Breakdown

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CORVALLIS, ORE. » In the rubble of a 33-14 football loss to Oregon State, Hawaii coach Norm Chow struggled to find an explanation.

"I wish I could tell you," Chow said of how a 14-all tie at the intermission dissolved into the Rainbow Warriors’ 0-2 start to the 2013 season.

Chow paused, then offered: "I think Oregon State came out and made some nice adjustments. We did not take advantage of the adaptions we had in the third quarter. It just kind of steamrolled."

The Warriors dropped passes that weren’t overthrown or underthrown, failed to stop OSU in key third-down situations, and could not silence Beavers receiver Brandin Cooks.

After OSU lost to FCS member Eastern Washington last week, Cooks predicted a different outcome against UH, telling a television reporter: "It’s over. No chance."

Cooks caught a pair of 8-yard scoring passes in the third quarter to give the Beavers a 28-14 lead they would not relinquish.

"I had to," Cooks said of his seven-catch performance. "I’m the type of man who backs what he says. If I said it, and left it out on the table, I had to prove (the prediction) right."

OSU quarterback Sean Mannion said Cooks’ prediction provided a spark.

"I think it’s good," Mannion said. "Throughout all last week, it was all positive energy. Everyone had moved on from our last game and were ready to take on Hawaii. It was a hard-fought win."

The Beavers used an expanded playbook to control the tempo and then the Warriors.

"They have a nice scheme," Chow said of OSU’s offense, which gives Mannion time with rollouts and play-action passes. "They protect really well. They throw enough underneath stuff — screens and the delays — that force you to cover everybody, so the downfield (coverage) gets hurt a little bit."

In the Beavers’ first two drives of the third quarter, they faced three challenging third-down situations. On third and 13, Mannion threw to Kevin Cummings for 21 yards. On third and 8, Mannion’s screen to Terron Ward went for 11 yards. On third and 10, Mannion hit Cummings for 33 yards.

"Sean is on fire right now," Cooks said. "He has his confidence. I expect nothing less."

In a bizarre series in the third quarter, five Warriors fell to the turf because of leg cramps. When cornerback Dee Maggitt left with cramps, freshman Kwamane Bowens was summoned. Cooks then caught a scoring pass to that side of the end zone.

Of the number of cramps, Chow said: "We hydrate. We make a big deal out of it. We spend a lot of money on Gatorade."

Still, defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer expressed disappointment in the third-down breakdowns.

"We just can’t do that," Kaumeyer said. "We knew we were going to be in a battle. We kind of hung in there for three quarters, and then they kind of took it to us a little bit."

It appeared the Beavers would end the drama early after seizing a 14-0 lead. Adding injury to insult, the Warriors’ defensive play-caller — middle linebacker Brenden Daley — left with a concussion.

But UH linebacker Julian Gener intercepted Mannion’s pass into the right flat and raced 23 yards to close UH to 14-7.

Then to cap the Warriors’ best drive of their first two games, Taylor Graham and tight end Clark Evans collaborated on a 15-yard, catch-and-scoot play to tie it with 3:46 remaining in the first half.

"We felt fortunate at halftime to be at 14-14," Chow said. "I thought we had a shot."

But the Beavers, who received the kickoff to open the second half, wore down the Warriors with a ground-and-pound attack.

The Warriors could not respond.

"The game doesn’t last a half," Chow said. "It’s four quarters. We didn’t stay with it."

Down 21-14, wide receiver Chris Gant dropped Graham’s third-down pass.

With the margin widened to 28-14, another UH drive ended when Graham’s long pass was thrown just past receiver Vasquez Haynes. The Warriors’ first possession of the fourth quarter ended when Haynes mishandled a third-down pass.

Later, Gant inadvertently stepped out of bounds at the UH 1 while trying to return a kickoff near the sideline.

"I was trying to get the ball in my hands and make something happen," Gant said.

Of the drops and that return, Gant said, "I let my team down. They let me make plays, and I didn’t make plays."

It was a collective implosion.

While Graham had his moments, particularly off bootlegs and play-action, he still finished 10-for-20 for 95 yards. Sean Schroeder was quarterback for the Warriors’ final three possessions.

"I was disappointed in Taylor," Chow said. "He knows that. I thought he missed a couple of opportunities we had."

Chow added: "The timing was all off. (Graham) would throw before guys were ready. We just have to go back and look at the tapes."

But Chow reiterated there is no quarterback controversy, and Graham will remain the starter for the Sept. 21 game against Nevada. The Warriors have a bye next week.

"Bottom line," Graham said, "is we have to connect."