Lakalaka finally gets score
Hawaii running back Steven Lakalaka celebrated a return to the Aloha Stadium end zone Saturday night, though he’d rather have been rejoicing in a win after the Rainbow Warriors’ comeback bid fell five points short.
"It felt good, it just brings back memories and now I wish we could get that W," the redshirt freshman said. "I’d rather win and not score two touchdowns."
Lakalaka, a former All-State running back at Punahou, scored his first collegiate touchdown with 5:54 left in the third quarter with UH trailing 42-3. His second capped a wild 34-point run and brought the Rainbow Warriors to within five with 7:51 still on the clock.
"I gave Coach a signal to give me the ball and let me run it down," said Lakalaka, who covered the final 12 yards on a nine-play drive in the fourth quarter. "I got fed by the crowd, they gave me momentum, the O-line trusted me and I saw their eyes, and I just did my job and they did their job."
Lakalaka finished the game with a season-high 66 yards and averaged 5.1 on his 13 attempts.
His opening touchdown marked his first at Aloha Stadium since the 2011 state championship game. He caught two touchdown passes that night, the last coming with 24 seconds left in a 30-24 loss to Kahuku.
Stuck in reverse in the red zone
The Hawaii offense advanced inside the Fresno State 20 on two occasions in the second quarter, but penalties and sacks subsequently pushed the Rainbow Warriors back for 39 yards in losses.
After UH recovered a fumble on a punt return, Lakalaka broke loose for an 18-yard run to the Bulldogs’ 14. UH pushed forward to the 10, but a false-start penalty and an illegal block moved the Rainbows back to the 30 and Ikaika Woolsey was sacked for an 8-yard loss on third down. UH then punted on fourth and 34.
Later in the period, a 24-yard reception by Scott Harding moved UH to the 15. A holding call and two sacks for 4 yards in losses gave the Rainbows fourth down at the 30. Tyler Hadden did manage to break the shutout with a 47-yard field goal.
Bulldogs lose Burse early
Fresno State senior Isaiah Burse, who entered Saturday’s game leading the Bulldogs in receiving yards, was ejected in the first quarter after getting whistled for a penalty.
Burse was the victim of college’s football’s new targeting penalty, which results in an automatic ejection for the player.
Normally it’s called on defensive players, but Burse was whistled for the penalty trying to block for Josh Harper on an 11-yard reception midway through the first quarter.
The officials reviewed the play before determining Burse did indeed lead with his helmet, forcing his removal from the game.
Burse also returns punts for the Bulldogs, forcing Fresno State to go with Davante Adams in his place.
Adams fumbled a punt in the second quarter on his own 32, but Hawaii could not turn the mistake into points.
Fresno finally beats UH while ranked
Saturday’s game was the third time Hawaii played Fresno State while the Bulldogs were ranked, and UH improbably almost kept a noteworthy streak going against its rival.
The previous two meetings with FSU ranked, UH sprung upsets — UH beat No. 18 Fresno 38-34 in 2001 in Honolulu and the No. 22 Bulldogs 32-29 in overtime in Fresno in 2008.
With Saturday’s 42-37 win for No. 25 FSU, it was the first time the favored Bulldogs prevailed against UH in that setting.
Stutzmann crosses the line
Billy Ray Stutzmann caught three passes for 46 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown from Sean Schroeder that made the score 42-30 with 11:59 left in the game.
Stutzmann was UH’s leading receiver last season in receptions and yards, but the senior did not play in the first three games this year. He had reported to fall camp late after suffering head injuries in a one-car accident.
Before this season he had played in 35 games with 126 receptions for 1,487 yards and five touchdowns.
