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This was what is known these days as “a tough ask.”
The University of Hawaii football team went up against the 18th-ranked team in the nation Saturday as an 11-point underdog. UH’s starting quarterback was injured, and Chevan Cordeiro’s replacement, Brayden Schager, is a true freshman making his first college start.
The opposing quarterback, Jake Haener of Fresno State, came in leading the nation in passing yardage. In college football circles, his name has been uttered in the same sentence as “Heisman Trophy candidate,” especially after he orchestrated a win at UCLA two weeks ago — a team that blasted Hawaii to start the season.
If that’s not enough, consider also this was UH’s homecoming game, but with no spectators allowed in the stadium. That’s like trying to throw a party without guests, and it can’t be great for morale.
Sometimes football teams thrive by developing an us-against-the-world culture … but “us” doesn’t mean you don’t want your fans in the stands. When you’re going up against a longtime rival with a 4-1 record and yours is 2-3, you need the support.
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Considering all of those circumstances, I wasn’t the only one who thought this could get ugly, and fast.
And it almost did — but the other way around, ugly for the visitors from Fresno State. If the Rainbow Warriors had taken full advantage of more of the Bulldogs’ many mistakes, they would’ve blown them out of the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
Instead, the result is something even more rewarding for this program — a down-to-the-last-second nailbiter, with Hawaii gutting out a 27-24 victory after trailing by two touchdowns with a little more than 12 minutes left to play.
Fresno State can kiss the Top 25 goodbye after the Warriors intercepted Haener four times and recovered both of the Bulldogs’ fumbles. All but 10 of UH’s points came off of Fresno State turnovers. Three of the takeaways came dangerously close to the goal line, including Hugh Nelson’s interception at the Hawaii 3 with nine seconds left.
Even closing it out at that point was an adventure, as the ’Bows were forced to run two plays since Fresno had timeouts left.
Hawaii’s giveaways? No interceptions, and one fumble lost for Schager — but as it did all game when it mattered most, the defense had his back.
In wins like this, the home team almost always credits the crowd for pumping it up, for reminding them that the people in the stands have their back and that they’re playing for them, too. And lots of noise at the right times often contributes to the visiting team screwing up, simply because it interferes with their communication.
UH won without that benefit Saturday. (The band helped, though, according to the players.)
Schager is from Dallas. Family members made expensive trips here for UH’s first two home games, even though they knew their son probably wouldn’t play much. They wanted to support him, and his new football and college ohana.
But they and other family members of UH players from afar as well as in state were not allowed to buy tickets to attend those games and support their sons.
The same was so for this game, and the University of Hawaii remains the only of the 130 college football programs not allowing spectators at its games.
“It really breaks my heart we couldn’t have our Hawaii family (at the game),” UH head coach Todd Graham said.
“Especially our kids’ parents.”
The Rainbow Warriors put on a performance Saturday that all associated with the program can be proud of. So did the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team on Friday in its sweep of Long Beach State. If you follow UH volleyball, you know beating The Beach never gets old.
It’s not that those of us associated with sports don’t understand there are priorities in life, and during a pandemic public safety is the first concern.
But there’s also common sense and fairness, and the irrationally strict executive orders that continue to disallow even just a few hundred vaccinated family members of student-athletes at UH sports events boggle the mind.
The Rainbow Warriors won against big odds Saturday despite a continued lack of support from some of the state’s so-called leadership. This team deserves much better, and unless the continued downward trend in coronavirus cases reverses, at the very least plans should be developed for players’ parents to be allowed at the next home football game on Oct. 23, as well as at future volleyball and soccer matches.
UH was fortunate Brayden Schager was here Saturday. It’s a shame his parents weren’t allowed to be here too, to see it in person. Same for the rest of the Rainbow Warriors and Wahine.
It really isn’t that tough of an ask at this point.
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