Hawaii devours Navy with triple treat of receivers

Three Hawaii receivers were regulars of McDonald’s drive-thru on Saturday night.

Cedric Byrd, John Ursua and JoJo Ward each ordered two touchdowns off the value menu, and quarterback Cole McDonald was happy to serve them up in Hawaii’s 59-41 devouring of Navy at Aloha Stadium.

Fast food, indeed. Byrd, Ward and Ursua were in the scoring column by halftime, when UH led 38-14, and they each struck again in the second half once the Midshipmen drew to within 10 points in the third quarter.

It was tough to surmise what was more eye-opening — the end result or the frequent flair with which the Rainbow Warriors did it in their retooled run-and-shoot.

Byrd, who matched his 11 catches from UH’s season-opening win at Colorado State, produced 90 yards and perhaps the catch of the night — there were several to choose from — with a one-handed end-zone haul-in from 31 yards with 14 minutes to play.

“It just felt fun. We have weapons everywhere,” Byrd said. “We can go for 6 any time, any moment. Just be aware, like, if you’re running a route, and know the defense they’re in, (and) you know it’s not coming to you, just get the next person open. That’s what’s going through our head, basically.”

Ursua dropped a couple of early balls but still snared 10 for 167 yards, most notably a wide-open 50-yarder on a gutsy call, on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter.

Ward, who was quiet with one grab for 8 yards in his UH debut last week, went off in his own right for six catches for 161 yards.

“I think we showcased just the dynamic duo we got with me and Ced, it opened an opportunity for Jo Ward to go and do his thing,” Ursua said. “We knew what he was capable of. I don’t think he got to showcase it the first game against Colorado State, but we knew since he came Day 1 he had speed and that he could do some things with the ball once he gets it in space, and he showed that tonight.”

The trio accounted for all but 10 of McDonald’s 428 passing yards, 27 of his 30 completions and all six of his touchdowns.

“It’s just hours and hours of throwing,” McDonald said. “Summertime, last spring, this fall camp. Hours and hours and hours, just talking. And just being friends, you know. Feeling that connection on and off the field. We’re all boys. That’s how it is.”

UH rung up its most points since going for that total against New Mexico State and UNLV on consecutive weeks in 2010.

Ward, a 5-foot-9 wideout, and like Byrd a junior college transfer, was gone for 75 yards on a post route bomb in the fourth. It helped seal the outcome.

“It’s hard to stop,” Ward said of the offense with almost a sympathetic tone. “We got three guys, four guys really who can go. So you know, it gives a defensive coordinator little nightmares when they play us. All of us can run and catch. We feel like we’re unstoppable, really.”

If Byrd had come down with 10 more yards, UH would’ve had its first receiving trio with 100-plus yards since 2010, when Royce Pollard, Kealoha Pilares and Greg Salas did so in a loss to USC.

In the waning minutes Saturday, Salas, in the house and on field level, whistled appreciatively up at the 59 on the stadium scoreboard.