'Bows Versus Bulldogs: A Rivalry Steeped In Intensity, Drama And Mutual Respect

When Hawai‘i and Fresno State meet this Saturday it will mark the 57th all-time meeting between the storied rivals. It will also mark the final meeting between the teams as conference opponents.

The Rainbow Warriors have faced the Bulldogs more than any other foe on the football field – including 31 consecutive clashes spanning membership in both the Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West. With the teams going their separate ways after this season, former and current UH players and coaches reflect on a rivalry littered with some of the greatest players, personalities and moments in the history of Rainbow Warrior football. 

RECOGNIZING AND REVERING THE RIVALRY

Rich Miano (Assistant Coach, 1999-2011): The first thing that comes to mind is physical football, crazy crowds, the Red Mile, Pat Hill, June Jones, and just the amount of great players and big moments in this rivalry. It was always physical, it was always violent, and it was always something that the players looked forward to.

Chirs Brown (Linebacker, 1999-2002, Asst. Coach, 2022-present): I love Pat Hill's mentality of just not being afraid of anybody. They were beating up on some big-time teams. So we knew, like, in order to win the conference or to contend for the conference, it had to go through Fresno. So every single year, it came down to who was the tougher team.

Greg Salas (Wide Receiver, 2007-10): Fresno was always a team that was giving people problems –  playing anybody, anywhere, anytime, they don't care. Just a punch-you-in-your-mouth mentality.

Chad Kapanui (Linebacker, 2001-2004, Asst. Coach, 2025-present):  When we played them, we were always locked in. Coach (June) Jones knew how good this team was. We always gave a lot of respect. I think just having the opportunity to play them that many times and then to actually beat them ... that was great.

Miano: I think it all begins with the relationship with Pat Hill and June Jones … those guys being so successful and with their NFL pedigree. We were always battling for championships back in those days. People don't recognize this now, but we had 50,000 people reverberating Aloha Stadium and 40,000 people in the Valley, just rabid, knowledgeable football fans that just went crazy on a Saturday evening.

Timmy Chang (Quarterback, 2000-2004; Head Coach, 2022-present): It’s all about the physicality, the community and the fan bases. They represent the Valley. We represent the state. And then just the back and forth of it … sometimes they’re close games, sometimes they're blowouts. Sometimes they get the better of us, sometimes we get the better of them. It's just always been back and forth.

Jahlani Tavai (Linebacker, 2015-18): Throughout the years that I've played against them, it's always been a tough-nosed football game. They run the ball hard, their defense plays really well. Hats off to them, because that's just that type of football that I enjoy and love. You knew for that week you had to bring your hard hat.

Chang: When you put your pads on and you get ready for a game like this, you chew your mouthpiece a little bit tighter, and you strap your helmet on a little tighter, and you just know it's gonna be a barn burner.

Khoury Bethley (Defensive Back, 2018-21): We always had Fresno circled on the schedule. Every time we played them, it was a very gritty game, you know, a lot of trash talking and really, really competitive … just some good battles with them. 

Miano: Going up there, you’re playing in one of the most hostile environments in football. Listening to those fans say things you would not say to your worst enemy. It was just a great college football atmosphere.

Tavai: It's kind of cool though because every time that we play Fresno, especially under (coach Nick) Rolovich, it was a reminder of how much the old heads hated them, especially when they’ve played games over there. Coming out at Bulldog Stadium, the fans were in your face the moment you came out of the locker. I would say it's one of my favorite places to play, even now that I’ve been in the NFL.

Bethley: The rivalry … it kind of passed on from the veteran players. They didn't like Fresno, nobody likes Fresno. It was passed on from the seniors like, ‘hey, we don't lose to Fresno.’

Craig Stutzmann (Wide Receiver, 1998-2001; Asst. Coach, 2008; 2016-19): When it's all said and done, what I think of is respect, and ultra competitiveness. We didn't like those guys, and I know those guys didn't like us. But at the same time, we always respected each other.

Ryan Mouton (Defensive Back, 2007-08):  When I was playing, the guys that they had – Ryan Matthews, Lonyae Miller, Seyi Ajirotutu … all those guys ended up playing in the NFL. It's always been a rivalry. It's always been heated. And I'm sad to see it end. It's a shame.

