BYU vs. Hawaii 2001

HONOLULU (Ticker) -- Good-bye, perfect season. Hello, embarrassment.

Brigham Young's hopes for an undeafeated season came to a crashing end as the eighth-ranked Cougars allowed the most points in school history and suffered a 72-45 loss to Hawaii.

Nick Rolovich passed for eight touchdowns and 543 yards, both school records, for Hawaii. Although he does not get much attention, Rolovich was the hottest quarterback in the country down the stretch, passing for more than 500 yards in each of his last three games.

The 72 points also were a school record for the Warriors, who amassed 646 total yards.

"I've been saying it for 25 years about this offense," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "It worked in the NFL, it works here. I'm glad that I'm here right now doing it."

From the start, it was apparent that it was going to be Hawaii's day as the Warriors scored two touchdowns in the first 2:18 and never looked back.

Things went so well for Hawaii that Justin Ayat converted a 50-yard extra point in the third quarter following a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

BYU (12-1) was without Luke Staley, the nation's leading rusher who won the Doak Walker Award on Thursday. He suffered a broken leg in last week's win over Mississippi State.

But Staley does not play defense, which has been the Cougars' Achilles' heel all season. And it finally caught up with them Saturday.

"We came out and had too many turnovers," said Gary Crowton, who suffered his first loss as BYU coach. "They played well and came out with a lot of excitement, and we didn't do it."

Rolovich completed 29-of-52 passes for the Warriors, who quietly put together a solid 9-3 season that began under adverse conditions after Jones was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident in August.

"We won eight of our last nine, and to win this one in this stadium means a lot to these guys," Jones said. "They'll never forget it. I'm proud that the kids did what they did. I'm really happy for Nick."

BYU was trying to become the first team to go 13-0 in the
regular season since Yale in 1892. Even if the Cougars had won, however, they would have been locked out of a Bowl Championship Series game due to a weak schedule. That drew howls of complaints from the school, which, along with the Mountain West Conference, has threatened legal action.

Instead, BYU is headed to the Liberty Bowl and a meeting with Conference USA champion Louisville.

Hawaii also has a gripe after it did not receive a bowl invitation despite finishing with nine wins. The Warriors likely were locked out because they do not travel well on the mainland.

"This game, really -- I felt all year we were moving toward it -- would be bigger than a bowl game for us because it's the only game being played right now on national television," Jones said.

BYU had been living on the edge, rallying in the fourth quarter to win its three previous games. But nothing went right for the Cougars on Saturday. They committed six turnovers and allowed Hawaii's Chad Owens to score twice in the first quarter alone on a 74-yard punt return and 100-yard kickoff return.

Owens set NCAA records for kickoff return yardage (249) and kick return yardage (342). He had six kickoff returns and rolled up 93 yards on four punt returns.

The teams combined for more than 1,200 yards as three BYU quarterbacks also passed for more than 500 yards. Brandon Doman was 17-of-30 for 226 yards and Charlie Peterson 22-of-33 for 284 yards. They each threw two touchdowns.

Each team had a pair of players surpass 100 yards in receiving yards. Ashley Lelie had eight receptions for 262 and Channon Harris grabbed 11 passes for 145 for Hawaii.

Reho Mahe, playing with a hip flexor, hauled in 14 passes for 181 yards for the Cougars, while Ned Stearns added nine catches for 145 yards.

Remarkably, the Warriors committed five turnovers -- all in the first half. But Hawaii scored three touchdowns in the opening quarter, despite possessing the ball for just over two minutes. It had a 31-10 halftime lead.

To add injury to insult, BYU lost two quarterbacks. Doman left in the third quarter with a bruised knee and Peterson was helped off early in the fourth after hitting his head on the turf.

Hawaii needed just 23 seconds to get on the board, taking a 7-0 lead on Rolovich's 23-yard TD pass to Channon Harris after Owens returned the opening kickoff 64 yards. Owen's scoring returns gave Hawaii a 21-10 lead after the first quarter, and the Warriors were off and running.

"Our special teams gave them 14 points right off the bat,"
Crowton said. "Then we were always behind. It's a travesty these guys (Hawaii) aren't in a bowl game."

The third quarter resembled a track meet as the teams combined for 48 points, with Hawaii scoring 27. Rolovich threw four TD passes in the period and six in the second half.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores101/101342/101342447.htm

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• 2001

[kukahiko808]

easy there wit da honor code. n brah y wud dat male cheerleader step up 2 a hawaii football player. brah dont step up 2 a football player especially one poly player unless u ready 2 get knocked da hell out

[Ovito85]

8 catches 262 yards? wtf?

