The University of Hawaii football team took over in the second half of Saturday's season opener, scoring 21 unanswered points to secure a 35-14 win over Delaware State at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.
Brayden Schager got it done with both his arm and his legs, kicking off his senior campaign with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns to lead the Rainbow Warriors to the Week 0 victory in front of a crowd of 12,206.
After Delaware State scored on its final possession of the first half and its first drive of the second, Schager gave the Warriors the lead back with a 15-yard touchdown run. The Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter with Dekel Crowdus' 29-yard touchdown reception and Schager's 1-yard sneak.
Schager completed 17 of 34 attempts for 203 yards and rushed for 38 yards. He completed passes to eight receivers with Pofele Ashlock leading the way with five receptions for 81 yards.
Tylan Hines sparked the Warriors with a 44-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the first quarter and led UH with 99 all-purpose yards.
Linebacker Jamih Otis led the UH defense with a career-high 11 tackles, 8 solo, including 2.5 tackles for loss. The Warriors forced Delaware State punts on the Hornets' first seven possessions and their last five of the game.
The Warriors scored their first touchdown of the new season when Schager connected with Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala on an 11-yard reception in the back corner of the end zone on their second possession of the game.
Special teams set up the next Warriors' TD with a complete effort, starting with a punt by Lucas Borrow that pinned the Hornets at their own 1-yard line. The defense did its part by forcing a three-and-out. On the ensuing punt, Hines fielded the ball off a bounce and returned it 44 yards down the left sideline for UH's first punt return touchdown since Scott Harding's 69-yard return against UNLV in 2012.
After allowing a first down on Delaware State's first possession of the game, the Warriors defense forced the Hornets to go three-and-out on the next six drives. The Hornets put together their longest drive of the half just before halftime and broke through with a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Marqui Adams, cutting UH's lead to 14-7 going into the locker room.
The teams combined for 13 punts in 15 possessions in the first half, not counting UH's kneel-down at the end of the half.
The Hornets carried their momentum into the second half, driving 75 yards in eight plays to score the opening touchdown of the third quarter on Jaden Sutton's six-yard touchdown scamper and tied the game 14-14.
The game was all UH after that. The Warriors answered with an eight-play march of their own and Schager gave UH the lead back with a 15-yard run on a quarterback draw, his third career rushing touchdown.
Schager led the 'Bows on a five-play 45-yard scoring drive to open the fourth quarter, finding Crowdus alone in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown pass to push the UH lead back to 14.
Schager doubled his career rushing touchdown tally with a goal-line quarterback sneak to cap a five-play drive and give Hawaii a 35-14 lead in the fourth quarter. Schager entered the game with two career rushing touchdowns.
The Warriors will host UCLA next Saturday in a nationally-televised matchup at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.
