Box Score

HONOLULU - Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan passed for 402 yards (28 of 39) and five touchdowns, while running back Nate Ilaoa added 166 all-purpose yards (100 rushing, 66 receiving) and two touchdowns to help Hawai'i (9-2, 7-1 WAC) defeat San Jose State, 54-17, and clinch a second place finish in the Western Athletic Conference, Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.

The Warrior offense racked up 568 yards, but it was the defense, which held San Jose State (6-4, 3-4 WAC), the nation's 10th-best rushing offense, to 82 yards on the ground, and a season-low 192 total yards. It was the fourth straight week the Hawai'i defense allowed less than 20 points and the second time in as many games they recorded five sacks.

Hawai'i jumped out to a 13-0 lead before San Jose State took advantage of a fumbled punt and scored its first touchdown on James T. Callier's 1-yard run midway through the second quarter. The Warrior defense held the Spartans to 67 first-half yards.

Brennan scrambled for an 8-yard touchdown, his fourth of the season, to help the Warriors take a 20-10 halftime lead. Brennan finished with 417 yards of total offense and needs 22 more to break the school's season record of 4,457 set by Timmy Chang in 2002.

The teams traded touchdowns to open the second half before Davone Bess caught a deflected pass from Brennan to help the Warriors take a 34-17 lead late in the third quarter. Bess led all receivers with 81 yards on six receptions.

Brennan then orchestrated a 90-yard drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass to Bess, his second on the night. A Spartan fumble gave Hawai'i the ball back, but Brennan threw an interception on the next play to negate the turnover. But it was another night of hard-hitting Warrior defense as linebacker Blaze Soares jarred the ball from Trafalis to give Hawai'i the ball back, again, at the Spartan 19-yard line.

And the Warrior offense did the rest, scoring in one play, a 19-yard touchdown toss from Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullen, to put the game out of reach at 47-17. Grice-Mullen finished the game with four catches for 77 yards and a score.

Ilaoa broke the UH career record for most receiving yards by a running back. The fifth-year senior has 936 yards, surpassing Gary Allen's mark of 895 set from 1978-81. The Warriors broke the single-season scoring mark of 502 set by the 2002 squad. Hawai'i has scored 541 points in 11 games this season.

Solomon Elimimian led all tacklers with 12, while defense ends Melila Purcell (3.5) and Ikaika Alama-Francis (3.0) combined for 12 tackles, including 6.5 for-a-loss, and 3.5 sacks.

The Warriors will meet Purdue next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.

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