On homecoming night, the University of Hawaii brought back a tireless and opportunistic defensive effort.

The Rainbow Warriors intercepted two Duquesne passes in the end zone and scored on a pick-6 for a 24-14 victory before 8,991 at the Ching Complex.

After opening the season with three losses, the Warriors helped Timmy Chang win his first as head coach. Chang, a former record-setting quarterback for the Warriors in the early 2000s, was hired in January.

“It’s good to get the first win,” Chang said, “but my mind is already working on how we can correct problems and position to win the next one.”

The Warriors depart on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s road game against New Mexico State.

The Warriors had struggled in their first three games. “Being 0-3, the confidence that your team has … you feel it being 0-3,” Chang said. “It’s the coaches. It’s the players. It’s our equipment staff. It’s our training staff. We needed this win. And now from here, I told those guys, ‘I’m going to be hard on you Monday because we’ve still got to correct a lot of things.’ Until we understand that, until we keep getting repetitions at these skill sets we need come game time … we’re going to be hard on them. That’s the only way you get better.”

The offense was uneven, amassing only 184 yards in a season-low 46 plays. Duquesne’s clock-draining, ball-hogging offense held possession for 37 minutes, 2 seconds. In the third quarter, the Dukes had the ball for 12:11.

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The Warriors’ first drive was a three-and-out. Running back Dedrick Parson fumbled but UH recovered on the second play of their second drive. But the Warriors decided to starve mishaps by feeding Parson. Following right guard Micah Vanterpool’s pin block, Parson scored on a 5-yard run to give the Warriors a 7-6 lead in the first quarter.

Later, UH’s Kaulana Makaula smothered Michael Berarducci’s punt, with Hugh Nelson recovering at the Duquesne 14.

“Something (special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield) was emphasizing all week — we were going to block a kick,” Makaula recalled. “I was the lucky one who got my hand on it. It sounded like a ‘thump.’ It was like something you dream about. I was happy it was me who got it.”

Three plays and two penalties later, Parson scored on a 17-yard dash around right end to extend the Warriors’ advantage to 14-3 with 11 minutes left in the half.

Of rebounding from the almost-turnover, Parson said, “That’s what comes with the game. You can’t do everything perfect. Adversity hits when you play sports like this. It’s how you respond to adversity. I responded to adversity. I made the plays. I made the blocks. We got the win.”

It was a surreal experience for Parson, who grew up in Philadelphia, to face an FCS team from Pittsburgh.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “Coming all the way here to play a team from back home. It’s amazing how the world works.”

Duquesne is a member of a conference in which teams are limited to spreading the financial equivalent of 45 scholarships among their roster. In contrast, UH, as an FBS member, is allowed to offer up to 85 full scholarships.

But the Dukes were able to play keepaway with a ball-control running game and efficient-passing attack. But the Dukes were wide left on a field-goal attempt, and were intercepted three times.

In the fourth quarter, UH weak-side linebacker Isaiah Tufaga harassed Joe Mischer into hurrying a pass. Middle linebacker Penei Pavihi intercepted at midfield and raced the other way. At the 10, Pavihi exchanged a high-five with Tufaga before completing his first pick-6 since he was an eighth grader in American Samoa.

Pavihi recalled receiving grief from teammates after dropping a potential interception in the opener against Vanderbilt. “Now we’re even.” he said.

The Warriors also sabotaged Duquesne’s scoring opportunities with interceptions in the end zone — both by nickelback Malik Hausman. His second pick was secured after the Dukes scored a touchdown to close to 24-14, then recovered the ensuing on-side kick.

“It’s all God’s blessings,” Hausman said of the interceptions. “My teammates helped me on the field, making me accountable. I give it to the team.”

Hausman and Peter Manuma also took turns tracking slotback Dwayne Menders, who was held to six catches, including a touchdown, on 16 targets.

“Huge,” UH defensive coordinator Jacob Yoro said of the outcome. “Anytime we get turnovers, it’s big. We didn’t play perfect defense by any stretch of the imagination. But what we tell our guys is takeaways are the saviors. They’re the get-out-of-jail-free card. IF we can get takeaways, it allows us to make the adjustments we need to make.”

The Dukes logged a season-high 81 snaps, averaging 4.5 yards per play.

“When we play defense, we want to make sure their offense scores less than our offense,” Yoro said. “Any means possible, right? A win’s a win. Whether we win 65-63 or 3-0, wins are wins. It’s about the team wins, and doing your part. There are a lot of things to clean up, a lot of youth out there, a lot of youthful mistakes. These kids have continued to play hard. They played their asses off, and that’s the No. 1 thing we’re building on.”