University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

SERIES INFORMATION: Hawai‘i and Colorado met the fifth time, resulting in a Hawai‘i win, 28-20, taking the all-time series lead 3-2. The home team has now won in all five meetings. Attendance: 24,255
Hawai‘i Captains: Ben Clarke, Brenden Urban, Lance Williams and Max Wittek.
Honorary Captain was UFC star Max Holloway.
Debuts for UH: Isaiah Bernard, Mauro Bondi, Makoa Camanse-Stevens, Dylan Collie, Asotui Eli, Davasyia Hagger, Paul Harris, Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea, Meffy Koloamatangi, Jamal Mayo, Eperone Moananu, Kory Rasmussen, Rigoberto Sanchez, Jahlani Tavai, Dakota Torres, Ka’aumoana Gifford, Ryan Tuiasoa, Russell Williams, Jr., Max Wittek
First Time Starters at UH: (Off) Asotui Eli (C), RJ Hollis (RT), Metuisela Unga (TE), Dylan Collie (WR), Max Wittek (QB) Def: Jalen Rogers (CB), Jahlani Tavai (OLB), Penitito Faalologo (NT), Luke Shawley (DE).

Team Notes:

• Colorado won the toss with the choice of tails and elected to receive the ball in the first half.
• Hawai‘i has not won a season opener since the last meeting with Colorado in Honolulu, topping the Buffaloes 34-17, also on Sept. 3, 2011.
  • The win is the first season-opening victory of the Norm Chow era at Hawai‘i.
• The Hawai‘i program record moves to 535-426-25 (.555), and 447-273-22 (.617) at home.
• Hawai‘i is 59-35-3 (.623) all-time in season openers and 64-30-5 (.672) in home openers---moving to 22-19 (.537) in Aloha Stadium home openers.
• Hawai‘i snaps a 19-game losing streak in nationally televised contests. In its 80th national TV appearance, UH holds a 19-59-2 record.
• In openers against schools from the Pac-12 conference, the Rainbow Warriors are 4-7.
• Since 2003, UH has 10 wins since teams from the Power 5 conferences.
• Hawai‘i is 8-0 when leading after the third quarter under Norm Chow.
• Hawai‘i was outgained 373-302 by Colorado in the win. The last time the Rainbow Warriors were outgained in a win was last season at San Jose State on Nov. 15, 2015, with the Spartans producing 462 yards of offense to 240 by UH.

Offensive Notes:

• Quinton Pedroza scored the first touchdown of the season on a three-play drive with 12:35 on the clock in the first quarter, taking an 11-yard pass from Max Wittek.
  • He extended the lead to 8-0, also catching the two-point conversion pass from Wittek.
• First interception thrown by Max Wittek was a deflection off the chest of Moleni with 1:31 to go in the first quarter.
• Max Wittek’s 79-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Kemp was the longest UH reception since David Graves completed a 79-yard pass to Trevor Davis against BYU on 12/3/11.
• With a 14-yard reception in the third quarter, Marcus Kemp went over 100 yards receiving for his third career century game, falling just a single yard short of his career best of 117 yards ( Fresno State, Nov. 28, 2014).
  • Kemp finished Thursday’s game with 6 catches for 116 yards.
• Junior transfer wide receiver Isaiah Bernard made his first career touchdown at UH with a third quarter 1-yard pass from Max Wittek.
• Freshman wide receiver Dylan Collie made his first career catch with 14:05 to go in the fourth quarter, and made a second reception just 45 seconds later.

Defensive Notes:

• Getting the ball at the UH 33, Colorado took over on the Hawai‘i side of the 50 for the first time, with 1:31 to go in the first quarter.
•  Making his first career start, senior defensive end Luke Shawley registered his first career sack to open the second drive for Colorado.
  • At the half, Shawley had 10 tackles, 7 solo—a career high.
  • Shawley finished with 14 tackles (8 unassisted).
• Sophomore cornerback Nick Nelson ranked 2nd for Hawai‘i tackles; making 10 of his 11 tackles as solo stops, with 3 pass breakups.
• Hawai‘i opened the game and the season holding Colorado to consecutive three-and-out possessions.
• Former Colorado player, nose tackle Kory Rasmussen made his first defensive appearance against his former team in the third Colorado series, and assisted on the first tackle, stopping a Michael Adkins rush for 2 yards.
  • He registered 4 tackles on the night and recovered a key fumble on special teams.

Special Teams Notes:

• Sophomore Keelan Ewaliko blocked Colorado’s first punt of the game, the first block since Lance Williams registered a block against Oregon State in the second game of last season (9/6/14).
• With time expiring in the first half, Rigoberto Sanchez kicked his first NCAA field goal, a 27-yard attempt down the middle of the field to give Hawai‘i the 18-14 lead.
• Sanchez made his second field goal with 12:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, extending the UH lead to 28-17 on a successful 34-yard kick.