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Football Kuter Trophy
44
Winner Hawaii UH 4-2 , 1-1
35
Air Force AF 1-3 , 0-3
Winner
Hawaii UH
4-2 , 1-1
44
Final
35
Air Force AF
1-3 , 0-3
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UH Hawaii 14 3 7 20 44
AF Air Force 7 0 7 21 35

Game Recap: Football |

Rainbow Warriors Outduel Air Force In An Offensive Showcase

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In a breathtaking offensive shootout, the University of Hawai'i football team pulled away from Air Force, 44-35, Saturday afternoon at Falcon Stadium. With the win, the Rainbow Warriors (4-2, 1-1 Mountain West), picked up its first conference victory of the season while maintaining possession of the Kuter Trophy. 

A week after being stifled by Fresno State in its conference opener at home, the UH offense exploded for 535 yards and the team's highest point total in the Timmy Chang Era. Micah Alejado went 35-of-47 for 457 yards and three touchdowns while leading a UH offense that flipped the script on the Falcons.

Air Force (1-3, 0-3 MW) entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in time of possession, but UH went a remarkable 14-of-19 on third-down conversions and won the time of possession by nearly 15 minutes. Amongst UH's possessions, was a 24-play, 80-yard drive that ate up more than 12 minutes in the second quarter. 
 
The drive resulted in a 31-yard Kansei Matsuzawa field goal that helped put the Rainbow Warriors up 17-7 at the break. Matsuzawa finished with three field goals on the day to move to a perfect 16-of-16 and set new UH and Mountain West marks for consecutive field goals to start the year.

UH would need all the offense it could muster against an Air Force offense that moved the ball in chunks both through the air and on the ground. The Falcons cut the deficit to 17-14 after its opening possession of the second half in a drive fueled by a 52-yard pass play.

The 'Bows, however, answered back with the next two touchdowns of the game. Cam Barfield's 27-yard scoring scamper – set up by Matagi Thompson's first career interception – gave UH its biggest lead of the game, 31-14, early in the fourth quarter. 

But the Falcons continued to employ a quick strike attack that saw them cut the deficit to just six points twice in the fourth quarter. But Jackson Harris' 74-yard scoring reception with five minutes left and Kansei Matsuzawa's 25-yard field goal in the final minute helped keep Air Force at bay for good. 
 
Harris was one of 10 different players with a reception on the day and finished with career highs in receptions (7), receiving yards (144) and touchdowns (2).

Air Force set season opponent highs for rushing yards (216), passing yards (278) and total yards (494). But it wasn't enough for an efficient Rainbow Warrior team that surrendered just one sack, committed a season-low four penalties and went turnover free for the second time this year.

The Rainbow Warriors will now enjoy a bye before returning to action with a home contest versus Utah State on Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is 6:00 p.m. at the Ching Complex.

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