Jonathan Chen

14

Delaware Street.
DSU

0-1, 0-0

35

Winner

Hawaii
HAW

1-0, 0-0

Delaware Street.
DSU

0-1, 0-0

14

35

Winner

Score per quarter

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
DSU Delaware Street.	0	7	7	0	14
HAW Hawaii	14	0	7	14	35

Match Summary: Football | 08.24.2024

HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii football team took over in the second half of Saturday’s season opener, scoring 21 points without response to beat Delaware State 35-14 at Clarence TC Ching Complex.

Brayden Schager performed with both his arm and legs, starting his senior season with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, leading the Rainbow Warriors to a 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 back the lead with a 15-yard touchdown run. The Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter with Dekel Crowdus’ Touchdown reception of 29 yards 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 led the way with five receptions for 81 yards.

Tylan Hines gave the Warriors a boost with a 44-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the first quarter and led UH with 99 all-purpose yards.

Line defender 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 to punt on the Hornets’ first seven possessions and their final five of the game.

The Warriors scored their first touchdown of the new season when Schager made a touchdown 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 Warriors’ next TD with an all-out effort, starting with a run from Lucas Lenen 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 on the 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, breaking through with a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Marqui Adams to cut UH’s lead to 14-7 entering the locker room.

The teams combined for 13 points in 15 possessions in the first half, not counting UH’s knee drop late in the half.

The Hornets carried their momentum into the second half, covering 75 yards in eight plays to score the first touchdown of the third quarter on a six-yard touchdown from Jaden Sutton to tie the game at 14-14.

The game was all UH after that. The Warriors responded with an eight-play march of their own, and Schager gave UH back the lead 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 cut UH’s lead 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 started the game with two career rushing touchdowns.

The Warriors host UCLA next Saturday in a nationally televised game at the Clarence TC Ching Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time.

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