[KAZ3SHINI]

@boywaimea u still running your mouth about some supposed rivalry, I'm not arguing that UH is BYU's rival, you need to shut your fucking face about saying that UH ishn't even good enough to step on the same field as BYU, as long as you degrade my school, I'm a tell you where you can go. Still bitching about some supposed rivalry,you confusing me with someone else dumb ass, all I said was that UH gets up for the BYU game, check who the fuck you talking to, and FUCKYOU ASSHOLE

[boywaimea]

@KAZ3SHINI whatever cuz, you entitled to your opinions. but if you think BYU with it's wealth and prominence would be rivals with UH, get in line and get real because you wrong. i went to byu and no one talks rival about uh at all, nothing. byu vs utah, now there's trash talking and good honest hatred. you folks can comment and hate byu alone among yourselves as this is clearly one sided. i'll save my comments for byu vs utah on youtube. next year we'll see with new coach. i'm outta here.

[KAZ3SHINI]

@boywaimea they aren't the Big XII, stop deluding yourself, your a fool. The MWC is not on another level, non of those teams you mentioned, is a USC, Texas, Miami, Ohio State, shit Ohio State isn't playing like Ohio State, the more you talk the more your lies are exposed, you never went to BYU, you never graduated. Your a loser, and you go around putting everyone else down, so you feel like less the loser that you are. Hahahaha I bet you think BYU is comparable to LSU, or Bama, or OK ST lmao

[KAZ3SHINI]

@boywaimea only in your weak mind, did the NCAA write you a personal letter stating that they never recognized Hawaii, Hawaii does play division 1 football, you can talk all the non-sense you want, fact is your the one not coming out directly and stating your opinion, which I'm pretty sure is a shit no-count opinion, coming from a no-count. Boise, TCU, UTAH, BYU, who the fuck do you think they are, huh, MWC isn't the SEC,

[boywaimea]

classic ending. byu could have scored a few more touchdowns but didn't and took the knee. uh played a descent game injuries and all it was the first i seen them play with class. there is hope for you folks. uh has a have a problem - the ncaa. they'll never recognize uh as a viable team. uh should stay in the wac. for sure they will be champions. moving to the mountain west, with boise, tcu, utah, byu, you think uh will ever be champions of the mountain west?

[KAZ3SHINI]

@boywaimea cuz took you this long and das yo come back, fuckin weak brada, this conversation need not go any further, I fear I might catch your stupidity even through this online conversation. You so stupid, it's not even funny. People like me make it bad for my school, the season ended so fucking what you dumb fuck all seasons come to an end. YOU STUPID STILL SAYING FIND OUR OWN RIVAL, FUCK BYU THEY NOT OUR RIVAL, YOU SIR ONE DUMB FUCK, GOOD DAY SIR!

[boywaimea]

eh my braddah what happened to the warriors, heh? byu rivalry to uh bullshit. find your own school to rival with. uh played well but it's mealymouthed people like you make bad for uh.  so what, next year? lol

[KAZ3SHINI]

league and has no business playing BYU, you sound like a dumb ass moke, for reals, as why atuia matsuzaki them wen go BYU, they didn't teach you good english at Provo? You sound like some stupid hawaiian country fuckin bumpkin from Kauai that probably never left Kauai, all my stateside friends don't look at UH as being unworthy. only dumb hawaiian country fucks talk like UH not worthy. Cause real people who live state side all would love to go school at UH #RealTalk

[KAZ3SHINI]

2 atuaia/matsuzaki/ all of them decided to go to byu before that list of things your brought up happened(the coach's remarks/players from every FUCKING COLLEGE GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE LAW EVERY FUCKING COLLEGE, NO FUCKING ACT LIKE ALL THEM SAMOANS UP IN PROVO ARE PERFECT SAINTS AND NOT OUT GETTING IN TROUBLE, CAUSE YOU'D BE LYING. And losing the Sugar Bowl? WHAT BYU NEVER LOST ANY BOWL GAMES? But still some of that may be true, what does that have to do with you saying that UH not in BYU's

[KAZ3SHINI]

@boywaimea the U of Miami and their booster sins way out weigh the what ever stupid "point shaving" scandal, what some chronic smoker from ewa beach gave the cops a bs letter saying they was point shaving. It was dropped, not enough evidence, do me a favor dont slander my school based on baseless lies. 1 you are clearly retarded, and I question if you really graduated. your list of things byu has to attract players(a championship/heisman) is retarded. the argument an 8 year old would form