Box Score
Post Game Notes
Post Game Quotes

LOGAN, Utah – The University of Hawai'i Warrior football team suffered one of its most disappointed losses of the season, falling to Utah State, 30-14, Saturday afternoon at Romney Stadium. The Warriors dropped to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the Western Athletic Conference with its fourth road loss of the year.

 

It was a game of missed opportunities for the Warriors who out-gained Utah State, but failed to score on three first-and-goal opportunities. The Warriors, who trailed the entire game, suffered its first loss to Utah State in four WAC meetings. UH had averaged 55.0 points per game in the previous three meetings.

 

Dual-threat quarterback Diondre Borel led the Aggies (2-7, 2-3) to their second win of the season by accounting for 310 of Utah State's 368 total yards of offense. Borel passed for 223 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for another 87 yards in the win.

 

Greg Alexander, making his first start since the season-opener at Florida, finished 13-of-27 for 186 yards and one touchdown for the Warriors. The junior quarterback also added 57 yards of rushing, including a 9-yard touchdown run.

 

Senior lineman David Veikune led the Warrior defense with an outstanding effort, finishing with nine tackles, including 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses.

 

Utah State got on board first with an opening scoring drive that ended with a Peter Caldwell 34-yard field goal. UH responded on its first possession by marching down all the way to the Aggie 2-yard line, but missed a short field goal when Dan Kelly's 26-yard attempt was tipped at the line.

 

The Warriors got an interception in the second quarter by Jameel Dowling, his first career pick, to set the Warrior offense up in Aggie territory. But UH again had another field goal attempt blocked, a 49-yarder, to remain scoreless. On the very next play Utah State took a 10-0 lead when Diondre Borel connected with Nnamdi Gwacham for a 62-yard bomb.

 

UH finally got on the board with 6:20 remaining in the half when Alexander found Michael Washington streaking down the middle for a 34-yard touchdown.  But, Utah State used the final possession of the first half to mount another scoring drive and Caldwell converted on a 34-yard kick as time expired to extend the Aggie lead to 13-7 heading into the locker room.

 

UH's missed opportunities continued in the opening drive when the Warriors drove the length of the field only to fumble inside the Aggie 5-yard line. Utah State extended its lead to 20-7 when Borel lofted a 23-yard pass to Robert Turbin in the endzone.

 

After UH was stopped on downs while again deep in Aggie territory, the Warriors finally scored on a first-and-goal opportunity with seven minutes left as Alexander's 9-yard rush cut the Warrior deficit to 20-14.

 

But Diondre Borel squashed UH's comeback hopes by scampering 61 yards on the Aggies' next possession. That run set up a short field goal that pushed Utah's State lead back up to nine points with a little more than four minutes remaining. The Aggies tacked on a late touchdown after UH was stopped on downs deep in its own territory.

 

In a fitting end, UH kick returner Malcolm Lane returned a kickoff 91 yards in the game's waning moments, only to fumble inside the Aggie 10-yard line.

 

UH will remain on the mainland and play its second straight road game when it faces New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. MT (11:00 a.m. HT).