Hawaii went scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season and hasn’t scored a touchdown in the opening 15 minutes of each of the past two games.
Hawaii freshman Chevan Cordeiro was an efficient 8-for-9 passing for 51 yards in the opening quarter of his first collegiate start, but couldn’t produce points.
UH had a 14-play drive that lasted more than seven minutes, but was stuffed on fourth-and-2 at the Wyoming 4-yard line when running back Fred Holly III took a direct snap and tried to run for the first down.
Hawaii converted its other two fourth-down attempts, using 5-foot-11, 250-pound running back Dayton Furuta both times.
Field position kills Cowboys
All of Hawaii’s points in the first 58 minutes came when it started a drive in opposing territory.
The Cowboys didn’t know what that felt like.
Wyoming’s average starting field position was its own 30-yard line, and it started four drives between the end zone and its 15-yard line.
Hawaii’s average starting field position was its 40-yard line — a 10-yard difference per drive.
Wyoming didn’t advance the ball more than 43 yards on a drive until its final two of the game.
Hawaii had just two drives longer than 34 yards.
Padello continues to put on heat
Hawaii junior defensive end Kaimana Padello continued his recent streak of sacks, notching two more against the Cowboys to give him seven this season.
Oklahoma State’s Jordan Brailford and Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery entered the week tied for the Division I lead in sacks with seven. Brailford had a sack against Iowa State on Saturday. Tillery did not have one against Virginia Tech.
Padello has recorded multiple sacks in three games this season (Rice, San Jose State, Wyoming).
His strip-sack of Wyoming quarterback Tyler Vander Waal in the second quarter was recovered by the Cowboys, but for a loss of 23 yards.
Mariota hooks up kids
Marcus Mariota’s Motiv8 Foundation provided 1,200 participants with tickets to Saturday’s game.
Sitting in the south end zone were participants from After School All Stars, Boys and Girls Club, Special Olympics, Big Brothers Big Sisters and local YMCAs who were given a T-shirt and a meal before the game.
This is the second year the foundation has taken kids to a UH football game. In September, the Motiv8 Foundation took 400 kids to an Oregon Ducks game, where Mariota played and won the Heisman Trophy.
This spring, the foundation will take kids to a Portland Trail Blazers NBA game.