Miano: There was major respect for each other. Whether it was Derek Carr or Colt Brennan … they had a lot of guys going to the NFL, we had guys going to the NFL. We had coaching staffs that had continuity … and that helped create the rivalry. It's just a travesty to me that they're no longer going to be part of the Mountain West, because I'm not sure there's a greater rivalry in the Mountain West than Hawai‘i and Fresno State.

RELIVING THE GREAT UH WINS

Nov. 13, 1999 - Hawai‘i 31, Fresno State 24 (2OT) (Aloha Stadium)

In their eighth meeting as conference opponents, UH defeated Fresno State in a double-overtime classic to capture a share of the WAC title. A year after a winless 1998 campaign, the win was the centerpiece of the greatest turnaround in NCAA history as June Jones orchestrated the team to a remarkable 9-4 campaign. Craig Stutzmann scored the go-ahead touchdown in the second overtime period on a pass from Dan Robinson, while the UH defense sealed the deal highlighted by a key sack from Joe Correia on Fresno’s final possession. While the teams had been together in the same conference for nearly a decade, the 1999 game proved to be the true genesis of the UH-Fresno State rivalry. 

Stutzmann: Oh, it was freaking electric, man. I mean, I got chicken skin just thinking about it right now. The stadium was bouncing. It was loud. You had the streamers being thrown. Nobody thought we'd be in that position.

I remember they were a top-caliber team. They had Billy Volek, who went on to play for the Tennessee Titans as a quarterback and running back, Derrick Ward, another NFL guy. They were loaded. Defensively, they were tough. We knew it was going to be a dogfight. We just traded blows the whole time. Words cheapen what that experience was like. It was like a heavyweight fight. There were so many big plays, so many iconic moments in that game.

Brown: Coach Jones said in the spring “we are going to have the biggest turnaround in NCAA history." He told us that in the spring. And he literally went down the entire schedule, and he says the games that we're gonna lose, and the games that we had to contend for, and the ones that we had to win. And he circled that Fresno State game. And he said, this was gonna be the one when we win the WAC. So everything came true. We knew we had to give everything that we got that game, and I will never forget the mindset going into that game. The focus, the mentality that our team had.

Stutzmann: I think the play call on my touchdown was like H&X Post Z Cross. I was the right slot and I had a corner route. When I lined up, I saw I had man-to man and I got the inside leverage man. And I said, ‘oh my gosh, I'm going to score a touchdown here. As long as I don't trip and drop the football, I'm going to score a touchdown.’ I got the premiere look. … I set the defender, I froze him and I was like, ‘this is a touchdown.’ I saw Dan (Robinson) throw the football out there. And I swear that football turned into like the size of a golf ball. It was coming to me. It was the smallest ball I'd ever seen. And I was like, ‘come on, man. Just don't drop it. Just don't drop it. I got this.’ I cradled it in, and that's all she wrote.

Miano: The crowd was unbelievable. The enthusiasm when Craig Stutzmann caught that winning touchdown pass … all game long, it seemed like the intensity was building with how close it was, and then going into double overtime. It was just one of those games where you realize that's why you coach. That's why you play. That's why you pay money to buy a ticket, because it doesn't get much better than that on a Saturday night.

Brown: When we won it was the most deafening sound I've ever heard in my life with the crowd screaming like that. And I'll never forget it. I remember being in tears and hugging (linebacker) Jeff Ulbrich, a guy I looked up to. I remember hugging him and he was crying because he had put in all his time and coming off of all those losses and overcoming an ACL and coming back and being the starter and the captain. I was very blessed to have been a part of that game because it's something that I can cherish for the rest of my life … that I was a part of history.

Stutzmann: The cool thing was like, that's a local guy; that's a Saint Louis guy that caught the game-winning touchdown pass. And then (the defense) goes out on the field and another local guy, a Saint Louis guy, Joe Correia goes ahead and gets the big sack. My best friend, Jason Gesser told me, when I committed to UH in ‘98, ‘are you sure you want to go there?’ I had other offers and he's like, ‘come with me to Washington State or go to Utah.’ And I was like, ‘no, I'm going to UH and I'm going to make it to where it's going to be great.’ And so just to be a part of it in that '99 game and making that catch, it really kind of solidified in my mind that I made the right choice and this is the reason why I wanted to stay home … to be in position to do this for our state and our school.

