Warriors Fall Just Short Against UCLA

Game Recap: Football | 08.31.2024

HONOLULU — The University of Hawai’i football team put up a valiant effort, but ultimately fell short of upsetting UCLA on national television, falling 16-13 Saturday before a sellout crowd of 15,194 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex.
 
Hawai’i and UCLA were locked in a tie ball game with a minute left to play, but UCLA kicker Mateen Bhaghani sealed the Bruins win with a 32-yard game winning field goal.
 
The game was UH’s first sold-out football game in the expanded Ching Complex. Hawai’i previously sold out three games in 2022 when the stadium capacity was 9,346.
 
Brayden Schager threw for 227 yards and a touchdown pass on 25-of-42 passing but also threw two interceptions. Pofele Ashlock caught Schager’s touchdown pass, along with a game-high 112 receiving yards on nine receptions.
 
The UH defense shined, holding UCLA scoreless in the first half. Logan Taylor and Jalen Smith each picked off Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers in the first half, and the defense held the UCLA rushing attack to just 71 yards on the game. The Bruins scored just one touchdown, as Hawaii held UCLA to three second-half field goals.
 
Peter Manuma led the Warriors with a game-best eight tackles, including seven solo tackles.
 
UH got on the board first, scoring a touchdown on their first offensive drive of the game. Schager led the ‘Bows on a nine-play 73-yard drive, finishing it off with a 19-yard touchdown toss to Ashlock. The opening touchdown was set up by a 19-yard run by punter Lucas Borrow on fourth-and-six.
 
With 30 seconds left in the first half, Garbers threw the ball blindly down the field to avoid a safety. Garbers’ wild throw was intercepted by Taylor, who returned the ball to the UCLA 5-yard line as the Rainbow Warriors held the Bruins scoreless in the first half.
 
Taylor’s interception set up a 28-yard Kansei Matsuzawa field goal to give Hawai’i a 10-0 lead going into halftime.
 
UCLA drew a bit closer on its first drive of the second half. After forcing a quick UH three-and-out, Garbers connected with Rico Flores Jr. for a big 39-yard touchdown to cap off an eight-play, 96-yard drive.
 
The ‘Bows extended their lead when Matsuzawa knocked in his second field goal of the day in the third quarter, another 28-yard attempt. UCLA answered with back-to-back field goals, a 22-yarder and a 37-yarder by Bhaghani to tie the game at 13-13.
 
After a short UH punt was returned 11 yards by UCLA returner Logan Loya, Garbers led the Bruins on a two-minute game-winning drive. UCLA drove 45 yards on seven plays to take the lead on Bhaghani’s 32-yard field goal.
 
Bhaghani’s go-ahead kick left UH with under a minute and no timeouts to equalize or retake the lead. Schager completed two passes for 25 yards on the final drive of the game, but a sack earlier in the drive drained the clock to prevent a late winner.

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