The University of Hawai'i football team and quarterback Tyler Graunke both stared an ignominious season in the facemask last night and, thankfully, neither liked what they saw.

Graunke, whose academic issues had cost him two previous chances to lead the Warriors in 2008, was down to his third shot.

And the Warriors, who were looking at 0-2 to start their season, were down to their fourth quarterback in six quarters when they gave Graunke the ball — and possession of their fading hopes — to start the second half.

Then, in an altogether appropriate night of mutual redemption, they rallied past Weber State, 36-17, on the strength of Graunke's spark and three second-half touchdown passes in relief of a dinged Inoke Funaki.

Both the Warriors, who were booed off the field trailing 17-7 at halftime, and Graunke, whose shine had also faded after being the "air apparent" to Colt Brennan, returned to the favor of an Aloha Stadium crowd of 36,247 in a dramatic turn of events that few saw coming but had to hearten many.

"I felt like I earned the respect of my teammates, coaches and even myself," Graunke said afterward. "I went the hard road to success. And it is a good thing I got my chance this early because it could have been ugly my senior season. It could have been a disaster."

He could have just as easily been speaking of the Warriors' season as well. Losing badly at No. 5 Florida was one thing. But dropping the home opener to Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Weber State eight months after a Bowl Championship Series appearance would have ranked as the most embarrassing defeat for UH.

And definitely not the way new coach Greg McMackin wanted to start.

But they were well on their way in a first half where the offense lagged, the defense was pushed around, special teams struggled and clock management suffered.

At that point, the game had belonged to Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins, a former Saint Louis School star.

Funaki, who had emerged as the Warriors' quarterback after a Florida game in which he was the third to be employed, never really found the same rhythm last night.

Some of the shots he absorbed in running the ball seven times in the first half may have played a part. Funaki said at halftime he was examined for a concussion and doctors decided "I wasn't 100 percent."

Enter Graunke, who really only rejoined the team fully in practice after its return from Florida.

His entrance was greeted by cheers by a partisan crowd looking for something, anything, to ignite the somnolent Warriors.

Graunke would be the one holding the match. With each play and every pass, the guy who had missed much of spring practice and the first weeks of the fall with the now infamous "academic issues" found his touch and gave the Warriors their confidence.

"He knew all the reads; he made a huge difference," Wildcats coach Ron McBride said.

"The guys know he's a winner and that means a lot," UH quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich said.

Indeed, the turn of the tide was both perceptible and swift. Receivers made bigger plays, the defense rebooted its effort and even placekicker Dan Kelly seemed to have more power in his end zone-clearing kickoffs.

For sure there was not only a sigh of relief in the stands but a feeling that this season can be OK after all.

Graunke, shaken by a hit after a late-game pitch, said, "I took a hit but I'm on top of the world now."

"I really think he's a better person for what he's been through and it showed, on the field, too," McMackin said. " He came in and was a gamester."

A savior, too.

Graunke said, "I was going downhill and, now, I'm going uphill."

And because of him, the same could finally be said of the Warriors.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.