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With a script that was part storybook and part record book, quarterback Bryant Moniz rousted Hawaii to a 56-14 rout of UC Davis on Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
Lifting the Warriors from the depths of last week’s disheartening road loss, Moniz went deep, with five of his record seven first-half touchdown passes covering at least 20 yards.
Moniz tied the NCAA record for scoring passes in a half, while also breaking the mark he shared with his offensive coordinator, Nick Rolovich.
In last year’s game against Charleston Southern, Moniz was lifted after throwing his sixth scoring pass in the first half. It was part of a plan to allow Moniz to return in the second half and go for the school record of eight touchdown passes for a game.
Rolovich, who set his UH record in 2001, said he received an angry email from a fan.
"He said I pulled (Moniz) for selfish reasons," Rolovich said. "I’m not really a stat guy, but I didn’t want even one person thinking that about me. I didn’t forget it. Mo is worthy of the record. I wanted him to get it. I want what’s best for this football team, and what’s best for these players."
After Moniz’s sixth scoring pass, Rolovich signaled that the lineup would remain the same for the next UH possession.
"I knew I had six, and that’s exactly why Rolo left me in," Moniz said. "He wanted to make sure I got it this time. It’s nice (to get the record), but the main thing is we won. We wanted to get it started again."
Indeed, the Warriors were somber after going zip-for-two on an 11-day road trip that concluded with a stunning 40-20 loss to Nevada-Las Vegas.
In practices leading to Saturday’s game, the Warriors worked on pass protection and playing aggressive defense. In crafting the game plan, Rolovich decided to add a twist: a no-huddle offense.
"We tried to put some life into the team," Rolovich said. "We knew we had good depth at receiver (to maintain a fast tempo). It did help us get out of the same slow pace we’re used to. It was good to change it up."
It actually was the UH defense that set the tone.
On the Aggies’ first possession, quarterback Randy Wright completed a pass to Tom Hemmingsen in the left flat. Linebacker Corey Paredes raced over and knocked the football from Hemmingsen. Cornerback Tank Hopkins recovered the ball at the UCD 25.
"I saw the guy hold the ball out, and I tried to punch it as hard as I could," Paredes said. "It was the right. It was the right hook."
Hopkins said: "I thought the other dude had seen (the football). I guess he wasn’t paying attention, so I jumped on it."
It was a key play for Hopkins, who drew criticism for yielding two long catches against UNLV. In the first three UH games, Hopkins played the wide side of an opponent’s formation. For this game, he was the boundary cornerback on the narrow side.
"He’s a really good hitter," UH coach Greg McMackin said of Hopkins. "We were having some contain problems (in previous games). We knew (the Aggies) like to run the ball (to the narrow side). We felt it would be a good move to put Tank there."
Hopkins said: "When it comes at you, you have to make a play. It’s part of the game. If you make a mistake, you have to shrug it off and keep going."
After that, the Warriors offense took control. Moniz’s swing pass to running back Sterling Jackson resulted in a weave-and-juke sprint that went for a 25-yard touchdown.
"I just followed my blocks," said Jackson, who made his first UH start. "They were good blocks."
In the first three games, the Warriors had difficulties completing long passes. Part of it was the carousel of receivers caused by injuries, part of it was protection breakdowns, also caused by injuries.
Saturday night, the Warriors faced a defense that rarely blitzed and often retreated into two-deep or three-man zones. That gave Moniz time to throw, and the Warriors the inkling their wideouts could see man coverage when they raced between the zone’s gaps.
"We’ve been working on (long passes) as an offense," Moniz said. "Coach Rolo has been trying to coach me up on long balls."
On UH’s second possession, right wideout Royce Pollard ran a 9 route — straight dash along the right sideline — to secure a 34-yard scoring pass.
Later in the first quarter, Moniz lobbed a pass that a leaping Allen Sampson snared from the Halawa air. As Sampson fell backward, he managed to keep the football inbounds as he struck the pylon.
In practices last week, the 5-foot-6 Sampson recalled, "they were pushing me to jump up for the ball instead of waiting on it. That’s what I did in practice. I kept jumping for the ball."
Moniz’s 20-yard pass to Pollard in the right corner of the end zone made it 28-0 just before the end of the fourth quarter.
Moniz added touchdown passes of 25 yards to Billy Ray Stutzmann, 10 yards to Darius Bright and 8 yards to Pollard.
"It’s faith and hard work in practice," Pollard said of his touchdown catches. "In the moment, you don’t think about it. But all of the hard work you put into it just happens."
Moniz completed 30 of 40 passes for 424 yards — a school record for one half. The intermission was his exit. Moniz did not play in the second half.
"Everybody wants to know what the deal is," Rolovich said. "There are no secrets. It’s what the defense dictates. Mo took what the defense gave him."
Moniz said: "Everything kind of worked out. After two losses, this is nice. It’s good to find a way to win. Rolo said we need to start something. Hopefully, this starts a snowball effect."
