MOSCOW, IDAHO » An amateur magician — Hawaii kicker Kenton Chun — helped Hawaii conjure a 16-14 football victory over Idaho on Saturday in the Kibbie Dome.
"It was my best trick," said Chun, who booted a 35-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining.
When Idaho’s Trey Farquhar was wide left on a field-goal attempt from 53 yards as time expired, it triggered a wild celebration on the UH sideline, with a 5-foot-6, 143-pound senior toasted as the guest of honor.
"That little guy did it," UH head coach Greg McMackin gushed.
A few days ago on his radio show, McMackin mistakenly referred to Chun by the wrong first name.
"Kenton Chun," McMackin repeated after the game. "I know his name now. He won it for us."
Chun also kept alive the Warriors’ chase of a Western Athletic Conference title. The Warriors are 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the WAC.
Chun, a Saint Louis School graduate, decided to transfer from Southern Oregon three years ago to pursue a dream of competing for his hometown school. But he failed a walk-on tryout in February 2010.
"When he tried out for us, he had the worst day of his life," McMackin said.
Chun said: "I had one day to show them what I could do, and I had one of those days. It was tough."
He trained under Peter Kim, a former UH and Alabama kicker, then earned a roster berth this past spring by converting all six of his kicks during a tryout.
Dick Tomey, who coaches special teams, reminded Chun of that day before setting up for the go-ahead field goal.
"I told him there was a lot more pressure (during the tryouts)," Tomey said. "If he didn’t make those (tryout) kicks, he was gone, because he was a walk-on."
Chun said it was a "surreal feeling" as he took his usual pace of three steps back and two steps to the left.
"I was trying to get a good foot on it and trust my technique," Chun said. "I didn’t think I hit it as perfectly as I wanted. When I looked up, I saw it falling. I knew it was going to fall through."
McMackin said: "That was clutch."
Chun’s kick put an end to a game in which the football did not bounce the Warriors’ way. Indeed, it was two bounces that accounted for both of the Vandals’ touchdowns.
On the Vandals’ first possession, from the UH 5, Princeton McCarty took a handoff on an express play in which the offensive linemen all moved to the right. UH free safety John Hardy-Tuliau hit McCarty at the 1. The ball bounced high to left tackle Matt Cleveland, who secured it in the end zone.
The Vandals regained the lead in the third quarter after defensive end Benson Mayowa struck UH quarterback Bryant Moniz’s right forearm. The ball was knocked free from Moniz, who claimed he was in the motion to pass. Tracy Carter scooped the football and raced 70 yards for a 14-13 Vandals lead.
After a review, the on-field ruling of a fumble was upheld.
"I know I threw the ball, but I could see why it was hard to overturn (the ruling)," Moniz said. "He had his arm on my arm. The refs did their job. They have to call what they see. It was hard, but nothing to hang our heads on. We had to keep playing."
But the Warriors had difficulty cobbling long drives against the Vandals, who locked down the UH receivers with man-to-man coverages and created pressure off blitzes, loops and stunts.
"They gave us a difficult time," Moniz said.
The Vandals also had their frustrations against the Warriors’ defense. UH managed two fourth-and-1 stops and two interceptions, including linebacker Aaron Brown’s pick with 5:32 remaining.
The Vandals had opened with sophomore Taylor Davis at quarterback. Davis, who had nine days of practice before making his first collegiate start, yielded to Brian Reader, a senior, in the fourth quarter.
It was Reader, apparently confused by the Warriors’ zone coverage, who was intercepted by Brown after the Vandals had advanced to the UH 9.
"Everything that happened earlier the game, we decided to forget," left slotback Billy Ray Stutzmann said.
Offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich said: "They’re not a real emotional group. They’re all focused. They knew what they had to do. They don’t get fazed by a lot of things."
The Warriors went to their quick-cut attack. With Moniz completing three passes to Stutzmann, the Warriors advanced to the Idaho 16.
On second and 10, Moniz, under pressure, threw away a pass.
On third down, unable to find an open receiver, Moniz slid to the Sprinturf.
"We were in field-goal range, and the last things we wanted to do was get out of field-goal range (with a sack) or to turn the ball over," Moniz said. "If (a receiver) wasn’t wide open, I wasn’t going to throw it. I decided to slide, at least in the middle of the field, to give (Chun) an easier kick."
During the ensuing Idaho timeout, long-snapper Luke Ingram told the field-goal unit: "Let’s man up and fight for 2 seconds. Good snap, good hold, good kick, and we’re out of here."
Holder Shane Austin then approached Chun.
"Kick it through the sticks," Austin recalled advising.
Chun, who bought his own size-7 shoes, easily converted from 35 yards.
Before the ensuing kickoff, the coaches debated strategy. The Warriors were going to squib a kick until they noticed McCarty, who scored on a kickoff return two weeks ago, in the middle of the field.
Then Tomey noticed that tight end Clayton Homme was at the Idaho 30. Tomey instructed Tyler Hadden to kick to Homme, whose 2-yard return gave the Vandals possession at their 39 with 30 seconds to play, leading to the final sequence.
"It was a great game," McMackin said. "I can’t say enough about our defense. Our special teams did a good job. And our offense moved the ball to give us a chance to win. I’m proud of these guys."
