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Tell us, please, that this isn’t what life after slotback John Ursua is going to look like for the University of Hawaii football team.
Reassure us that with the most potent weapon no longer in the Rainbow Warriors’ arsenal to draw double coverage and make breakthrough plays that the offense will still throw a scare into defenses and put up points in bunches next season.
Because minus the nation’s leader in touchdown receptions for the first time this year and up against a ravenous Louisiana Tech defense, the ’Bows saved their worst offensive performance of the season for last in a 31-14 SoFi Hawaii Bowl loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Hawaii scored but seven points in the first three and a half quarters, did not convert a third-down opportunity until the fourth quarter, accumulated almost as many penalty yards (140) as passing yards (168), punted nine times and never found a semblance of offensive rhythm.
Even three turnovers forced by the defense and a blocked punt and 46-yard kickoff return by special teams couldn’t spark much offense for the Rainbows.
Thus, after 8 hours and 56 minutes, ended a forgettable doubleheader day that began with the ’Bows’ basketball team getting thumped 73-59 by Nevada-Las Vegas in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
But the most disconcerting take-away from the day and, indeed, this otherwise turnaround 8-6 season, was the huge puka Ursua figures to leave. That is something that was no doubt pondered by the UH faithful among the 27,837 on hand, many of whom made for the exits in the final minute of the third quarter.
Ursua, a redshirt junior who served a church mission and will be 25 when the NFL Draft is held in April, is expected to forego his senior season to take a shot at the pros.
UH announced Ursua’s unavailability just before kickoff of the nationally televised game Saturday, citing unspecified injuries. Afterward coach Nick Rolovich said Ursua’s absence from the game was due to a “late-week minor injury” in practice and “nothing to do with not playing in the bowl game (for the draft).”
Without Ursua to make quick breaks for Hawaii and pry open the defense, the Bulldogs exerted suffocating pressure on both quarterbacks UH employed. Between them, starter Cole McDonald (three) and his relief, Chevan Cordeiro (six), were sacked nine times. Each had a 50 percent completion percentage and they combined for three interceptions against two touchdowns.
McDonald completed 10 of 20 passes for 85 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown, while Cordeiro managed seven completions in 14 attempts for 83 yards with one interception and one TD.
Meanwhile, the receiver corps was unable to pick up the slack from Ursua’s absence.
The public address announcer mistakenly referred to Louisiana Tech on one occasion as “Louisiana State,” and at times that is the way the Bulldogs looked on defense — notably defensive ends Willie Baker and Jaylon “Sack Daddy” Ferguson, who were credited with 4 and 2.5 sacks, while cornerback Amik Robertson (two) and safety Jordan Baldwin (one) came up with interceptions in tightening up on UH receivers.
The Hawaii Bowl was supposed to put an exclamation on what was otherwise a bright season for the ’Bows. Instead, the 14th and final chapter of this campaign added a big question mark for 2019.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
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