Box Score
Post Game Notes
Post Game Quotes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i Warrior football team earned its third straight bowl bid with a 24-10 win over Washington State Saturday night at Aloha Stadium. Following the conclusion of the game head coach Greg McMackin and the Warriors accepted an invitation to the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on December 24^th with their magic seventh win.

 

UH (7-5) got off to a quick start and despite missing numerous opportunities, won comfortably against the Cougars who wrapped up their season at 2-11. The Warriors, meanwhile, won their season-long third straight game.

 

Greg Alexander threw for a career-best 315 yards on 19-of-34 passing to pace the UH offense. Wide receiver Greg Salas led a potent UH receiving corps with a career-high 131 receiving yards on seven receptions. Aaron Bain (71) and Michael Washington (81) also combined for 152 yards receiving.

 

Meanwhile, the UH defense held Washington State to just 10 points and 196 yards of offense, both season lows for a UH opponent. The Warriors recorded five sacks, while senior linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard each finished with 10 tackles.

 

Hawai`i was in complete control of the game early, though the Cougars hung around through the final quarter. The Warriors never trailed, but needed a late third quarter touchdown to help seal the win.

 

The game couldn't start any better for UH as it scored touchdowns on its first two drives, while holding the Cougars to just 16 yards of total offense on their first three drives. The UH offense ripped off a 97-yard drive, its longest of the season on its opening possession. The drive ended when Alexander found Salas over the middle for a 19-yard scoring strike. The Warrior's second drive was for 61 yards as Daniel Libre, who made his first start of the year at running back, went two yards up the middle for a 14-0 lead. It was the third straight game the senior scored a touchdown for UH.

 

Nico Grasu finally got the Cougars on the board with 26-yard field goal with 5:23 left in the first half. The Warriors then received a gift late in the half, when the Cougars lost the ball on its own 5-yard line on a botched quarterback-center exchange. However, UH could only muster a 22-yard Dan Kelly field goal, taking a 17-3 lead into the locker room.

 

After UH stalled on the opening drive of the second half, Washington State took its first possession 53 yards, capped by a Dwight Tardy 1-yard rush to cut the UH lead to 17-10.

 

But the Warriors answered right back. Malcolm Lane returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards and three plays later UH got a 44-yard touchdown connection between Alexander and Washington to pad the lead back to two touchdowns.

 

UH concludes its regular season when it faces Big East champion Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 6 in a nationally televised game. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPN2.