The player in green was so happy that he signed autographs, posed for pictures and, in the euphoria of the moment, even flung his gloves into the stands despite a warning.
Never mind that he was told, "you’re not getting a new pair," he smiled broadly, for nothing was going to spoil the triumphant moment.
It should have been one of the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, who were decked out in homecoming green, doing the celebrating Saturday night at Aloha Stadium, but instead it fell to Colorado State running back Kapri Bibbs, he of the 137 yards and three touchdowns, in forest green.
And in many ways the most galling thing about this seventh consecutive loss of the season, a 35-28 defeat by the Rams, was that the ‘Bows are capable of better. Especially in this league.
Yet, here they sit 0-7 (0-5 in the Mountain West Conference) on the bottom of the MWC, imbedded in ESPN.com’s Bottom 10 and coach Norm Chow once again talking about how hard they play because they have nothing in the standings to show for it.
You have to admire their resiliency, but perseverance and ferocity aren’t the problems. Tenacity isn’t the question. Focus and execution are, and because they remain so in the second half of this 2013 season, once again victory No. 1 has eluded them.
Once more they dug too deep of a hole — 14-0 to start and 35-17 at the half — with their own mistakes to climb out of, no matter how furious the weekly fourth-quarter comeback.
"I think they’ve scored like 60 percent of their points in the fourth quarter or something like that, so we knew it was going to come down to that regardless of what our lead was because Hawaii has been able to get back in games," said CSU linebacker Max Morgan.
Unfortunately, they give away too many games in the first half. And because they do, the ‘Bows are one of five remaining winless teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, running shoulder pads with Georgia State and that ilk.
We’ve seen a good portion of the MWC this year, and this is not Murderer’s Row by any stretch of the imagination. This is a very mediocre conference. Even in June Jones’ most average years UH would have contended in this one.
The latest victor over UH, CSU, hadn’t won two consecutive games in two seasons — until it got here.
But because UH has no running game — just 32 yards on 29 carries — to speak of, commits too many ill-timed penalties and turnovers and struggles so mightily in third-down situations (converting on just two of 17) and suffers too many three and outs (five this time) it has left at least two and possibly three victories out on the field this season.
And, can we please cease with the musical quarterbacks already? If it is an attempt to keep everybody happy, it isn’t working. And, more importantly, it isn’t leading to any victories.
I mean, here we are more than halfway through the season and the roulette continues. All without seeing any obvious gain. Clearly it isn’t confusing too many opponents.
Instead there have been setbacks, telling ones. Saturday night UH brings in Ikaika Woolsey for one play and the snap hits Chris Gant, the man in motion, resulting in a fumble and turnover. It brings Taylor Graham in cold and his first pass is intercepted.
So here the ‘Bows are heading out on the road again empty-handed while the Rams celebrate their good fortune and we are left to wonder when they might ever win one.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
