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Luther McCoy at Arizona
6
Hawai'i HAW 1-1 , 0-0
40
Winner Arizona ARI 1-0 , 0-0
Hawai'i HAW
1-1 , 0-0
6
Final
40
Arizona ARI
1-0 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
HAW Hawai'i 3 3 0 0 6
ARI Arizona 7 10 14 9 40

Game Recap: Football |

Rainbow Warriors Drop Road Opener At Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Hawaii football team dropped its first road game of the year to Arizona, 40-6, Saturday night at Arizona Stadium. A week after a dramatic last-second win over Stanford, the Rainbow Warriors couldn't pull off the same magic in its second straight game against an Autonomous Four team to start the season. 

Arizona got on the board early and never looked back in leading wire-to-wire. The Wildcats led by 11 points at the break then broke the game open in the second half when they forced four of UH's five turnovers for the game.  

The Arizona defense recovered two fumbles and picked off three passes. A balanced Arizona offense (183 rushing yards/161 passing yards) converted five of those turnovers into 23 points.

Noah Fifita passed for 161 yards and one touchdown, while adding another score on the ground. Quincy Craig led Arizona with 125 rushing yards and was one of four different Wildcats to score a rushing touchdown.

Micah Alejado went 18-of-31 for 157 yards and an interception before exiting with less than six minutes left in the third quarter. 

The first half saw UH out-gain Arizona and double the Wildcats up in offensive plays and time of possession. But Arizona took advantage of great field position created by big plays on special teams and defense to take a double-digit lead.

Arizona jumped out to a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, scoring on a 4-play, 47-yard drive that was set up by a 43-yard punt return. UH answered with a 15-play drive, capped by a Kansei Matsuzawa 34-yard field goal as UH dominated the clock with ball-control offense.

A turning point though came early in the second quarter. Arizona created a sack fumble giving them possession of the ball near midfield. Two players later, Craig burst up the middle for a 54-yard scoring to put the Wildcats up 14-3.

The teams then traded field goals on the final two possessions of the first half. UH, out of timeouts, beat the clock on a field attempt to end the half as Matsuzawa tied a career-long with a 41-yarder as time expired to make it a 17-6 game at the break.  

Arizona, however, broke the game open in the second half with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns.

The Wildcats scored on their first possession out of the locker room as Fifita found Sam Olson on a 5-yard catch to complete a 6-play, 65 yard drive. Then following a Alejado interception – his first career interception as a collegiate player and first since his junior season in high school – Arizona would capitalize again. Fifita scampered in from 10 yards out as the Wildcats built an insurmountable 31-6 advantage.  

The Warriors will now return to Honolulu for three straight home games, beginning with a matchup versus Sam Houston on Saturday, Sept. 6. Kickoff is 6:00 p.m. at Ching Complex. 
 
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