Ferd Lewis: Hawaii’s defense steps up to prevent homecoming letdown

On homecoming night it was a return by the University of Hawaii’s defense that was most worth celebrating.

It was the defense, from its first determined series on the field until the final drive-denying 25 seconds, that kept any real drama from intruding into this harder-than-necessary 35-16 victory over Central Arkansas.

A gathering of 20,252 had barely found its way into Aloha Stadium on Saturday night when nickelback Kai Kaneshiro set the tone. He returned an interception of a Breylin Smith pass 55 yards for the opening score and a lead the Rainbow Warriors never lost on the way to their 17th consecutive victory over a Football Championship Subdivision opponent since 2001.

It was the first defensive touchdown by the Warriors in 1,259 plays over 18 games. Not since linebacker Solomon Matautia returned a fumble for a score against Brigham Young in November 2017 had the defense directly put points on the board. Not since earlier in the 2017 season against Fresno State, when Matautia also struck, had UH returned an interception for a score.

So it had been a while in coming and you’d have to say it came just in time, following the first of four UH turnovers, three of which the defense kept the Bears from converting into points. In that it would become a familiar theme as the Rainbow Warriors moved to 3-1.

Good thing, too, otherwise the fate that befell fellow NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision member Western Kentucky in the season opener, an upset by the 12th-ranked Bears (3-1) of the FCS, could have been the Warriors’ as well.

Any possibility that they could become the Bad News Bears on this humid night should have been long dismissed by halftime, as UH cruised to a 28-0 lead with 7 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

But it would not be until the final 3 minutes, 27 seconds of the game that the Warriors finally saw the end zone again. Debuting freshman receiver Lincoln Victor, replacing an injured Jason-Matthew Sharsh, put on a show, hauling defenders with him on consecutive passes, the last one 11 yards for a touchdown.

Between the turnovers — three fumbles and an interception — a couple of drops and five second-half penalties, the UH offense was largely somnolent after grabbing the 28-0 lead despite quarterback Cole McDonald completing 25 of 32 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

But the defense was stellar and up to the task, holding the opposition to the fewest points since a 17-13 victory over Wyoming last year, 12 games ago.

UCA, fifth in the FCS in passing offense, completed just 29 of 51 passes for 189 yards and, except for running back Carlos Blackman (17 carries, 147 yards), was well contained and mounted just two scoring drives.

Now, the Rainbow Warriors head off to Nevada (3-1) for the opening of the Mountain West Conference season, followed by another MWC game at Boise State, an open date sandwiched between them.

It will be 28 days before Hawaii’s next appearance in Aloha Stadium, but the defense at least made it a whole lot more productive of a parting than it might otherwise have been.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.