Hawaii beats Wyoming to end regular season

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hawaii football coach Timmy Chang and Micah Alejado shared a moment during UH’s win over Wyoming to finish the regular season with an 8-4 record.

It was riches before glitches in the Hawaii football team’s 27-7 rout of Wyoming at the Ching Complex.

A crowd of 13,116 — from a sellout announced at 15,194 — saw Micah Alejado throw two scoring passes; wideout Jackson Harris amass 153 receiving yards, with 78 coming on a catch-and-dash; and Kansei Matsuzawa converting two 47-yard field goals.

In improving to 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West, the Warriors reclaimed the Paniolo Trophy and celebrated 26 seniors final regular-season game.

It also was a night of records and comebacks.

Matsuzawa, a self-taught kicker from Japan, tied the FBS record of 25 successful field goals to start a season with his second 47-yarder to extend the Warrors’ lead to 20-7. Washington’s Chuck Nelson made 25 in a row to open the 1982 season. Matsuzawa’s 26 consecutive field goals dating to last season tied San Diego State Gabriel Plascenia’s Mountain West record.

But in the third quarter, the Warriors’ trick play on third down fell short. UH head coach Timmy Chang summoned Matsuzawa for a 30-yard attempt. But Matsuzawa’s kick sailed a skosh outside of the right upright. The crowd, at first in stunned disbelief, then offered a rousing ovation for Matsuzawa’s streak.

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The Cowboys struck first when free safety Jones Thomas intercepted Alejado and raced 50 yards the other way for a 7-0 lead. But Alejado shook off the setback, eventually completing 17 of 24 passes for 289 yards.

On third-and-1 from the Wyoming 19, Alejado tossed a 1-yard screen pass to running back Cam Barfield, who secured the ball at the 18 and sprinted untouched the rest of the way to tie it at 7 with 3:52 left in the opening quarter. It was Alejado’s 20th scoring pass of the season, breaking Chang’s UH record for a freshman.

The Warriors then took the lead on the first of Matsuzawa’s two field goals.

Later, Alejado was flushed from the pocket. Alejado fired a pass to Harris, who slanted to the middle on the scramble-drill play. Harris caught the pass at the UH 39, then sprinted away to complete the 78-yard touchdown play. It was Harris’ fourth touchdown of at least 70 yards this season. Harris transferred from Stanford in January.

To cap the Warriors’ opening drive of the second half, Barfield juked three would-be tacklers with jump cuts en route to a 41-yard scoring run. It was Barfield’s second two-touchdown game of the season.

Despite being without injured middle linebacker Jamih Otis, the Warriors stifled the Cowboys’ offense.

Wyoming finished with 256 total yards.

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