Box Score
HONOLULU - Boise State blocked the game-tying PAT attempt and returned it for a defensive two-point conversion to steal a 44-41 Western Athletic Conference win from Hawai'i Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
That's how it ended, but not how it began. Hawai'i (1-3, 1-1 WAC) gained a season-high 556 yards of total offense and allowed only 21 offensive points, but showed up late to the office on special teams, allowing Boise State to score 16 unanswered points, seven on a punt return, another seven on a blocked field goal return, and the fate-sealing two on a defensive PAT.
Hawai'i jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 30-yard field goal by Dan Kelly and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Colt Brennan to Davone Bess, before Boise State scored on a 40-yard interception return by Marty Tadman.
After Kelly added a 37-yard field goal, Brennan orchestrated a 6-play, 56-yard drive, capped by a 29-yard touchdown pass to Bess, giving Hawai'i a 20-7 halftime lead.
Boise State struck back in the third quarter. Quarterback Jared Zabransky hit Jerard Rabb for a three-yard touchdown to cut the Warrior lead to six (20-14). And after forcing Hawai'i to punt, Quinton Jones vaulted the Broncos into their first lead of the game with a school-record 92-yard punt return to make it 21-20 with 5:16 on the third quarter clock.
But Hawai'i got the ball back on a mishandled punt, and two plays later, Nate Ilaoa darted 37-yards for a touchdown to help the Warriors re-claim the lead (28-21) after the two-point conversion.
Zabransky and the Broncos caught a break when punter Kyle Stringer muffed the snap but managed to gain13 yards to keep the Boise State drive alive. A 6-yard toss from Zabransky to Legedu Naanee tied the game at 28.
Boise State stole the lead again after Orlando Scandrick picked up a blocked field goal attempt and returned it 69-yards to the endzone. But Brennan bought time on the next play and threw a 73-yard bomb to Ryan Grice Mullen to tie it up at 35 with 11:01 left to play.
Then Zabransky went to work again, orchestrating an 11-play, 80-yard drive, capped by another 6-yard toss to Naanee, putting Boise State ahead for good at 42-35. But Brennan and the Warrior offense answered with an 81-yard drive capped by a 19-yard touchdown toss to Ryan Grice-Mullen that had the Warriors thinking overtime. But Boise State parlayed the PAT attempt into two points of their own end any hope of an upset.
Brennan finished with 29 completions for a career-high 426 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, one off a deflection. Grice-Mullen led all receivers with nine catches for a career-high 188 yards and two touchdowns.
The Warrior defense sacked Zabransky four times (-17) and forced three turnovers. Linebacker Kila Kamakawiwo'ole led all tacklers with 10, including two of the sacks (-12). Safety Lono Manners added seven tackles, forced two fumbles and recorded his first career interception.
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