Just before entering the locker room, Hawaii quarterback David Graves passed by offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich and offered an apology after the Warriors’ last-ditch drive came up short in a 24-21 loss to Fresno State.
"Nothing to be sorry about," Rolovich responded.
Graves had battled a stomach bug all week leading up to Saturday’s Western Athletic Conference finale at Aloha Stadium, but mustered the strength to rally the Warriors back from a 17-0 deficit in relief of starter Shane Austin. But after a final comeback attempt was halted, his ailment was eclipsed by the ache of a loss to the rival Bulldogs.
"I’m just very disappointed I couldn’t get it done for the boys," Graves said. "They’re my family, they’re my brothers, and I love them so much. That’s why it hurts I didn’t get the job done for them."
Graves said he had trouble staying nourished during the week and was given IV fluids before the game and at halftime to keep him hydrated. His illness contributed to the decision to start Austin in place of an injured Bryant Moniz. But Graves kept himself ready just in case.
"Being sick didn’t really affect me," said Graves, who completed 13 of 27 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns and also scored on a 6-yard run. "I just went out here and did what I could for the team.
"I was going to bed at night visualizing what things were going to look like, so I mentally prepared to go in. But I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen."
The call came early in the second quarter with Fresno State threatening to run away with the game.
Once Graves — whose previous playing time came with the outcome already decided against UNLV, UC Davis and New Mexico State — got up to game speed, he closed the first half with a nine-play, 67-yard scoring drive, then went 6-for-10 for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter.
His 24-yard touchdown pass to Royce Pollard brought the Warriors to within 17-14, and a 69-yard completion to Stutzmann —UH’s longest pass play of the season — gave the Warriors their first lead.
"He came out firing and took control of the huddle," Stutzmann said.
"(The touchdown) was just a corner route. We put two guys on the safety, Dave put the ball where I could get and all I had to do was catch the ball and make the cut and it was right there. Dave just put it where it had to be."
But the Warriors went three and out and generated 1 yard on their next three drives as Fresno State came back to reclaim the lead early in the fourth quarter.
On UH’s final drive, Graves got the Warriors out of a second-and-22 hole with a 20-yard scramble and improvised on a 21-yard completion to slot receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann to move the Warriors to the Fresno State 35.
But the Warriors would get no closer, with Graves throwing two incompletions and taking a costly sack with the Warriors out of timeouts.
"I just had to snap it with 1 second left and tried to make the best of it and it just didn’t work out," Graves said.
