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Moniz ties NCAA record as Hawaii beats UC Davis 56-14

Paul Arnett

Bryant Moniz needed only a half to do a night’s work.

The University of Hawaii quarterback threw seven touchdown passes in the opening 30 minutes to lead the Warriors to an easy 56-14 nonconference win over UC Davis tonight before a sparse Aloha Stadium crowd of 28,268.

Moniz equaled the NCAA record for most touchdown throws in a half and set the school mark for most yards with 424. By the time the band took the field, Moniz was done, completing 30 of 40 passes to even the Warriors record at 2-2 as they hit the road later this week to open Western Athletic Conference play at Louisiana Tech. Davis fell to 1-3 as the Aggies managed only one first down in the opening half of the football game.

UH wideout Royce Pollard led all receivers with nine catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. For the game, the Hawaii offense generated 637 yards on 84 plays. The Hawaii defense limited the Aggies to 196 yards.

Hawaii got off to a fast start after forcing a fumble on the opening UC Davis drive and converting it into seven quick points. Aggies wideout Tom Hemmingsen caught an 11-yard pass from Wright, but had the ball poked out by middle linebacker Corey Paredes near the Davis sideline with Tank Hopkins jumping on it at the Aggies 25.

Moniz wasted little time converting the mistake into points as he completed a swing pass to running back Sterling Jackson, who went in untouched for the score. UH place-kicker Tyler Hadden added the first of eight extra points to make it 7-0 Hawaii with 13:53 left in the opening quarter.

Hawaii held on downs on Davis’ ensuing drive and proceeded to get right back in the end zone, going 64 yards on four plays; the big one a 34-yard TD completion from Moniz to Pollard to make it 14-0 with 11:47 left in the opening quarter.

The Warriors defense rose to the occasion once again, forcing the third three and out of the first quarter for Davis. Hawaii took over at its own 25 and marched quickly down the field, going 75 yards on five plays, the last one a 31-yard touchdown pass to Allen Sampson, who made a nice grab just inside the pylon to make it 21-0 with 7:34 left in the first quarter.

The fourth touchdown pass of the opening quarter came on a fourth and 2 at the UC Davis 20. Ever the gambler, Moniz opted to go for the whole thing and found favorite target Pollard in the corner of the end zone for his second touchdown catch of the game.

The 20-yard grab made it 28-0 Hawaii with 26 seconds left in the opening quarter. The UH defense did its job on the ensuing offensive series for the Aggies, forcing another punt as Hawaii set up shop at its own 25.

Four plays later, wideout Darius Bright had the first touchdown catch of his UH career as Moniz hit him from 10 yards out to make it 35-0 with 13:17 left in the first half.

Moniz tied the school record for six touchdown passes in a half on UH’s next drive as the Warriors needed 11 plays to go 87 yards to make it 42-0 with 6:32 left in the half. This time, the senior quarterback found Billy Ray Stutzmann from 25 yards out.

Moniz broke the school mark on a 12-play, 57-yard scoring drive that culminated with an 8-yard scoring toss to Pollard to make it 49-0 Hawaii with 59 seconds left in the half.

UC Davis broke the scoring drought midway through the third quarter as Aggies running back Nick Aprile scored from 1 yard out to make it 49-7 Hawaii with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter.

The Aggies scored again on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Wright to wideout Anthony Soto to end a 12-play, 80-yard drive that made it 49-14 Hawaii with 12:55 left in the game.

Hawaii finally got on the board in the second half on a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback David Graves to make it 56-14 with 7:42 left to round out the scoring.

 

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