EUGENE, ORE. >> There are video scoreboards on both ends of Autzen Stadium.
Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager appeared to ignore both of them as the Warriors’ deficit kept deepening in what turned into a 55-10 loss to 13th-ranked Oregon.
Schager absorbed two sacks, was floored late after releasing two passes, and kept going.
“We’re not going to quit,” said Schager, who came back from an 0-for-5 start to finish 27-for-43 for 131 yards. “That’s not in any of our DNAs, even if it looks ugly. That’s not how I was raised, or any of these guys were raised. They weren’t raised to quit. You have to keep going. You have to keep fighting. I thought we did a better job moving the ball in the second half.”
Against a relentless pass rush and aggressive coverage, the Warriors struggled to find an offensive rhythm.
“We all took turns on offense messing up, and it starts with me,” Schager said. “I’ve got to get better.”
The crowd of 52,779 created an environment where the Warriors often had to use hand signals. In practices this week, the Warriors amplified the speakers to simulate noise distractions.
“There were a few times we had some miscommunications,” Schager said. “We’ve got to be on the same page. I think that’s the common theme in this offense and, obviously, the noise affects that. It was a super loud environment. … It was a really good football team and it was a tough environment. Their fans do a good job getting loud. (The Ducks) were better than us tonight in all aspects.”
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Because of ailments, the Warriors also were without running back Tylan Hines, tight end Greyson Morgan, wideout Jonah Panoke and right guard Maurice Ta‘ala.
Coach Timmy Chang recalled blowout losses during his career as a record-setting UH quarterback.
“It makes you stronger,” Chang said. “It makes you resilient. … The thing I want these guys to see is that if you want to be the best, (Oregon) is what it looks like. This is how it has to be.”
Schager said: “The only way you’re going to learn is to keep doing it and trusting the system. I think there are some good things coming down the road. We have to keep working, keep grinding, and not let this discourage us.”
On their final possession, the Warriors went 75 yards in 10 plays, with the final yard coming on a pass from Schager to wideout Alex Perry.
“Brayden is a good leader,” Perry said. “Any time we’re down, he gives us the confidence we can make the next play. He makes us feel we can come back, even if we’re down 50 points. … We can see the dog in him. We know he takes hits and he still has to look down the field. He has the hardest part by anybody.”
Chang said of Schager: “He’s a tough kid. I know he’s tough, and that’s what I love about him. When we talk, we talk about how we can get better.”