Starting Slow
>> Situation: Hawaii 0, Colorado State 0, 14:11 remaining third quarter, Hawaii ball third-and-12 at own 33
>> The Play: QB Dru Brown throws an off-target pass intended for SB Dylan Collie that falls incomplete.
>> Impact: Hawaii went three-and-out on offense to start the game, the first of three possessions without a first down. Hawaii did not get a first down until the second quarter, and did not score until after Colorado State had taken a 24-0 lead.
>> Brown: “I’ve got to be better in the first few series. Things were there. I missed a throw on the first third down that I’ve hit like a million times in my life. Maybe I just need to settle down a little bit.”
Carbon Copies
>> Situation: Colorado State 7, Hawaii 0, 6:34 remaining first quarter, Colorado State ball second-and-10 at Hawaii 38
>> The Play: QB Nick Stevens throws a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Detrich Clark, who is wide open in the middle of Hawaii’s defensive secondary.
>> Impact: The play capped Colorado State’s second drive, which started at its own 39. It was almost identical to its first score, a 36-yard touchdown pass from Stevens to Clark on the same route. Of Colorado State’s 610 yards, 351 came on passes.
>> Hawaii safety Daniel Lewis: “We played really bad football. We made a lot of errors. We missed a lot of tackles.”
Third-Down Efficiency
>> Situation: Colorado State 14, Hawaii 0, 3:10 remaining first quarter, Colorado State ball third-and-7 at own 47
>> The Play: Stevens completes a pass to TE Dalton Fackrell for 12 yards and a first down.
>> Impact: The play kept alive another Colorado State drive that ended in a touchdown. Colorado State converted eight of 11 times on third down while Hawaii did just four of 12.
>> Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich: “In the first half, the third downs were the difference.”
Brief Momentum Swing
>> Situation: Colorado State 24, Hawaii 7, 1:25 remaining third quarter, Colorado State ball first-and-10 at own 20
>> The Play: WR Michael Gallup takes in a long pass from Stevens for a 76-yard gain to the Hawaii 4.
>> Impact: RB Izzy Matthews went in from 4 yards out on the next play, and the touchdown prevented Hawaii from having a positive to build upon going into halftime. Gallup caught eight passes for 212 yards and a touchdown.
>> Gallup: “I feel like we should have this type of offense every game. Running backs are exceeding what they need to do, wide receivers are out here making plays, and our quarterback’s doing what he’s supposed to do.”
No Let Up
>> Situation: Colorado State 31, Hawaii 7, 13:11 remaining third quarter, Colorado State ball second-and-2 at Hawaii 19
>> The Play: RB Dalyn Dawkins carries for a 19-yard touchdown run.
>> Impact: Colorado State scored touchdowns on its first two possessions of the second half to continue to pull away from Hawaii. Dawkins rushed for 130 yards.
>> Stevens: “We did a really good job coming out and playing a good second half, staying in it. They say all the time (Hawaii) always has comebacks because of that exact reason. And that’s exactly what he (Dawkins) didn’t want to happen.”
