CORVALLIS, ORE. >> In the hallway leading to the visitors’ locker room, the University of Hawaii football team’s frustration echoed.

On display on national television and in view of 27,701 vaccinated spectators at Reser Stadium, the Rainbow Warriors’ offensive surge was not good enough in a 45-27 loss to Oregon State.

The Warriors, who could not build off the previous week’s victory over Portland State, are now winless in two road games — both against Pac-12 opponents.

“The loss is tough,” wideout Nick Mardner said. “We traveled all the way up here. It was an hour-and-a-half bus ride from our hotel (in Eugene, Ore.) to get here, all types of stuff. I wish we’d get the win and show all the Pac-12 that we’re not to be played with. (The season opener against) UCLA was tough. It was our first game. It felt we were more in our skin in this game. It is what it is.”

Both losses shared a theme: UCLA and OSU surged to big leads early while playing at a rat-a-tat pace that dazed the Warriors.

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On Saturday, the Beavers scored on all their first-quarter possessions. Chance Nolan, who exited training camp as the Beavers’ No. 3 quarterback, connected on his first 13 passes. His 13th completion was the most telling. While absorbing a hit on a blitz from cornerback Cortez Davis, Nolan flipped a pass to Anthony Gould for a 22-yard gain. Nolan, who ascended the depth chart because Tristan Gebbie has hamstring issues and Colorado transfer Sam Noyer was ineffective against Purdue last week, went 21-for-29 for 302 yards and two touchdowns.

UH quarterback Chevan Cordeiro did not complete a pass until the second quarter, and he was intercepted on the Warriors’ first two possessions of the second half. But Cordeiro withstood OSU’s best pressure to scramble for 62 yards on non-sack plays and throw for 366 yards and two touchdowns. Cordeiro averaged 15.3 yards on his 24 completions. Mardner had 110 receiving yards, and Calvin Turner rushed for two touchdowns and caught a scoring pass.

“We played good enough offensively to win the football game,” UH coach Todd Graham said of the Warriors’ 454 yards. “Special teams, I thought we did a good job. Defensively? Terrible. Absolutely terrible. Frustrating defensively. That was the difference in the game. We never stopped them. We lined up wrong. We couldn’t get lined up. They tempo’d us. They did a good job.”

UH entered understaffed on defense. As part of the punishment for helmet-to-helmet contact against a Portland State receiver, wide-side cornerback Cameron Lockridge was required to sit out the first two quarters on Saturday. Defensive end Jonah Laulu, who has excelled as an edge setter this season, did not make the trip because of an injury. Georgia transfer Hugh Nelson II made his first NCAA start in place of Lockridge. DJuan Matthews moved from rush end to Laulu’s spot, and O’tay Baker started at end.

“You’re going to have games where you don’t have everybody over there,” Graham said. “That wasn’t the issue. The issue wasn’t getting lined up. We had the opportunity to get off the field (with defensive stops), and we didn’t get off the field. We have to do a better job preparing them.”

Graham pointed to a situation in the third quarter after the Warriors closed to 31-20. After a holding penalty created a second-and-20 for the Beavers, Nolan scrambled for 12 yards and was struck by linebacker Darius Muasau. After a review, officials upheld the targeting penalty against Muasau. The Beavers got the first down on a drive that eventually resulted in a Nolan-to-Gould touchdown, and Muasau was ejected. Muasau will miss the first half of this coming Saturday’s Mountain West opener against San Jose State.

“Second down and 20, and we get a penalty,” Graham said. “I thought that was the play of the game. I thought we had a chance to come back and win the game. We had a lot of momentum at that point. That broke our backs.”

The Warriors were innovative offensively. On one play, Turner was aligned as the quarterback and Cordeiro was at wideout. Jason Phillips took the handoff, on a run to the right, and relayed it to Cordeiro curling into the backfield. Under pressure, Cordeiro threw to Turner, who weaved his way for a 35-yard gain. The throw actually was supposed to go to Mardner, but he was covered.

“Calvin was my outlet,” Cordeiro said. “I had pressure on that, and I just found Calvin.”

The Warriors also unveiled a power formation with 6-foot, 290-pound defensive tackle Foi Shaw set up as a fullback. Shaw delivered a big block on Turner’s 3-yard scoring run, as UH closed to 38-27 with 10:28 to play.

But the Warriors could not slow the Beavers’ quick tempo and the accompanying running game. B.J. Baylor rushed for 171 yards — 66 coming on a scoot through the B gap — as OSU rolled up 256 ground yards.

“We have to give them credit,” Graham said. “They’re very well coached. They did a good job, and they’re physical. They were able to control the line of scrimmage, and they did it through tempo, something we harped on all week.”