One moment University of Hawaii quarterback Ikaika Woolsey was flat on the Aloha Stadium turf writhing on an already sore back after absorbing yet another shot from a defender.

As his much-hurried pass soared softly downfield, Woolsey cocked his head to catch a glimpse of the stadium Jumbotron.

When a waiting Quinton Pedroza gathered in the floater and took it into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown in the third quarter, Woolsey sprang to his feet as if suddenly cured of his aches and pains.

On this play and this night Woolsey, the once-benched starter, could have been the poster player for the resilient Rainbow Warriors, who went to their bench and to their hearts to pull out a 38-28 victory over Wyoming.

Fittingly, perhaps, after a 1-4 start and eight consecutive Mountain West Conference losses dating to 2012, the triumphant opening to the league season did not come easy or pain-free for a team that trailed 21-10 at halftime.

Their ascendency to first place, yes, first place, in the West Division at 1-0, and retaking of the Paniolo Trophy would be achieved black and blue, but unbowed.

Not that these ‘Bows lacked for difference makers on a night when the starting quarterback, Taylor Graham, didn’t return to the game for the second half due to a broken right foot and the leading rusher, Steven Lakalaka, departed with a head injury.

Just as Diocemy Saint Juste stepped in to fill Lakalaka’s void with a career-high 135 yards and his first touchdown on 17 carries, Woosley climbed off the bench and the turf to complete eight of nine passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns.

A 45 percent completion percentage and a propensity to absorb sacks had cost Woolsey his starting job earlier in the week. "I could have done one of two things," Woolsey said. "I could have pouted or I could be a good teammate and support the team. I’m too proud of these guys to give up."

So, when he was summoned to start the second half, Woolsey brought a new perspective and dedication to the task at hand. And a newfound accuracy. "My team needed me and I had to come through," Woolsey said.

"These kids are resilient (guys), they are tough guys," said head coach Norm Chow, who knew something about the trait after a week in which he buried his 97-year old mother, Thelma, and visited his wife, Diane, at the UCLA Medical Center, where she had undergone surgery for a brain aneurism.

When Woolsey took a helmet in the back and limped off the field, he knew he would be back because there was nobody left who had played the position for UH (Jeremy Higgins was already out with a broken hand suffered at Colorado) and, well, because, "they told me I couldn’t hobble," Woolsey said.

"Coach (Chow) told me he’d give me a massage later," Woolsey laughed.

"Coaches preach to us that when someone goes down somebody else has to step up and you just have to fight through all the adversity — well, that’s what we did," Woolsey said.

Afterward Chow shook his head and said, "Now we’ve got to find enough (healthy) guys to go to San Diego next week."

Said Woolsey, no longer limping, "We’ll be ready. We’re feeling like winners."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.