Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
With Hawaii’s victory over Tennessee Martin on Saturday, Nick Rolovich became the fourth consecutive UH head coach to notch win No. 1 against an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).
Rolovich’s first win came four years after Norm Chow earned his first against Lamar of the Southland Conference 54-2 at Aloha Stadium.
Greg McMackin’s breakthrough in 2008 — with Rolovich as quarterbacks coach — was a 36-17 victory over Big Sky Conference member Weber State.
UH lost to USC in June Jones’ debut in 1999 before snapping a 19-game losing streak with a 31-27 win over Eastern Illinois of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Fred vonAppen recorded the first of his five wins as UH head coach against Boise State in 1998, the Broncos’ first year as a Division I-A program.
UH also extended its winning streak against FCS schools to 14, the last loss coming in the 2000 opener against Portland State in Rolovich’s debut as UH’s starting quarterback.
UTM fell to 1-22 against FBS opponents with this season’s 0-2 start.
Barker helps turn tables
Tennessee Martin held a 24-14 lead and momentum early in the third quarter after converting an interception into a scoring drive and forcing a UH punt.
Rigo Sanchez’s punt bounced and glanced off of a UTM player. UH receiver Ammon Barker headed downfield on coverage, then pounced on the loose ball. After a conference, the officials awarded possession to UH at the UTM 25. Diocemy Saint Juste scored two plays later, UH forced a short punt and took the lead on Marcus Kemp’s 33-yard touchdown reception.
“We needed it. The momentum swings were all over the place,” Rolovich said.
Barker also had a juggling 37-yard reception on UH’s first drive of the game that set up the Rainbow Warriors’ first touchdown.
“He’s been kind of shut down in the first two games, but he came out and made two really smart and good plays today and I’m happy for him,” Rolovich said.
Tavai comes up big
Sophomore linebacker Jahlani Tavai deflected credit for the two turnovers he collected from the Tennessee Martin offense.
“It was just awesome,” said Tavai, of Redondo Beach, Calif. “I never had any turnovers before in my career. That was all because of our defense. If the other 10 people on our side weren’t going 100 percent, then I wouldn’t have made any of those plays.”
His second-quarter fumble recovery set up a 15-yard Steven Lakalaka touchdown just before halftime.
Then, with the Skyhawks in the red zone near the end of the third quarter down 28-24, receiver Ben Axline bobbled a Troy Cook lob pass in the end zone. Tavai was on the spot to snatch it as his momentum carried him out of the back of the zone.
“I just had to seize on an opportunity,” Tavai said. “He made a mistake and I had to capitalize on it.”
Up next: At Arizona
The Rainbow Warriors return to FBS play with a trip to Arizona to take on their third Power 5 conference and second Pac-12 opponent in the season’s first month.
The Wildcats (1-1) rallied to a 31-21 win over Grambling State on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.
Arizona trailed 21-3 at halftime, outscored the Tigers 21-0 in the third quarter and pulled away. Quarterback Brandon Dawkins threw for 223 yards and a touchdown and ran for 97 and two scores.
Arizona is 4-0 against UH, and won the last meeting 27-6 on Sept. 3, 1998 at Aloha Stadium. Chris McAlister returned the season’s opening kickoff 100 yards to start UH down the path to an 0-12 campaign. Former UH head coaches Dick Tomey and Bob Wagner were on the Arizona sideline for that game.
83