Tale of two quarterbacks
Much of the talk leading up to the game was about the Hawaii quarterback situation.
Taylor Graham — who started the first three games behind center — was in the coaches’ box upstairs, nursing a healing left (non-throwing shoulder). UH coach Norm Chow actually found a way to start both of the next two candidates, Sean Schroeder and Ikaika Woolsey.
Woolsey, the freshman who started against Fresno State due to Graham’s injury, took UH’s first offensive snap, with Schroeder stationed on the flank of the offense.
On the next down, Schroeder — the senior who led UH to 34 unanswered points against Fresno State in the second half of the 42-37 loss last week — moved to quarterback and stayed there for all but a few plays.
Woolsey’s biggest contribution was a 44-yard pass to Vasquez Haynes to set up Schroeder’s 8-yard TD pass to Haynes that gave UH a 14-3 lead in the first quarter.
"Coach just wanted to try a little wrinkle," Woolsey said. "Get as many of our playmakers on the field as we could."
Said Schroeder: "That’s just our wildcat package, to give them a different look."
Tale of two quarters
UH receiver Chris Gant’s 9-yard touchdown run marked a breakthrough of sorts for the Rainbow Warriors offense. Gant’s score was UH’s first time the Rainbows reached the end zone in the opening quarter this season.
Schroeder added a scoring pass to Haynes and the Rainbows led 14-10 going into the second period. UH had been shut out in the first quarter in three of its first four games this season, managing just a field goal against Nevada on Sept. 21.
However, UH was shut out in the second quarter — also a first this season.
UH’s second-quarter possessions ended in three punts, two interceptions and a loss on downs at midfield that preceded an SJSU touchdown, part of the Spartans’ 31-0 run.
Henderson gets picky
Freshman DB Trayvon Henderson got his first career interception with 9:36 left in the third quarter. It was one of two picks by the Hawaii defense.
The 6-foot true freshman from Sacramento, Calif., is normally in on diamond packages with six defensive backs. He picked off San Jose State quarterback David Fales on a deep route down the right sideline and fell over backward while making the grab.
"(The receiver) went outside. The coaches tell me, before he gets too far down the field, turn around and look for the ball," Henderson said. "When I caught it, it was an exciting feeling. Even in practice, they’re telling me I need to get an interception. It felt good."
Lopez clears 50 plus
Austin Lopez needed a little help to set a career high.
The San Jose State place-kicker booted a 51-yard field goal in the second quarter to extend the Spartans’ lead to 20-14.
The sophomore, who had only missed one field goal in his first 17 games, was good from 50 or more for the first time.
The ball hit on top of the crossbar and popped straight into the air. Lopez got just enough on it to have it bounce forward through the posts for three points.
Once it went through, Lopez gave a simple shrug before his San Jose State teammates ran in to pat him on his helmet.
Lopez is 26-for-28 in his career, with his first miss coming from 42 yards in last week’s loss to Utah State. It would have set an FBS record for consecutive field-goal makes to start a career.
He had a 24-yard field goal bounce off the left upright in the fourth quarter that would have made it a three-possession game.
UH tempting fate
Hawaii has started 0-5 for the sixth time in school history, the last occurring the 0-12 campaign of 1998 that ended Fred vonAppen’s three-year coaching run.
The Rainbow Warriors are one of nine FBS teams still winless in the 2013 campaign. Hawaii travels to Nevada-Las Vegas this week to complete the first half of the season. The Warriors will have a bye after UNLV, followed by a home game against Colorado State and back-to-back road games with Utah State on Nov. 2 and Navy on Nov. 9.
