Box Score

HONOLULU - On a night the State of Hawaii bid aloha to longtime politician Patsy Mink in a moment of silence before the game, the University of Hawaii Warrior football team blessed it with a 42-10 win over SMU in a Western Athletic Conference game Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.

It was a game when the UH offense looked to be back on track, but 487 yards of total offense went unnoticed due to the fierce play of the Warrior defense which forced four turnovers, recorded eight tackles-for-loss (-32), including a season-high five sacks (-26), and allowed just 238 yards of total offense.

Hawaii (3-1, 2-0 WAC) capitalized on two SMU turnovers in the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead. Two plays after Sean Butts picked off SMU quarterback Tate Wallis, Timmy Chang hit Neal Gossett for a 51-yard touchdown. Less than two minutes later, running back Mike Bass scored his first touchdown of the season on a 7-yard run resulting from an SMU fumble.

SMU (0-5, 0-1 WAC) took advantage of a fumbled punt return in Warrior territory and managed to kick a 21-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Chang, who finished the game 15-of-29 for 246 and a touchdown in less than three quarters of play, wasted no time after the break. On UH's first possession, the sophomore who has struggled with a fractured pinky finger this season, capped a seven-play, 78-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run to put the Warriors up 21-3 early in the third quarter.

The Mustangs looked to kick their second field goal after a UH fumble, but the Warrior special teams denied the effort when linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa blocked the kick and true freshman cornerback Kenny Patton returned it 74 yards for a touchdown, the first of his young career.

The Warriors, who converted 2-of-3 on fourth downs, scored again when John West carried for eight yards and his first career touchdown to put Hawaii up, 35-3, entering the fourth quarter.

With the game already out of reach, UH defensive end Laanui Correa intercepted Wallis and tossed a lateral to safety Hyrum Peters who dashed 39 yards down the Warrior sideline for his second touchdown this season.

UH receiver Chad Owens hauled in a career-high 11 catches for 182 yards, seveth all-time in school history. Warrior defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga led all defenders with a career-high nine tackles and added a forced fumble and quarterback hurry.

The Warriors will continue WAC play against Boise State Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MDT (2:05 p.m. Hawaii time) at Bronco Stadium.

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