Things get a lot more real once conference play heats up and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors got a dose of that reality on Saturday when they headed to the mainland to take on San Jose State.
Conference wins are hard to come by, no matter the opponent. That was as evident as ever as these two teams battled for what turned into an instant classic, neither fully putting the other away, nor giving up easily. In the end, five — FIVE! — overtimes were required to determine a winner and a loser.
But the evening finally closed with Hawaii earning the emotional, draining victory, 44-41. San Jose State kicker Bryce Crawford missed a 47-yard field goal that would have tied things up, mercifully letting the ‘Bows get on a plane back home with a 5-1 record and at 2-0 in conference play.
Hawaii had the rare opportunity to start their conference slate in “week zero” way back on Aug. 25, when they upset Colorado State on the road, 43-34. But now really feels like the true beginning to Mountain West action and the ‘Bows are hoping to show themselves as true contenders in the West Division.
Despite the disparity in the teams’ records, this seemed like an even matchup on paper. That obviously came to fruition. Records go out the window at this stage and most games end up being less about prior efforts and mostly about who executes most efficiently on the day.
It took quite a while to make that distinction on Saturday as the two teams battled evenly for a full 60 minutes and required an additional five possessions each to settle the score. The win seemed within Hawaii’s grasp on multiple occasions, but every opportunity must be fully taken advantage of to win on the road. The ‘Bows weren’t able to take advantage multiple times when most necessary, but still managed to escape.
Hawaii has been able to play from in front for much of the year, but this required a different story as the Spartans used a big second quarter effort to take a 17-3 lead.
The story may have been different, but the script remained the same. The superstar quarterback and the superstar wide receiver made plays when they needed to be made.
What looked to be a struggle early for Cole McDonald ended up with a stat line of 341 yards passing, four touchdowns and one interception. It was all necessary and most of his success came in bringing his team back from that first-half deficit, his favorite target helping him out in style.
John Ursua continues to lead the country in just about every receiving category and he racked up 13 catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
When five overtimes are required, obviously more than just a few plays made the difference on the scoreboard. But all Hawaii cares about now is that they made just enough plays to move to 2-0 in Mountain West play and already on the verge of bowl eligibility. These types of games are fun, but let’s not make it a habit.
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David Simon can be reached at dsimon@thegardenisland.com.