Chang: From 0-12 the year before to that Fresno State game towards the end of the season … I just remember being there (as a high school senior) at the game and seeing the revival of the whole program with the whole state behind the team. That was special to me. I loved that, and that's why I ultimately stayed home.

Oct. 26, 2001 - Hawai‘i 38, No. 18 Fresno State 34 (Aloha Stadium)

UH defeated Fresno State, 38-34, in a nationally-televised Friday night win over the Bulldogs. Ashley Lelie scored the game-winning TD with 13 seconds off a pass from Nick Rolovich, while Nate Jackson had a critical sack fumble on All-American David Carr late in the game to set up the dramatic finale. The win was part of an 8-1 finish for the Rainbow Warriors during the 2001 campaign. 

Brown: David Carr was coming in and he was the man. He was one of the top quarterbacks in the country and he was gonna be the top quarterback drafted. They had just beaten some big time teams. They were coming in top 20 in the country. But what I love is just how Coach Jones approached it. He didn't panic. He made us feel comfortable, and he literally told us how to win.

Stutzmann: In 2001, I think that atmosphere was a little different feel than in 1999. That game was a little bit more like entertainment and show. Everybody kind of knows what Hawai'i can do at that point, and everybody knew what Fresno State could do by then. So it had a “Clash of the Titans” kind of feel. It was very cinematic.

Brown: You know, everybody’s focused on David Carr, but all of a sudden, here come these other guys … Ashley Lelie and Rolo. They made a big name for themselves.

Stutzmann: It was the Ashley Lelie and Nick Rolovich show (Rolovich - 347 yards and 3 TDs; Lelie 9 catches, 122 yards 3 TDs). That was fun.

Kapanui:  It was a great memory coming in and playing in front of that many people at Aloha Stadium and on ESPN. I think I threw the first touchdown pass of the game (on a run-pass option). I got the ball and I saw them coming towards me, and then I just got it to Ashley. You know, Ashley was tall and long and very athletic, so I just threw it up to him, and he caught it. He made my job easier (laughs).

Brown: I remember Laanui (Correa) had that interception where he caught the ball on the back side of himself and he was trampling down the field … like this big-ass dude running down the field. And then Nate (Jackson) had the sack fumble coming off the edge. Yeah man, that was big time.

Stutzmann: On the winning TD, I remember Coach Jones telling me on this play, ‘all you got to do Stutz is run up to the goal line, fight like heck to get through traffic, sit in front of the safety, grab him out of there, and let Ashley go do his thing and go get the football over the top.’ And I fought like heck to get through all that on the coverage, sat under the safety, the safety grabbed me, and I just turned to him and I said, ‘got him.’ And all of a sudden there's a touchdown over the top to Ashley, and it was freaking awesome.

Oct. 25, 2002 - Hawai‘i 31, Fresno State 21 (Bulldog Stadium) 

Sophomore Timmy Chang threw for a career-high 462 yards and two touchdowns to help lift UH to a second straight nationally-televised win over the Bulldogs. Trailing 21-9 at the end of three quarters, UH erupted for 22 points in the fourth quarter to win in Fresno for the first time since 1973. The game was a prelude to an even bigger performance by Chang in 2003 when he tossed for 353 yards and career-high five touchdowns in a 55-28 win. 

Chang: We had two teams that knew they were going to punch each other, and it was like the first one to flinch, the first one to back down or make a mistake would be the one that lost.

Brown: That was the rowdiest crowd atmosphere I've ever played in. They wanted revenge (from 2001). So I knew it was going to be a rough one. I’ll never forget the walk to the field ... getting beer dumped on top of us, getting bottles thrown at us and getting called every single name in the book. I mean they got a great crowd over there. 

Kapanui: Man, that was a hostile crowd they had there. It was unreal experiencing that. You had the fans cheering and the band was playing loud right on the sideline and playing “Who Let the Dogs Out.” It was just different.

Brown: I remember they put a 300 pound fullback in the backfield. And I had to go up against him every play. I'll never forget it, man, because I see him in the backfield and I’m like ‘Holy smokes, who's this guy?’ Good thing I had a little weight behind me as a linebacker. It was a car crash, man. I mean, like two semi trucks running into each other every single play. I couldn’t believe how busted my shoulder was at the end of that game.

