ANN ARBOR, Mich. >> University of Hawaii quarterback Dru Brown’s first drive was in reverse.

Brown, who joined the Rainbow Warriors two months ago after transferring from College of San Mateo, was told he would replace quarterback Ikaika Woolsey in the second half of Saturday’s game against seventh-ranked Michigan.

Brown’s first NCAA pass drew cheers from the 110,222 in the Big House. It was intercepted. But the officials ruled linebacker Chase Winovich had hit Brown after he released the ball. The interception was nullified. Three plays later, cornerback Channing Stribling intercepted Brown and raced 51 yards for a touchdown.

“I misread the play,” Brown said. “It was a mistake on my part.”

On the next series, the UH coaches called the same play. This time, Brown threw 13 yards to wideout Marcus Kemp for a first down.

“I like how Dru came back from the interception,” coach Nick Rolovich said. “He came back and made a similar read … but he made a different throw. He showed he learned from it.”

Brown said: “I tried to fix the mistake. I had to have short memory.”

Brown displayed his quickness — and fearlessness — on bootlegs. On a third-and-18, Brown avoided the safe route and sprinted for the first-down stick. He was a yard short.

“He went out there and competed,” said Craig Stutzmann, quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator. “He didn’t step out of bounds on third-and-long. He tried to dive over a guy for the first down.”

From the sideline, Woolsey cheered and yelled encouragement.

“You know you have a special group of guys when they want to help each other,” Stutzmann said.

Brown was 5-for-10 for 63 yards against Michigan. He also ran for a team-high 49 yards.

Brown appeared to be heading back to San Mateo for his sophomore season when he took a trip to Hawaii. Two days after returning to California, he accepted a scholarship offer from UH.

He decided to move to Hawaii a few weeks before the start of training camp. Brown joined unsupervised workouts that Woolsey coordinated.

“Kaiks and I are really good friends,” Brown said. “Every time he comes to the sideline, I encourage him. When I come to the sidelines, he encourages me. It’s a good relationship to have.”

Rolovich said Woolsey will remain as the No. 1 quarterback ahead of Saturday’s home opener against Tennessee-Martin. Brown and Aaron Zwahlen, a second-year freshman, are the immediate backups.

“Kaiks does a good job of leading the guys and executing the offense,” Brown said. “I’ll keep preparing like I’ll play, a backup should, and if I get my shot, I’ll give it my best.”

Of his debut, Brown said: “It’s a new experience coming from a junior college, and my first experience is against a top-10 team in the nation. It was a cool experience, something I can build off.”