Box Score
HONOLULU - The 18th-ranked University of Hawai`i football team capitalized on a 28-point third quarter to knock off Charleston Southern, 66-10, Saturday night in a non-conference game in front of 37,723 at Aloha Stadium. The Warriors improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 1988 season.
UH scored on its opening possession when Tyler Graunke connected with C.J. Hawthorne on a 28-yard pass. Graunke got the starting nod when head coach June Jones held out Heisman Trophy candidate Colt Brennan for precautionary reasons.
Graunke finished the game, completing 22-of-36 attempts for 285 yards and three scores. The junior had career-highs in completions, attempts, yards, and touchdowns.
The Bucs tied it at 5:14 in the first when Eli Byrd hit Dee Brown on a 57-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter.
UH responded and scored 10 seconds into the second quarter when freshman Kealoha Pilares scooted 16 yards up the middle. The Warriors tacked on another seven late in the quarter as Graunke scrambled six yards for the score.
Charleston Southern's Nick Ellis kicked a 48-yard field goal to draw within 21-10 at the half.
It was all UH in the second half as the Warriors reeled off 45 straight points to turn a 11-point halftime lead into a 56-point rout. UH's Ryan Mouton took the second half kickoff 90 yards to the house. One minute later, linebacker Adam Leonard picked off Ellis' pass and returned it 36 yards for the touchdown. Graunke then hit receivers Davone Bess for a 19-yard score and Hawthorne on a 35-yard TD pass to close out the quarter.
UH tacked on 17 more in the fourth quarter behind backup quarterback Inoke Funaki. The sophomore from Kahuku High School hit Aaron Bain for a two-yard scoring reception with 13:16 left in the fourth quarter. Dan Kelly booted a 28-yard field goal at the 8:57 mark and Funaki then hit Michael Washington on a 19-yarder to wrap up the scoring.
UH will head to Moscow, Idaho, next week to take on the Vandals in a Western Athletic Conference game at 2:00 p.m. PST (11:00 a.m. HST).
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