And, then, the white-hatted guy couldn't turn it around. That's why I was out in the middle of the field.

"I told the players I feel bad. I'm the guy in charge. We didn't win this game. That's my fault. I really feel that way. Blame all the other stuff on me but that one (the timeout) wasn't my fault."

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McMackin said he was taking responsibility for UH's fourth consecutive loss. "I want everybody to know that I take full responsibility for this loss," McMackin said afterward. "No players had anything to do with this loss. No other coaches had anything to do with this loss. Whatever mistakes we made I have to get corrected through my players and my coaches but I want everybody to understand that I take full responsibility."