Box Score
BOISE, ID - The University of Hawaii Warrior football team made its first-ever trip to Boise, Idaho and were greeted by "smurf" turf, bucking Broncos, and 25,857 Boise State fans yelling "first down" on Homecoming night.
Boise State (4-1, 1-0 WAC), in its WAC opener, scored 17 points off three Hawaii (3-2, 2-1 WAC) turnovers and added a touchdown off a blocked punt to defeat Hawaii, 58-31, and hand the Warriors their first WAC loss of the season.
UH quarterback Timmy Chang, who finished the game 35-of-57 for 360 and a touchdown, wasted no time, driving the Warriors down the blue AstroPlay surface with eight straight completions that resulted in a 36-yard field goal by Justin Ayat right out of the blocks.
Boise State struck back quickly under the direction of quarterback B.J. Rhode who orchestrated a nine-play, 71-yard drive resulting in a 25-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver T.J.Acree to Donny Heck on a fake reverse to put the Broncos up, 7-3.
After a three-and out on Hawaii's next possession, the Broncos extended the lead to 14-3 when cornerback Chris Carr blocked Mat McBriar's punt and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown.
Two plays later, Boise State running back Brock Forsey scored on a two-yard run after Chang fumbled the ball trying to scramble out of pressure and the Broncos built a 21-3 lead early in the game.
The Warriors rallied back but were denied when Jones decided to go for it on fourth down from the Boise State 15-yard line. Chang completed a pass to Owens for an apparent first down, but the play was negated when officials ruled the pass incomplete, giving the Broncos the ball back on downs.
The Warrior defense, fighting fatigue, finally managed to force the first Bronco punt of the game early in the second quarter to get the ball back for the Warrior offense. Hawaii running back Michael Brewster, one of three running backs filling in for the injured Mike Bass (knee) capped a 15-play, 90-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, the first of his career, to make it 21-10.
But Boise State, eating 4:55 of the first half clock, marched 80-yards down the field and scored on David Mikell's 9-yard touchdown run.
Hawaii had a chance to cut into the lead before the half, but Chang, facing third-and-six, tossed an interception to Gabe Franklin to give the Broncos the ball on the UH 38-yard line with 3:08 left. Tyler Jones converted on a 52-yard field goal to put the Broncos up 31-10 at the break.
The second half belonged to the Broncos as well. Rhode completed seven-of-nine passes for 163 yards and tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Forsey on Boise State's first possession to cap a 19-play, 76-yard drive that swallowed 10:22 of the third quarter clock and put the Broncos ahead 38-10.
Hawaii drove down to the 42-yard line and Chang completed an apparent first down pass to Britton Komine who fumbled it away. The Broncos, rubbing salt in the wound, went for it on fourth-and-two in the redzone and scored on a 12-yard pass from Rhode to Jay Swillie to make it 45-10 and crush all hopes of a UH comeback.
Chang completed his longest pass of the game on a 44-yard strike to Komine and the Broncos tacked on a roughing the passer penalty to spark a Warrior drive that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen.
Late touchdowns by Brewster (34-yard rush) and wide receiver Justin Colbert (24-yard pass from Chang) rounded out the UH scoring.
The Warriors return to Honolulu this week and meet WAC foe Nevada Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.
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