Box Score
HONOLULU - The University of Hawaii football team used clutch defense and the 12th man to record a 20-19 come-from-behind victory over Cincinnati in a non-conference game Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
Hawaii (9-2, 7-1 WAC) had a season-low 331 yards of total offense, played without starting quarterback Timmy Chang for about two quarters and survived a post-game fracas, to win its sixth straight game.
The loss snapped three-game win streak for Cincinnati (5-6, 4-2 CUSA) and threatened hopes of a bowl invitation after catching a break when East Carolina upset TCU in Conference USA action earlier.
Cincinnati struck first when quarterback Gino Guidugli managed a 9-play, 82-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown catch by Booker Vann, only his second reception as a Bearcat, to take a 7-0 lead.
The Hawaii offense looked to tie it up, driving down to the Cincinnati 1-yard line, but failed to punch it in on fourth down. But after the defense held, the Warriors took advantage of good field position (Cincinnati 26) and tied the game on a 1-yard run by Thero Mitchell.
Mitchell gave the Warriors the 14-7 lead with another 1-yard run midway through the second quarter and the Bearcats managed a field goal by Jonathan Ruffin to make it 14-10 at the break.
Cincinnati wasted no time getting on the board and taking the lead on 35- and 25-yard field goals by Ruffin to make it, 16-14, midway through the third quarter. Ruffin added another trey in the fourth quarter to put the Bearcats up, 19-14, at the 10:53 mark.
With starter Chang out with a sprained knee, Shawn Withy-Allen took over the Warrior offense in the second half, fumbled, and tossed an interception to spark the return of Chang to begin the fourth quarter.
Chang, a three-and-out on his first two tries, got a shot after a Chris Brown interception but gave it back on the next play on a tipped ball to Cincinnati's Ivan Fields. But the Warrior defense came up big, Travis LaBoy and Chad Kalilimoku tackled Cincinnati running back DeMarco McCleskey in the backfield twice, forcing a 3rd-and-16, and Guidugli's pass fell incomplete to force the Bearcats to punt from their own 5-yard line.
A little more than a minute later, Chang found Jeremiah Cockheran in the corner of the endzone for a 33-yard touchdown, his longest pass completion of the night, to help the Warriors reclaim the lead for good.
The Bearcats got the ball back at the 5:10 mark, but the Warrior defense force another three-and-out to seal the victory. Chang, who finished 23-of-42 for a season-low 29 yards and 1 touchdown, left the game on UH's final series after taking a shot to his already injured knee.
Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa led the Warriors with nine tackles and added two quarterback hurries and a pass break up. Cockheran lead the Warriors with seven catches for 82 yards and the only receiving touchdown of the game.
Next Saturday, the Warriors will meet Alabama in a nationally televised non-conference game on ESPN. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.
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