PASADENA, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior football team opened its 2021 campaign with a 44-10 loss to UCLA Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
 
The Bruins jumped all over UH from the start and never looked back in handing UH its first season-opening loss since 2016. It was also UCLA's first non-conference win since defeating UH in 2017.
 
The Bruins scored the first 17 points of the game, took a 24-3 lead after one quarter of action, and continued to put points on the board in the second half while getting contributions from all three phases of the game.
 
UH was stung by UCLA's big-play ground game early on as Zach Charbonnet rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns in his first six carries. All three of Charbonnet's touchdown came on runs of 20 or more yards, including a 47-yard dash.  
 
After the Bruins took a 17-0 lead with less than nine minutes into the game, Matthew Shipley got UH on the board with a career-long 48-yard field goal. But the Bruins struck back less than 90 seconds later on Charbonnet's 47-yard score and UH would get no closer.
 
The Bruins didn't let up in the second half despite a 31-3 lead at the break. UCLA scored on its opening drive of the second half, then recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown soon after. It marked UH's first blocked punt since 2008, ending a nation-long streak of 154 games without a blocked punt.
 
UH scored its lone touchdown of the game on an impressive 9-play, 90-yard drive which was capped by a 1-yard catch by Caleb Phillips from Chevan Cordeiro. Cordeiro finished the game 25-of-47 for 220 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
 
Darius Muasau led UH with 10 tackles, while Iowa State transfer Chima Azunna added seven from the secondary. UCLA ended the game with a 392-269 advantage in yards, with the Bruins getting 244 of their yards on the ground.
 
The Rainbow Warriors now return home to play its first-ever game on campus at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex when they host Portland State on Saturday, Sept. 4. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. HT.