Chang: It was a tough, gritty, low-scoring game that kind of opened up in the fourth a little bit. Just a gritty game where we had to go in, find a way to win and that's what our team did. It was all three phases, finding a way to win. I think the “us against everybody” mentality really blossomed from there. I think I threw a couple of touchdown passes. One to Justin Colbert and one to (Britton) Komine.

Nov. 10, 2007 - No. 14 Hawai‘i 37, Fresno State 30

The Rainbow Warriors led by as many as three touchdowns before holding off the Bulldogs to move to 9-0 in their magical 2007 season. In the game, Colt Brennan tied NCAA career marks for most touchdown passes (121) and most touchdowns responsible for (135) with two passing and one rushing score. The legendary UH quarterback was knocked out of the contest on a vicious hit near the sidelines but not before he helped give UH an insurmountable lead against its bitter rival. 

Adam Leonard (Linebacker, 2005-08): I remember the confidence that we went into the game with knowing that we're firing on all cylinders. We knew we just had to stop the run and for a linebacker it gets you excited that we’re about to play some big-boy football.

Mouton: I remember they had the big tight end, Bear Pascoe. probably 6'6", 260-something pounds and a good quarterback in Tom Brandstater. They got a little momentum. We tried our best to stop them, but we had to kind of lean on Colt and our guys to get it done. We ended up coming out with the win, which was big for us.

Miano: They knocked Colt out on a pretty clean hit, especially back in those days. But to win that game and have that undefeated season continue, just building up momentum all the way to that Washington game in the last game of the season, that was big. We had to get through Fresno State. And it became close. Those guys always battle us no matter what our record is. We knew it was gonna be physical.

Salas: There was a lot of mutual respect there. Even when we were on our way to an undefeated season, Pat Hill, came into our locker room and talked to us all after the game and told us to go put it on Boise and he was rooting for us to go finish the job that we started.

Mouton: That was one of those games where we knew that it would take a complete team effort to win. Fresno and Boise … those are the guys that we really, really worried about. And I was just happy that we got it done.

Oct. 14, 2006 - Hawai’i 68, Fresno State 37

Oct. 4, 2008 - Hawai’i 32, No. 22 Fresno State 29 (OT)

Oct. 9, 2010 - Hawai‘i 49, Fresno State 27 

UH did the unthinkable by winning in three straight trips to Bulldog Stadium. In 2006, led by Colt Brennan’s 409 yards and five touchdowns, the Warriors hung 68 points, the second-most points ever scored in program history. Two years later in 2008, Hawai‘i picked up its first-ever win versus a ranked opponent on the road with an overtime win over a nationally-ranked Bulldog squad. It was a win highlighted by six forced turnovers by the UH defense and an an electrifying 90-yard kickoff return by Ryan Mouton. Then in 2010, UH posted an emphatic 22-point road win behind six combined touchdowns from running back Alex Green and wide receiver Greg Salas.

Miano: When you think of that stretch, you remember Greg Salas, you remember Kealoha Pilares, you remember Adam Leonard and Solomon Eliminian being dominant. We never thought we would dominate that team because they were such a good football program. That ’06 game might have been the only year there was kind of a lopsided score, but it was fun to be part of because it was still entertaining.

Leonard: My sophomore year in 2006, that was a really good game. I remember going in there and just really laying it to them. That’s where we saw the shift that eventually built up to our undefeated season. I just remember the confidence that we had, especially defensively. We knew for us to win the conference, we had to go through Fresno State. I think Fresno State went on a little bit of a run before ‘06, so to really take hold of that rivalry back and run off a couple of wins was really special.

Salas: It only intensified when they knocked Colt out of the game in 2007 and they replayed it the next year (2008) on their scoreboard … you know, how could you do that? That only got us more jacked up to go and handle business against Fresno State. I remember guys just made plays that game on special teams, on offense, on defense, and it was a real group win. I remember the kickoff return from Ryan Mouton and winning in overtime. 

