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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, September 12, 2009

Warriors build 35-0 lead, hold off Washington State, 38-20


Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii wide receiver Rodney Bradley outruns the secondary to complete a 73-yard scoring pass from Greg Alexander.

STEVE KAJIHIRO | Special to The Advertiser

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The University of Hawaii football team scored on three of its first four possessions and the Warriors took advantage of five first-half Washington State turnovers en route to a 38-20 victory in Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash.

Greg Alexander passed for a career-high 453 yards and three touchdowns as UH built a 35-0 lead before WSU scored the next 20, taking advantage of sloppy UH play.
Greg Salas caught seven of Alexander’s 26 completions for 195 yards and a touchdown and the Warriors amassed 623 total yards.
It was UH's first road win over a team from a BCS conference in seven tries.

The Warriors are 2-0 and will play at UNLV Saturday. Washington State, of the Pac-10, falls to 0-2.

Hawaii took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards for a score. After stopping WSU on its first possession, the Warriors went 61 yards for another score. UH then recovered a fumbled punt on the Cougar 27 and took it in for a 21-0 first-period lead.

In the second quarter, Greg Alexander hit Rodney Bradley, who caught the ball in traffic and raced 73 yards for a score and a 28-0.

After a Washington State turnover, Alex Green sprinted 44 yards for a score and a 35-0 lead.

UH was poised to score again but Alexander fumbled at the doorstep of the WSU goalline. Chima Nwachukwu scooped up the fumble at the 1 and ran 31. The Cougars then drove for a field goal, cutting it to 35-3 and starting a comeback in which WSU would score 20 consecutive points and UH would start committing turnovers.

WSU then recovered another Alexander fumble and took over at the UH 17, eventually settling for a field goal to trim it to 35-6.

The Cougars took the second-half kickoff and drove 84 yards for a score, cutting it to 35-13. WSU would score again in the fourth period to make it 35-20.

UH then drove for a Scott Enos field goal to up the lead to 38-20.

It was all UH in the beginning.

UH took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards on five plays.

UH got first downs on three of its first four plays, including a 26-yard run by Leon Wright-Jackson.
The drive was capped when Alexander found Bradley in the middle of the end zone for a 23-yard score. Enos kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

On its second drive, Alexander found slot receiver Greg Salas consistently open for gains of 35 and 24 yards before the two hooked up for a 7-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

After the recovery, UH used its version of the wildcat formation with former quarterback Inoke Funaki gaining nine yards on two carries. Alexander then passed 16 yards to Kealoha Pilares, setting up Wright-Jackson's 2-yard scoring run.

Washington State committed five turnovers, including one in which the Cougars fumbled while going in for a score and UH leading 14-0. The ball rolled out of the end zone for a touchback, giving UH possession at its 20.

The Cougars were scheduled to welcome Ohio State, but the Buckeyes paid WSU $450,000 to get out of the game and had a showdown Saturday night against Southern California instead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report