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Hawai'i Bowl Post-Game Notes
Middle Tennessee vs. Hawai‘i
Dec. 24, 2016
Aloha Stadium – Honolulu, O‘ahu
 
Attendance: 23,175 tickets issued / 20,327 turnstile
Hawai‘i Captains: Marcus Kemp, Kory Rasmussen, Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea, Leo Koloamatangi
Coin Toss: Hawai‘i won and received.
 
SERIES HISTORY
  • Hawai‘i and Middle Tennessee met for the second time on the football field, both at Aloha Stadium. UH improved to 2-0 against the Blue Raiders.
BOWL HISTORY
  • Hawai‘i improved to 6-5 all-time in bowl games.
  • UH snapped a three-game bowl losing streak (2010 Hawai‘i, 2008 Hawai‘i, 2008 Sugar) with the win. UH’s last bowl win came against Arizona State, 41-24, in the 2006 Hawai‘i Bowl.
  • UH is now 4-3 all-time in the Hawai'i Bowl, including 3-2 versus C-USA teams. 
STREAKS/TRENDS
  • With the win, UH evened its record to 7-7 and ended a string of five straight losing seasons.
  • UH ended the season with three straight wins, its first such streak since the 2010 season (vs. San Jose State, at New Mexico State, vs. UNLV).
  • UH has won its last seven non-conference home games dating back to the 2014 season. Its last loss was against Oregon State, Sept. 8, 2014.
  • UH ended a streak of 22 straight games with at least one turnover. UH last turnover free game came at Wisconsin last season.
  • UH allowed an opening drive score for the sixth time in the last seven games (five TDs) when I’Tavius Mathers scored on a 20-yard rush.
  • Junior offensive tackle Dejon Allen made his 38th straight start, the longest streak on the offensive side of the ball.     
TEAM NOTES
  • The seven UH wins this season are the most since the Rainbow Warriors went 10-4 in 2010.
  • UH’s 52 points were a season high, its highest since total since scoring 56 at Wyoming in 2013, and the third most ever for UH in a bowl game.
  • UH’s 35 first-half points was a season high and set a new Hawai‘i Bowl record for first half scoring.  
  • It was also UH’s highest first-half output since putting up 49 points against UC Davis in 2011 and the most against an FBS team since scoring 35 against Washington State in 2009.
  • UH has scored 41 points in each of its last four Hawai‘i Bowl wins.
  • UH’s 500 yards was its second-most this season (566 vs. Nevada).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Bowl MVP Dru Brown tied a Hawai‘i Bowl record by accounting for five UH touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing).
  • Junior running back Diocemy Saint Juste finished with a UH-bowl record 170 yards on 25 carries, surpassing the previous mark of 113 yards by Travis Sims in the 1992 Holiday Bowl.
  • It was Saint Juste’s fourth 100-yard performance of the season and fifth of his career. Saint Juste recorded 79 of his yards in the first quarter alone.
  • Saint Juste finished the season with 1,006 yards. It marks the second straight season UH has had a 1,000-yard rusher (Paul Harris - 1,132 yards in 2015). The last time UH had a 1,000-yard rusher in back-to-back seasons was 1991 (Michael Carter - 1092) and 1992 (Travis Sims – 1,498).
  • Trayvon Henderson’s 68-yard touchdown was UH’s first interception return for a score since Julian Gener (23 yards) at Oregon State in 2013.
  • Brown scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season on a two-yard run in the second quarter. It’s the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season since Bryant Moniz racked up eight in 2011.
  • John Ursua led UH with a career-high 120 receiving yards on six receptions. It was his second 100-yard game this season (108 at Air Force).
  • True freshman linebacker Ikem Okeke made his first career start and his sack and forced fumble set UH up for this first touchdown of the game. Okeke finished with four tackles.
  • Tui 'Unga scored a pair of touchdowns for the second time this season with catches of 18- and 12-yards. He also scored multiple touchdowns versus Nevada (Oct. 1).
  • Senior cornerback Jalen Rogers recorded his team-high fourth interception of the season when he picked off Brent Stockstill in the first quarter.
  • Steven Lakalaka scored his team-high 13th touchdown of the season on a 1-yard plunge in the first quarter. That rushing TD total is the highest since Alex Green’s 18 in 2010.  The senior scored in 10 of 14 games on the season.
  • Redshirt freshman J.R. Hensley made his first career start at right guard.
  • Senior Marcus Kemp scored his eighth touchdown of the year and 13th of this career on a 39-yard reception from Brown late in the second quarter. Kemp had three catches for 64 yards and completed his career with 2,570 receiving yards, the ninth most in school history.
 
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