Mouton: After Fresno took the lead, we set up for a return. I caught the football and they gave me a little seam. There’s two guys and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to split these guys. I remember I made a cut and I ended up squeezing between the two guys and after that it was just off to the races. I knew no one was going to catch me. I remember that the kickoff return was actually on SportsCenter Top 10. I think it was number three. It was called by Neil Everett … I'll never forget that.

Salas: To walk out of there with the win was huge. You love walking back up that Red Mile, back to the locker room with the fans just gutted.

Salas (UH career receiving yards leader): Then in 2010, I think we took a big lead and they really thought that they might get back into the game and we just kind of put the pedal to the metal again. I remember it was a three touchdown game for me. It was a very memorable game, my whole family was there, I must have had like 25-30 people in the stands. So to have that type of performance there … I was really happy.

I also remember a big hit on the sideline, which I think might be one of the most memorable moments that people still talk to me about. I caught a flat route and then turned it up and then just went head on with a defensive back on the sideline. I remember going back to the sideline and everybody's like, ‘Dude, you just ran him over. Were you trying to do that?’ I was like, did it look bad on you? Did it look like I got laid out?’ They're like, ‘No, it looked like you killed that guy.’ So that was fun.

Nov. 19, 2016 - Hawai‘i 14, Fresno State 13 (Bulldog Stadium)

Led by first-year head coach Nick Rolovich, the Warriors traveled to Fresno on a three-game losing skid and a 4-7 overall mark. But all-conference and future NFL linebacker Jahlani Tavai led a stifling defense with 12 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and a sack while Viane Moala blocked Kody Kroening's 43-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game to preserve the one-point victory. The win was the first of three straight to end the season for the Rainbow Warriors who capped the season with a Hawai'i Bowl trophy in the team’s first postseason appearance since 2010.  

Tavai (current New England Patriots linebacker): My first thoughts of UH versus Fresno State is the 2016 game. From the field goal block, to getting bowl eligible, that was one of the coolest experiences that I had in my career. I always had a personal agenda there. Fresno State was one of the schools that was near home base for me. It could have been an opportunity for me to stay home, but I never got an offer from them. I took that personally.

Stutzmann: Going into that game, the mindset was, ‘gosh, we’ve got to play Fresno State in Fresno.’ That's a tall order. And then the fact that it was a low scoring game, and we won on a blocked field goal by Viane Moala - Gigantor. It was one of those plays where you're just taking a knee on the sideline and you're just like, ‘oh, my gosh, please just miss this.’

Tavai: I just remember that field goal at the end, being on the field at that time when the game's on the line. I think they got to inside our 30-yard line. We knew field goal blocking was their weak link and that we game-planned for it. I remember we put (offensive tackle) Dejon Allen in. We had Big V (Viane Moala) in there. We were putting anybody that had a good get off and was strong for the field goal block. Davasyia (Haggers) and Marcus Kemp were our jumpers. And I was right there. I was right next to Dejon and Viane. The three of us were next to each other trying to block it. It was one of those two that blocked it (Viane), and as soon as I saw the ball pass us, I didn't even think twice because I heard the thunk. I just ran straight to the sideline. And then I just remember the celebrations. I ran into the bleachers and saw my family, and that was one of the coolest moments that I've ever had.

Stutzmann: After we blocked it, in the locker room, it was freaking on, man. We had a fun time in the locker room, blasting the music, dancing around. And it was just one of those feelings like. Being able to win that game there in that first year (as a coaching staff) really got the monkey off our backs. And that's a big one for Rolo, you know, being up in the Bay Area and kind of watching Fresno football. That was a big one for him. I know that one really meant a lot to him.

Tavai: I remember we did the haka after the game. I was out of breath but I didn't give a damn. In those places, it’s always tough to come out with a W. I remember going into that week, John (Ursua) and Marcus (Kemp) were joking about which square they were going to score in, you know, where they’ll catch a touchdown? You know, because their end zone has all the squares. I remember them talking about that. It was incredible because like I said, it was definitely hard to win over there and unfortunately, throughout my years, I didn't have many of them. So it was good to finally come out on top.

