FRESNO, CALIF. >> There was a power outage that caused a 29-minute delay and a spectacular fireworks show and seemingly everything else symbolic of what Hawaii did wrong and Fresno State did right in Saturday’s football game at Bulldog Stadium.
When the smoke cleared from the pyrotechnic display, the Rainbow Warriors walked away with their third consecutive loss — a 50-20 dismantling before what remained of the Bulldogs’ homecoming crowd.
“Overall, this was a tough one,” UH defensive coordinator Corey Batoon said. “There were a lot of kids hurting in that locker room. It’s a matter of coming back out there and continuing to improve.”
Slotback John Ursua, still in uniform 15 minutes after the final whistle, tried to piece together what unraveled early in a 3-hour, 46-minute setback.
“There were a lot of missed opportunities for us and a lot we can clean up from these losses,” Ursua said. “We can’t let this define us and show us who we are. We have to show we’re a talented team and we deserved those six wins.”
Since winning six of their first seven games, the Warriors have free-fallen to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mountain West. They are still a victory short of clinching a winning 13-game regular season and accompanying berth in the Dec. 22 Hawaii Bowl. The pursuit rolls over to this coming Saturday, when they play host to Utah State, one of the league’s hottest teams.
But on Saturday night, it was Fresno State that appeared to be the Mountain West’s most dominant squad. Pick an area, any area.
Offense? The Bulldogs rolled up 562 yards. They rushed for 214 yards, including the sportsmanlike three times they took a knee in the final minute. Of their 30 carries, only one was stopped in the backfield. Marcus McMaryion improved to 16-3 as a Bulldog starting quarterback, completing 21 of 31 passes for 284 and four touchdowns to four different receivers.
Defense? The Bulldogs’ package of five defensive backs nickeled-and-dimed the Warriors into shorter passing routes and clogged running lanes. The Bulldogs forced two turnovers, including UH quarterback Cole McDonald’s fourth interception of the season that set up a 16-yard scoring drive.
And special teams? Down 30-13 and desperate for some points entering the half, the Warriors summoned kicker Ryan Meskell for a field-goal attempt from 53 yards. It would have been the longest of his two-season UH career. During pregame warm-ups, he connected from the same distance and spot. But his kick was short, and Fresno State’s Jamire Jordan caught it a few yards in front of the crossbar. Jordan sprinted the other way for a touchdown and a 37-13 lead as time expired in the first half.
Even Bulldog Stadium worked against the Warriors.
The Warriors’ opening drive concluded with Meskell’s 43-yard field goal. It was only the second time this season an FSU opponent scored in the first quarter.
With 5:34 left in the first quarter, a bank of lights went out atop the UH sideline. The officials decided it would be hazardous to play in dimmed conditions. Both teams were directed to their locker rooms while the system was being restarted.
“That was unfortunate,” Ursua said. “Things happen. It killed momentum. We get a three-point score and then you have a 30-minute delay. It could work in anyone’s favor. But tonight, it ended up on their side.”
Two downs and a timeout after play resumed, the Bulldogs went to an empty set. McMaryion then fired a 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Jared Rice for a 7-3 advantage with 4:43 remaining. The Bulldogs did not reliquish the lead after that.
The Bulldogs thrived behind a remodeled offensive line. Their best blocker, Leilehua graduate Netane Muti, suffered a season-ending injury in the second game. Right tackle Syrus Tuitele was scratched because of an ankle injury. Tuitele’s replacement was Dontae Bull, a second-year freshman who was not listed on the Bulldogs’ two-deep chart.
But the Bulldogs controlled the trenches with a ferocious zone scheme that opened the running lanes. Ronnie Rivers darted through a left-side gap into a vacated secondary for a 76-yard touchdown. “They did a nice job with the zone schemes, poking and prodding,” Batoon said. “We mis-fit a gap (on Rivers’ touchdown), and we were in just our base defense, first-day stuff.”
By establishing the ground game — sometimes with sets of two or three tight ends — that created play-action opportunities. The Bulldogs did not give up a sack. There was a close call, when Zeno Choi made a double-grip move, but McMaryion found enough wiggle room to toss the football to wideout KeeSean Johnson.
“I may have had the guy, but there are things I could have done better,” Choi said. “I could have reached for the arm. I could have punched the ball out. For everything you do, you can always learn something.”
McDonald had his moments — running for 64 non-sack yards and tossing a 50-yard scoring pass to JoJo Ward — but the Bulldogs kept the Warriors from finding an offensive rhythm. The Bulldogs entered allowing 12.6 points per game — stingiest in the nation — with a 4-3 scheme. On Saturday, the Bulldogs swapped a lineman for a nickelback. They still were able to apply pressure from a three-man front, thanks to end Mykal Walker (nine tackles, including three for losses). But the extra defensive back enabled them to play three-deep coverages and tighten the Warriors’ long routes.
“It was a rough one,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said. “We knew they were a good football team. They showed why.”
