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Hawaii stuns Fresno 49-27

University of Hawaii running back Alex Green scored three touchdowns and slotback Greg Salas added three of his own as the Warriors secured a 49-27 victory over Fresno State in tonight’s Western Athletic Conference football game at Bulldog Stadium.

Green carried the ball 13 times for 96 yards, scoring on runs of 38, 14 and 2 yards to secure one of the biggest wins of Warriors head coach Greg McMackin’s career. Safety Jeramy Bryant puncuated the victory with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown as Scott Enos added his seventh PAT with 2:42 left in the game.

Holding a tenuous 14-10 halftime lead, the Warriors (4-2, 2-0) took the opening drive of the second half 73 yards on eight plays, including a strange one that led to the score. On a third and 10 at the Fresno State 21, UH quarterback Bryant Moniz scrambled out of the pocket to find wide receiver Royce Pollard breaking free.

As he was about to score, Pollard was hit and fumbled at the 1 as the ball rolled into the end zone. An alert Salas pounced on the loose ball for his third touchdown of the game to make it 21-10 with 11:46 left in the third.

Fresno State (3-2, 1-1) was in the midst of a good opening drive of its own in the second half before Bryant picked off his third pass of the season. Hawaii needed only four plays to complete the 62-yard drive, including a 38-yard touchdown run by Green with 8:35 left in the third.

Fresno State responded with a nice drive that led to a first and goal from the 2, but Hawaii held, forcing the Bulldogs to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Kevin Goessling to make it 28-13 with 5:28 left in the third quarter.

Hawaii responded with another long, punishing drive to put the game seemingly out of reach. UH went 90 yards on seven plays, the last one, a 14-yard touchdown run by Green, his second of the game, with 2:38 left in the third to make it 35-13.

Fresno State came back to score its second touchdown of the game on a quick four-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard run for a score by Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Colburn to cut UH’s advantage to 35-20.

But Hawaii came back with another long drive, this time 74 yards on 11 plays, culminated by Green’s 2-yard scoring run to make it 42-20 with 3:57 left. Bryant’s pick six made it 49-20 as the Bulldogs added a touchdown late on a 2-yard run by Michael Harris with 1:13 left in the game.

Late in the second quarter, the Bulldogs had just scored a touchdown to take a 10-7 advantage, but UH responded with a nice five-play, 71-yard drive of its own. The key call was a 46-yard shovel pass from Moniz to Green, who took the ball down to the Fresno State 8.

From there, Moniz found slotback Salas for his second touchdown reception of the night to make it 14-10 with 20 seconds left in the half.

After spotting Hawaii a touchdown on the opening drive, Fresno State scored 10 unanswered points to take a 10-7 lead with 1:26 left in the half.

The scoring drive in the waning moments of the second period was set up on an interception of an errant Moniz pass. The Bulldogs quickly marched down the field, needing only four plays to go 65 yards and take their first lead of the night.

The final play was a 50-yard touchdown pass from Colburn to Jalen Saunders to wake up the Fresno State fans. Goessling added the extra point.

Hawaii wasted little time tonight trying to win its third consecutive game at Bulldog Stadium, taking a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. After the Warriors defense forced a three and out on the Bulldogs’ opening series, they went 73 yards on six plays for the score.

Moniz completed five of five passes to five different receivers for 76 yards on the six-play drive, including a 30-yarder for a touchdown to Salas with 9:57 left in the opening period. Enos added the PAT to give UH the early seven-point advantage.

Fresno State cut it to four points with a 39-yard field goal by Goessling. The Bulldogs went 30 yards on 10 grind-them-up plays, before the defense stopped Fresno at the UH 22-yard line. Goessling split the uprights to make it 7-3 UH with 13:20 left in the half.

Moniz completed 29 of 49 passes for 376 yards. He had two touchdown tosses and one pick. Salas led the Warriors with nine receptions for 148 yards.

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