Box Score
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The 16th ranked University of Hawai`i football team rallied past San Jose State, 42-35, in overtime in a Western Athletic Conference contest in front of 20,473 at a rain-drenched Spartan Stadium.
Jason Rivers caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Colt Brennan in the first overtime for its second come-from-behind victory this season. Defensive back Myron Newberry sealed the win intercepting SJSU quarterback Adam Tafralis in the end zone on the final drive.
Hawai`i improves to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in WAC play, while San Jose State falls to 3-4 and 2-1. With the win, UH extends its win streak to eight and keeps its hope for a BCS bid alive. The Warriors also extended their WAC win streak to 11 games.
Heisman Trophy candidate Brennan completed 44-of-75 passes for 545 yards and four TD passes. He also was picked four times during the game. It was the third time this season a trio of receivers went for at least 100 yards or more led by Ryan Grice-Mullen's 14 catches for 175 yards. Bess and Rivers posted 140 and 138 yards, respectively.
It was the first time this season UH failed to score at least 45 points and but kept its streak of 17-straight games scoring 32 points or more.
UH opened the scoring after linebacker Adam Leonard picked off a Spartan pass and returned it 28 yards to the SJSU 35 yard line. Brennan then connected on 4-of-6 passes to set up a Kealoha Pilares 6-yard rush to give UH a 7-0 lead.
Hawai`i then manufactured a 12-play drive, 86-yard drive culminating with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Brennan to Grice-Mullen.
San Jose State cut the deficit in half when Dwight Lowery returned a Tim Grasso punt 84 yards just before the end of the first half.
SJSU's Lowery then picked off Brennan's first attempt of the third quarter and returned it 24 yards to knot it up at 14 apiece.
The Spartans took their first lead of the game with 5:25 left in the third when Tafralis hit Kevin Jurovich on a 16-yard pass. The play capped a five-play, 65-yard drive after SJSU took over on downs when Brennan was stopped on a fourth and 1 quarterack sneak. It is the first time since the Louisiana Tech game that UH has trailed at all in the second half.
SJSU extended its lead to 28-14 with Tafralis hitting Jurovich on a 68-yard scoring strike with 2:32 remaining in the third.
UH didn't waste any time, marching down the field 67 yards in one minute and 18 seconds. The TD cut into SJSU's lead with Brennan tossing a 34-yard strike to C.J. Hawthorne to pull to within seven, 28-21. The TD gave Brennan the NCAA record for touchdowns responsible for in a 3-year span.
SJSU took the ensuing kickoff and traveled 65 yards on eight plays with James T. Callier taking the pitch and going around the right side for an 8-yard TD.
UH scored with 3:53 left in the fourth quarter when Davone Bess caught a 11-yard over the shoulder catch from Brennan.
SJSU took over but James T. Callier coughed up the ball after a huge blow from linebacker Blaze Soares with Leonard recovering the fumble with 2:56 left in the game.
It took the Warriors only two minutes and 25 seconds to drive down the field 45 yards with Brennan taking the option and going across the right side for a 2-yard run to tie the game with 31 seconds left, 35-35.
The Spartans had one last chance to score before the end of regulation, but the UH defense held strong as time expired.
Defensively, Leonard led the charge with 11 tackles, two for a loss, one fumble recovery and one interception. Solomon Elimimian and Jacob Patek recorded eight and seven tackles, respectively.
The Warriors are idle next week before welcoming New Mexico State for Homecoming at Aloha Stadium, Oct. 27, at 6:05 p.m. HST.
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