University of Hawaii football wins at San Diego State in OT

Hawaii hadn’t won at San Diego State since Bob Wagner walked the sidelines in 1988, but all that ended tonight as the Rainbow Warriors held on for a 31-30 overtime victory over the Aztecs to assure UH its first winning season since 2010.

For a good part of the Mountain West Conference football game played before the Aztecs’ home crowd, it appeared the nearly 30-year drought might end with a Rainbow Warriors win. Then backup San Diego State quarterback Ryan Agnew entered the fray in the fourth quarter and things suddenly changed, as he not only tied the score at 24-24, but set up usually reliable kicker John Baron with a 32-yarder in regulation for the apparent win. Baron yanked it wide right, sending things into overtime.

Hawaii got the ball first and secured a huge first down when receiver Marcus Armstrong-Brown caught the ball for a first down. The ball appeared to hit the ground, but the ruling of a catch stood after further review, setting up a first down just outside the 10. Three snaps later, UH had a touchdown called back with a lineman down field.

No matter, UH quarterback Cole McDonald threw a nice 9-yard scoring pass to JoJo Ward and Ryan Meskell hit the PAT to give UH a 31-24 advantage, with San Diego State getting its chance knowing what it had to do. Running back Juwan Washington did just that with a 25-yard scoring run. But instead of kicking the PAT, coach Rocky Long went for 2.

The first try ended with a penalty on each team, setting up try No. 2. Agnew tried a fade route, but it fell incomplete, giving UH the improbable win. UH finished the regular season at 8-5 and 5-3 in MWC play. The Aztecs fell to 7-5 and 4-4 in conference.

McDonald completed 29 of 46 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns, but it didn’t look like it would be enough thanks to Agnew. He came off the bench to tie the game at 24 and then began a key drive with four minutes left with the football in his capable hands as he steadily moved his team into field-goal range. Facing a third-and-8 at the 35 with two minutes left, Agnew went for it all and drew a huge pass interference on UH cornerback Rojesterman Farris to move the ball to midfield.

Three snaps later at the UH 42, Agnew went on a naked boot leg around the right side for 15 yards to the UH 27 and then watched as Washington took it to the UH 16 to set up the easy field-goal try for Baron. The senior yanked the 32-yarder wide left as time expired to send the game into overtime. Credit UH coach Nick Rolovich, who called two timeouts to make Baron nervous. And it worked.