Hawaii coach Norm Chow returned today to Provo, Utah, where he was once considered an offensive guru for the Brigham Young University Cougars.

But going home again proved difficult, as BYU routed UH 47-0 in a nonconference football matchup that saw two Hawaii defensive tackles removed on stretchers in the first seven minutes. Both players had movement in their arms as they left the field, giving a thumbs up. Later, X-rays were ruled negative for both players.

Meanwhile, BYU freshman quarterback Taysom Hill made his first start a good one, especially early on as he led the Cougars to the opening score of the game.

During the drive, Hawaii defensive lineman Geordon Hanohano was injured and removed from the field on a stretcher. It was a helmet-to-helmet contact on a simple running play with BYU offensive guard Famika Anae. Both training staffs tended to Hanohano at a hushed LaVell Edwards Stadium located on the BYU campus. He complained of numbness and went to a local hospital for further observation.

Play was resumed with a second and 8 at the UH 9. Two snaps later, BYU ended the nine-play, 77-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Williams to give the Cougars the lead with 10:48 left in the opening quarter. Riley Stephenson added the PAT.

Hawaii turned the ball over on its opening drive when quarterback Sean Schroeder overthrew Billy Ray Stutzmann. It was picked off by Daniel Sorensen as BYU set up shop at its own 39. During the drive, Anae went helmet to helmet again, this time with Siasau Matagiese, who remained on the field for 10 minutes before being removed on a stretcher and sent to the local hospital.

When play resumed, Hawaii forced a turnover, as freshman corner Ne’Quan Phillips picked off Hill’s errant pass, but UH was forced to punt on the ensuing offensive series.

BYU started the second quarter with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Hill to a wide-open Ross Apo as the Cougars built the lead to 14-0 with 14:54 left in the half as Stephenson added the PAT.

The Cougars extended the lead to three touchdowns as Hill took a simple quarterback draw and ran it 68 yards untouched up the middle of the field for the score. The try for PAT was blocked as BYU built a 20-0 advantage with 6:16 left in the half.

It got worse for Hawaii in the second half as Schroeder got hit just before his arm was coming forward, resulting in a fumble that BYU’s Spencer Hadley recovered at the UH 2-yard line. It was initially ruled a touchdown.

It didn’t take long for BYU to score, as Williams bulled in from 2 yards out. Stephenson added the PAT to make it 27-0 with 13:38 left in the third.

BYU padded its lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Hill to a wide-open Devin Mahina, with Stephenson adding the PAT to make it 34-0 with 4:18 left in the third. The reason the third-and-goal play worked was because UH’s blitz package didn’t get to Hill in time.

Another Schroeder fumble and recovery by BYU had the Cougars knocking at the door once again at the UH 23. BYU put in most of its backups as Hawaii forced a fourth and 1 at its own 14. BYU converted on the play, setting up a first and 10 at the 12. Two plays later, Paul Lasike scored from the 4 to make it 40-0 with no time left in the third as Stephenson missed the PAT.

BYU put the finishing touches on Hawaii with a brutal 11-play drive of 77 yards that ended with Lasike scoring from 1 yard out to make it 47-0 as Justin Sorensen added the PAT with 6:58 left in the game.