HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS >> On a staircase in the corner of Bowers Stadium, Hawaii head coach Timmy Chang sat in despair, his cheeks stained with emotion.
“It’s on me,” Chang said, softly, repeating a message he delivered to the Rainbow Warriors following Saturday night’s 31-13 loss to Sam Houston. “I have to coach better. That’s really what it comes down to. … The message is: it’s on me as head coach. I have to be better.”
There had been rosy aspirations in the aftermath of the Warriors’ 16-13 setback to UCLA two weeks earlier, and the refreshed optimism when last week’s bye brought improved health for key players. But in sweltering conditions — temperatures and the humidity index were in the 90s at kickoff — the Warriors were underwhelming against a host that only achieved FBS status last year.
The Warriors committed 14 penalties for 122 yards — many sabotaging drives — struggled for consistency to run or pass against a sagging defense, and gave up chunk plays.
Sam Houston’s Hunter Watson, who was a third-string quarterback for Division II Arkansas-Monticello two years ago, threw three scoring passes — two to Qua’Vez Humphreys — and averaged 4.5 yards per keeper. Jay Ducker, who rushed eight times for 25 yards in the Bearkats’ first two games, gained 148 yards on 15 carries. Ducker’s 86-yard sprint around left end and then across the field set up Utah State transfer John Gentry’s 3-yard scoring reception for a 24-10 lead in the third quarter.
“We have a mental block when it comes to playing football on Saturdays,” said UH quarterback Brayden Schager, who was 21-for-42 for 252 yards and a touchdown. “We do well in practice, and we come out here and absolutely (defecate) the bed, to be honest with you. It’s embarrassing.”
To counter the Bearkats’ running attack, of which Watson has a contributing role, the Warriors opened with a five-man front incorporating three defensive tackles. A tactic that worked against UCLA lapsed when Humphreys caught a pass in the flat and eluded two would-be tacklers for a 40-yard gain. Five plays later, Watson found Humphreys in the right corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing possession, the Warriors drove to the Bearkats’ 13. But a personal foul, retreated the Warriors to the 28. Three plays later, kicker Kansei Matsuzawa was wide left on a field-goal attempt from 41 yards.
Later in the first half, Schager’s 52-yard pass to wideout Dekel Crowdus advanced the Warriors to the 8. But another personal foul backed the Warriors out of the red zone. Matsuzawa’s 33-yard field goal salvaged the drive. But a pattern had been set.
The Bearkats exhausted 8 minutes, 10 seconds to go 75 yards for a touchdown, the last nine yards on Ife Adeyi’s jet sweep.
The Warriors followed with a 43-second possession when Schager was intercepted on a pass that sailed over wideout Spencer Curtis and was intercepted by Caleb Weaver. That led to Christian Pavon, a kickoff specialist who was pushed into expanded duties because of an injury to Colby Sessums, converting from 26 yards to widen the Bearkats’ advantage to 17-3.
“I think we started slow and it trickled down the rest of the game,” UH defensive tackle Ezra Evaimalo said. “Any time you come out in the first quarter and allow them to score like that, it’s hard to get back on your feet as a D. I think our boys played hard. We didn’t get all the plays we wanted but the heart was there. I think we put ourselves in a hole we had to dig out too late.”
When Schager threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Pofele Ashlock to open the second half, the Bearkats answered with Ducker’s counter run opposite the Warriors’ overloaded defense. Cornerback Cam Stone, who grew up in the Houston area, chased down Ducker at the 9. But on third down, cornerback Caleb Brown was called for pass interference, extending the drive that resulted in Gentry’s touchdown.
When the Warriors worked their way to a first-and-goal at the 10, they committed two holding penalties.
While praising Watson, who helped Iowa Western win the junior college national championship last year, the Warriors also accepted fault for the breakdowns and penalties. Center Sergio Muasau was ejected after being assessed his second personal foul.
“It was more of us and what we’re not doing,” Chang said. “That’s the biggest thing, what we’re not doing. We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better.”
After dropping to 1-2, Schager conceded that at this moment, “we’re just not a good football team. We have to look at it as how it is. It’s always something. It’s not what they’re doing. It falls back on ourselves. I thought we had a good offseason. Coming into this season, I really had high hopes for it. It kills me and it hurts me more than anybody. I know everybody is upset. I don’t know what to do.”
GAME STATS
FIRST QUARTER
SAM HOUSTON
>> Qua’Vez Humphreys 7
pass from Hunter Watson.
Christian Pavon kick
>> Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards,
4:00 elapsed time.
>> Time: 11:00. Score: Sam
Houston 7, Hawaii 0
SECOND QUARTER
HAWAII
>> Kansei Matsuzawa 33-yard
field goal.
>> Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards,
1:51 elapsed time.
>> Time: 13:24. Score: Sam
Houston 7, Hawaii 3
SAM HOUSTON
>> Ife Adeyi 9 run. Pavon kick
>> Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards,
8:10 elapsed time.
>> Time: 5:14. Score: Sam
Houston 14, Hawaii 3
SAM HOUSTON
>> Pavon 26-yard field goal.
>> Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards,
2:33 elapsed time.
>> Time: 1:58. Score: Sam
Houston 17, Hawaii 3
THIRD QUARTER
HAWAII
>> Pofele Ashlock 5 pass from
Brayden Schager.
Matsuzawa kick.
>> Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards,
4:57 elapsed time.
>> Time: 10:03. Score:
Sam Houston 17, Hawaii 10
SAM HOUSTON
>> John Gentry 3 pass from
Watson. Pavon kick.
>> Drive: 5 plays, 93 yards,
2:36 elapsed time.
>> Time: 7:20. Score:
Sam Houston 24, Hawaii 10
HAWAII
>> Matsuzawa 27-yard field
goal.
>> Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards,
6:05 elapsed time.
>> Time: 1:15. Score:
Sam Houston 24, Hawaii 13
FOURTH QUARTER
SAM HOUSTON
>> Humphreys 55 pass from
Watson. Pavon kick
>> Drive:4 plays, 68 yards, 2:02
elapsed time.
>> Time: 9:41. Score:
Sam Houston 31, Hawaii 13
TEAM STATISTICS
UH SHSU
First downs 15 22
Rushes-yards 21-56 47-257
Passing 252 165
Comp-Att-Int 21-42-1 15-23-1
Return Yards 90 37
Punts-Avg. 4-52.5 3-44.3
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 14-122 4-45
Time of Poss. 25:38 34:22
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Hawaii: Barfield
5-24, Schager 12-22, Sims
4-11. Sam Houston.: Ducker
15-148, Watson 10-45, McKinney 11-44, Humphreys 1-10,
Adeyi 1-9, Smith 2-4, Gentry
5-1, TEAM 2-(minus 4).
PASSING—Hawaii: Schager
21-42-1-252. Sam Houston:
Watson 15-23-1-165.
RECEIVING—Hawaii: Ashlock
8-84, Cenacle 4-51, Crowdus
2-55, Perry 2-20, Panoke
2-11, Barfield 1-16, Hines 1-9,
Sims 1-6. Sam Houston:
Humphreys 4-106, Adeyi 4-32,
Smith 2-3, Gentry 2-2, Evans
1-10, Ducker 1-10, Sohn 1-2.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—Hawaii: Matsuzawa 41