Oct. 2, 2021 - Hawai‘i 27, Fresno State 24 (Ching Complex)

In UH’s first season in Ching Complex, the ’Bows upset No. 18 Fresno State in what remains as the program’s last win over a ranked squad. Fresno State entered the game touting one of the best passing attacks in the nation. But led by senior Khoury Bethley (two interceptions, one forced fumble), the UH defense turned the Bulldogs over six times. Meanwhile true freshman Brayden Schager, in his starting debut, tossed two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, as UH scored 17 points in the final frame to secure a dramatic come-from-behind win.

Brayden Schager (Quarterback, 2021-24): We didn't really know if Chevan (Cordeiro) was going to play that week. And then it got to Friday and I found out I was going to start and I was super excited. It was kind of surreal the whole time. There were actually no fans at the game (due to COVID restrictions). So my dad came out for the game and he had to watch from a hotel in Waikiki. Yeah, it was a crazy, crazy time.

Bethley: I just remember Fresno, they were coming off a big win. I want to say that they had upset UCLA and they were coming in our stadium ranked. We had a chance to ruin their season and take that ranking away from them. And that's what we ultimately did.

They had a really good offense and a good quarterback. But we had done some really good things in our win up there the year before that we were able to watch on film on. We had a great game plan and when it came down to it, we executed. We were at the right spot, at the right time and we were able to make some plays on the ball. 

Schager: Khoury ran the defense and was a great leader for us. He had a bunch of turnovers … I think he was the national (defensive) player of the week after that game. He did an awesome job that game.

Bethley: Brayden was huge. I remember my first start as a freshman and it's definitely nerve-wracking, so I can only imagine doing that as a quarterback against a ranked opponent. I remember, I briefly talked to Brayden before that game and just told him, like, ‘hey, take a deep breath. I'm like, we got you. Do what you do, it's just another game.’

We were extremely proud of his performance. He stepped up huge. And I think that game was just a testament to the team as well. We went through a lot with COVID and just a lot of the stuff. We were a really close team and we needed people to step up and they did.

Schager: I remember all the defensive guys just continuing to believe in me and hyping me up throughout that game. I just turned 19 as a true freshman and coming in and to have that confidence in me to just go out there and help lead us to a win … that was cool. 

Nov. 9, 2024 - Hawai‘i 21, Fresno State 20 (Bulldog Stadium)

Three years after its 2021 come-from-behind win, Brayden Schager and the Rainbow Warriors pulled off yet another dramatic win, rallying from 13 points down in the final 10 minutes. Schager tossed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to Nick Cenacle, including the game winner with 15 seconds left. Cenacle had previously lost a fumble with less than two minutes left that appeared to snuff Hawai'i's hopes of a comeback. But the junior receiver finished with nine catches for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone and completed his redemption with the winning score to add another unforgettable chapter to the lore of UH’s longest running rivalry.

Schager: I remember their fans were talking a lot before that game and on the sideline, right behind our bench.They were saying some crazy things and talking the whole game. And it was another one of those games we had to come back from.

Nick Cenacle (Wide Receiver, 2022-present): Man, it was a bunch of high and lows, honestly. The low being the fumble, and the high, winning the game at the end and partying with the guys after. We came there, we fought to the end, and we came out with the win. 

Schager: We just never stopped believing in that game. And I remember Nick, he actually fumbled on the drive right before (our winning drive). I just told him I was going to come back to him and I think he had 100 yards in that fourth quarter. I was going to Nick almost every play. And, you know, we got that last second touchdown and then made the extra point for the win. That was an awesome experience just to get a win on the road and to silence all those fans at the end. 

Cenacle: On the last play call I just remember as I did my route I saw this miscommunication with their nickelback. I'm like, ‘oh okay, yeah, this is coming to me for sure. Now I have to score it.’  So I saw that and Brayden put it right on the money. 

Schager: It was third down and I think I felt a little bit of pressure from my backside. I kind of rolled out a little bit to the right and I saw one of their guys got a little confused. I recognized it and threw it to Nick in the flat. He came wide open and it was an awesome way to end it. 

After we scored, I think I ran 100 yards in the opposite direction, talking to all their fans and letting them know we won. That was a really fun one and just how cool that locker room experience was after was awesome. I'll never forget that game.

Cenacle: It was surreal. Honestly, having the guys, the coaches, everybody, just partying in that locker room after being in a hostile environment where everybody's going against us, that was a nice feeling. That was one of those feelings that you're just going to have in your head for the rest of your life.

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