BOULDER, Colo. » Bless his heart, Hawaii defensive coordinator Kevin Clune’s mantra is that his unit has to give up one less point than the Rainbow Warriors’ offense scores.

"If the offense scores 12, we have to hold them to 11, that’s our job," Clune resolutely maintained Saturday.

In theory — and the coach-speak manual — that’s nice, but the reality is if you can’t score a touchdown you probably don’t deserve to win.

And UH couldn’t dent the end zone in 78 offensive plays — that’s why it lost, 21-12, to Colorado Saturday, tumbling to 1-3.

That made it 14 consecutive road losses since Oct. 29, 2011, and it is hard to see how that is going to change anytime soon if the red zone and its environs are going to be places where UH drives continue to die.

Hawaii entered the red zone three times against CU and on all three occasions it came away with field goals. Two other times UH got inside the 21 and was turned away with a field goal on one trip and nothing on the other.

"Yeah, that’s a big deal," said Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre, whose team held an opponent without a touchdown for the first time in 51 games, dating to 2010.

The tone for this one was pretty much set on UH’s first possession. Ne’Quan Phillips intercepted Sefo Liufau’s first pass and returned it to the Colorado 40-yard line. The ‘Bows drove to the Buffaloes 21, but quarterback Ikaika Woolsey was sacked and fumbled the ball away.

On UH’s third series, it had a first down at the Colorado 16 but couldn’t advance any further.

On its fourth series it had a first down at the Colorado 3 but got backed up to the 7 and kicked another field goal.

Tyler Hadden made good on all four field goals he attempted, a personal high, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Even if it is called "football" it can’t all be about the feet; you need some touchdowns.

"That’s the way college football is to me — you have to make teams kick field goals in the red zone," MacIntyre said, adding, "We would like to be like how we were today, I consider that 100 percent stops in today’s football."

It wasn’t a mystery how the ‘Bows fell short, either. Three quarterbacks combined to complete 37 percent of their passes (17-for-46) overall — 30 percent in the second half. They made good on just five of 19 third-down attempts.

And it doesn’t get any easier with quarterback Jeremy Higgins’ left hand encased and the ‘Bows fearing a fracture that could cost him the rest of the season.

So, yes, it would have been nice if the defense hadn’t given up a 71-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. It would have been helpful, try as it might, if the defense had managed more than two turnovers or taken one back all the way. Linebacker TJ Taimatuia nearly did on a 34-yard interception return to the CU 7 in the third quarter.

UH ended up settling for a field goal, of course.

But that isn’t where this game got away from the ‘Bows. Not by a long shot. The ‘Bows left this one on the doorstep of the end zone.

Head coach Norm Chow knew as much, telling an old friend, Colorado’s defensive coordinator, Kent Baer, afterward."Thanks for kicking my (butt)."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.