A fitting end

Norm Chow could not have scripted a better season finale to his first year as Hawaii’s head football coach.

The Warriors rolled up 410 yards of offense, held South Alabama to 2.6 yards per play and kicked three field goals in a 23-7 victory at Aloha Stadium.

The Warriors’ second consecutive victory dulled the pain of a 1-9 start and served as a collective farewell present to 17 seniors.

It also was the first time since 2006 that the Warriors won their final game of the season.

And it all began with a script Chow crafted in the week leading to Saturday night’s game.

In studying videos and scouting reports, the UH coaches noted that the Jaguars, who finished 2-11 in their fourth season of existence, fielded an overly aggressive defense that relied on man-to-man coverages in the secondary.

The UH coaches decided to offer a counter-punch, a strategy that involved running back Joey Iosefa’s previous work as a quarterback in American Samoa and theatrics from quarterbacks Sean Schroeder and Cayman Shutter.

On UH’s first play, cornerback Mike Edwards aligned as a receiver. Edwards motioned toward the middle while running back Sterling Jackson took the handoff on a draw up the middle. The idea was to draw in the Jaguars’ defense.

After that play, Schroeder jogged to the UH sideline, holding his shoulder while displaying a pained expression. Shutter, who was on the sideline, then ran onto the field … as a receiver. Iosefa took the direct snap, then threw to wide receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann for a 50-yard gain, to the Jaguars’ 24.

Before the play, Stutzmann said, "I felt my heart beating. All of the adrenaline was pounding. It worked out. It sparked the game."

Iosefa said: "I was waiting for that moment to make the pass. It’s fun to finally get a chance to throw the ball downfield."

The two-play scenario was a sting. For two days, the Warriors rehearsed the setup, with Schroeder feigning an injury and Shutter entering as a diversion.

"I’m not the greatest actor," said Schroeder, who took an acting class at Duke, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in three years before transferring to UH this past summer. "Maybe that was my one moment to act. We drew it up during the week, and we got it done."

Shutter said: "We were working on our thespian skills. I made sure I looked surprised when I put my helmet on. We had other things in the plans. We’ll have to save them for another day."

After an offsides penalty against the Jaguars, Iosefa did what he does best, rumbling his way for an 18-yard gain, to the 1. Sterling Jackson cashed in with the rush for the final yard and a 7-0 UH lead.

"They came out with a little trickery, and that kind of gave them a little jump start on us," South Alabama safety B.J. Scott said.

Indeed, the tone was set. With Schroeder at the remote and the run game on fast-forward, the Warriors consumed yards and time. They controlled the clock for 32 minutes, 21 seconds, including 9:32 in the fourth quarter.

Iosefa rushed for 97 yards, an average of 6.9 yards per carry; Will Gregory gained 71 yards, and Jackson contributed 68.

"We ran the ball great," Schroeder said. "It kind of made my job really easy. The defense played great. It was another great team effort."

Schroeder was 10-for-21 for 131 yards. He was intercepted twice — when a ball ricocheted off a receiver’s hands and on Scott’s acrobatic steal. But he spiraled a 26-yard pass to Chris Gant for a touchdown.

"It was a nice throw, it was nice protection," Gant said of the post route. "I had to finish my part."

That Schroeder played was a credit to his grit and the athletic training staff’s diligence. Schroeder suffered painful back spasms this past Monday and Tuesday. At one point, he could not bend to tie his shoelaces.

"I’m not going to lie, my back was pretty painful this whole week," Schroeder said. "I was able to do some things, get some treatment done, to be able to play."

Schroeder managed the offense enough to set up Tyler Hadden’s three field goals — from 41, 42 and 40 yards.

And while some of the crowd of 21,521 hooted at the Warriors’ conservative play-calling in the second half, Chow said, "We wanted the clock to go. We wanted to win the ballgame. The defense wasn’t going to allow a lot of points. We threw a couple of balls (while up 23-0). We threw a couple of bad balls. I didn’t want to do that anymore."

The Warriors contained the Jaguars with a mix of base (4-3) and nickel (3-3-5) coverages. The Jaguars netted 18 yards on 34 attempts, a number that was impacted by six sacks totaling 63 negative yards.

Ross Metheny was 11-for-24 for 111 yards. Two of his longest completions were negated by holding calls. He was intercepted twice — by Edwards in the end zone, and by Ne’Quan Phillips.

"I kind of baited it," Edwards said. "I didn’t think he was going to throw it, but he threw it anyway. I just made a play."

The Jaguars’ lone scoring drive was fueled by two UH penalties — a holding call against Edwards and a late hit by cornerback Dee Maggitt.

"We tried to leave it all on the field," Edwards said. "It cost us a little bit, with a couple of penalties, just being overly aggressive. The main thing is we came out with the win."

Defensive tackle Haku Correa said the defensive success was a collaborative effort. Correa and fellow senior Paipai Falemalu, a defensive end, are roommates at the hotel the night before games. They stayed up late recalling the good times of the past five seasons.

"I wish we did better (earlier in the season)," Correa said. "But it is what it is. I’m a Warrior. I’m proud be one. I’m happy to have played with these bunch of guys. I’ll be back, for sure, to watch them."