Hawaii Football: Time Is Running out on Warriors, as Are Opportunities

Honolulu, HI—In any game and in any season there is only so much time; and so many opportunities.

Following Saturday night's 24-21 loss to Fresno State at a half-full, half-enthused Aloha Stadium the Hawaii football team is quickly running out of both.

With a Sheraton Hawaii Bowl invitation awaiting two more wins there to entice them, the Warriors (5-6, 3-4 WAC), chosen preseason favorites to repeat as Western Athletic Conference champions, continue to fizzle when expected to sizzle.

Three straight losses to Utah State, Nevada and Fresno State was not how Hawaii envisioned starting the final two months of the season back in training camp. And August seems so far away now—a distant memory of excitement and hope.

Now, there is neither. Just a whimper.

This loss placed Hawaii's season on life-support.

"We know exactly where we are now," head coach Greg McMackin said. "We have to win the next two ballgames. We have to beat Tulane and we have to beat BYU, so things are pretty clear for us."

As it stands, Brigham Young (8-3), on the final day of the season, will likely be Hawaii's toughest opponent all year. A combination of two wins over Tulane (2-10, 1-7 Conference USA) next week and either Nevada-Las Vegas (Sept. 17), San Jose State (Oct. 14), Utah State or Fresno State would have been much easier. All those teams had losing records when playing the Warriors.

Consider those missed opportunities, a theme which is becoming ever more prevalent for Hawaii as the season winds down.

In the first quarter Saturday night, it took Fresno State just three plays to score a touchdown and take a 7-0 lead: a nine-yard rush by Robbie Rouse, a 16-yard quarterback scramble by Derek Carr and a 44-yard pass to Jalen Saunders.

Its next possession, Fresno State added a field goal and after that another touchdown. Eighteen minutes into the game Hawaii trailed 17-0 and changed quarterbacks; from Shane Austin to David Graves.

"After (that) they scored seven points (the rest of the game)," McMackin said. "So our defense settled them down but they still moved the ball."

By halftime, Hawaii cut the lead to 17-7 on a six-yard run by Graves and had the momentum.

After the break it took the Warriors just three minutes, nine plays and 78 yards to get within three as Graves found Royce Pollard wide open down the right sideline. Graves connected with him for a 24-yard touchdown pass and the 24,367 in attendance became aroused.

Less than six minutes later, Graves found another receiver sprinting across the field wide open. Billy Ray Stutzmann reeled in Grave's pass, made one cut and was gone; sixty-nine yards into the end zone. Hawaii's longest pass play of the season and a 21-17 lead to start the fourth quarter had the aroused crowd thinking, "win."

Then, more missed opportunities.

"We missed some opportunities," McMackin said. "The seven (points) that they did score, we went for the interception and missed it."

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Fresno State receiver Josh Harper made a double-move and appeared wide open down the middle of the field. Carr made the throw and Hawaii safety John Hardy-Tuliau closed quickly on it and seemed to have the interception.

"How many times this year have we been there for an interception and it goes through our hands?" McMackin asked. "We've got to make the plays. We've got some young guys that are playing and we have to make those plays."

Hardy-Tuliau, a sophomore, couldn't, and Harper caught the pass for a 43-yard touchdown. Hawaii trailed 24-21 and just like that the crowd went from thinking "win," to "not again."

On its next possession, Hawaii went three-and-out.

Then, another missed opportunity.

With the ball on his own 45-yard line, Carr was forced out of the pocket and after gaining three yards was stripped of the ball by Hawaii's Vaughn Meatoga. The ball bounced into open space, rolled and rattled for a moment, then found its way into the hands of Fresno State fullback Raphael Austin in Hawaii territory for a first down.

"We've got to make those plays," McMackin continued. "The ball was on the ground and we didn't get it and we've got to make those plays." Fresno State milked 10 of the next 11 minutes off the clock, Hawaii taking a minute to go another three-and-out.

On its last possession, Hawaii had the ball at its own 24-yard line with 2:18 left, and moved it to Fresno State's 35-yard line with 46 seconds remaining. Two incomplete passes and a sack squandered that chance and time ran out.

"We had our chance," McMackin said. "We were trying to get within field goal range to kick a field goal, and we had about 10 more yards to go and then we got sacked. So we just ran out of time and didn't make the plays."

Time and opportunities to make plays.

Hawaii is nearly out of both.

Kevin Riley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.