Five key plays that decided Hawai’i vs. UCLA

Good news from the UCLA game? We covered the 14-point spread and showed that we are a team that is better than preseason predictions.

Bad news? It was a game Hawai’i should have won.

Sports is all about momentum and the Rainbow Warriors lost it midway through the game and the Bruins made them pay for it. Here are five key plays in chronological order that played a big factor in the outcome of the game.

#1: Lucas Borrow 19-yard run on a fake punt to extend opening possession for Hawai’i

Down-and-distance: Fourth-and-6 at the HAW 31

Time on clock: 11:21 in 1Q

Why it was important: Instead of going 3-and-out on the opening possession, special teams came through with some trickery to extend Hawaii’s drive. Quarterback Brayden Schager would go on to complete five straight passes, including a 19-yard strike to Pofele Ashlock for the Rainbow Warriors’ only touchdown of the game. Borrow’s 19-yard rush was also the longest of the game for Hawai’i as he finished as the team’s leading rusher. This play gave the Rainbow Warriors the early momentum that helped them take a 10-0 lead into the locker rooms.

#2: Schager incomplete pass just before the end of the first half

Down-and-distance: Second-and-goal at the UCLA 6

Time on clock: 0:13 in 2Q

Play design: After calling timeout on a 1-yard loss on first-and-goal, the Rainbow Warriors’ came out in a doubles formation with two receivers to each side — but the play changes as the team huddles even though half the team were already in lined up in their spots. Out of the huddle, Hawai’i lines up Ashlock and wideout Jonah Panoke in a stacked split to the short side of the field with Ashlock lining up behind Panoke’s left hip. Ashlock takes an inside release before breaking to the outside on am out route to the boundary, but the pass is broken up by UCLA.

Why it was important: Logan Taylor’s interception put Hawai’i in a prime position to score a touchdown and go up 14-0 into halftime, but the Rainbow Warriors are unable to advance the ball and are force to settle for a Kansei Matsuzawa 28-yard field goal that barely cleared the crossbar. Second-guessing on the play call out of the timeout came back to bite Hawai’i as the Bruins were ready and keying on Ashlock, who saw all of Hawaii’s three targets in the red zone. Panoke also did not register a catch in the game so using him as a decoy on a potential rub-route concept did not fool UCLA. What also hurt was wideout Spencer Curtis was coming open on the backside on a slant route against man coverage. Schager would go on to be sacked on third down in what was a blown opportunity on the doorstep.

#3: Rico Flores 39-yard touchdown reception for UCLA’s first points

Down-and-distance: First-and-10 at the HAW 39

Time on clock: 8:49 in 3Q

Play design: UCLA started to mix its formation and personnel groupings to start of the second half and got Hawai’i to sub in more defensive lineman and linebackers with a heavier package. On this touchdown play, Flores moved over from his usual receiver spot and lined up as an in-line tight end while the Bruins had two tight ends as H-backs with one coming in motion from the left side to the right side of the formation. After play-action, Ethan Garbers fired pinpoint pass over the head of safety Peter Manuma and into the arms of Flores on a deep pass over the middle against a cover 3 defense.

Why it was important: Hawai’i had a chance to put points to start the second half, but went 3-and-out. Meanwhile, UCLA came around on its first possession of the second half with a 96-yard drive to gain some momentum. What was a 10-0 halftime lead turned into a 10-7 dogfight early in the third quarter. This was the momentum-shifting play and drive that the Bruins needed and what was the start of three consecutive second-half drives where UCLA was able to come away with points.

#4: Flores 53-yard catch-and-run to set up UCLA field goal

Down-and-distance: Third-and-12 at the UCLA 39

Time on clock: 2:16 in 3Q

Play design: Hawai’i tried to bring pressure with a delayed nickel back blitz with Elijah Palmer, but Garbers was able to step up in the pocket away from the pressure before finding Flores on a short crossing pattern with most of Hawaii’s defensive secondary guarding deep routes. Linebacker Noah Kema was responsible for covering the short area of the field, but was caught in a bind with a quarterback and a receiver both coming towards him.

Why it was important: This was one of the rare misses by the Hawai’i defense all game. A mobile quarterback gave Hawai’i fits in the season-opener and Garbers was able to make one of the few plays in the game that he needed to. The Rainbow Warriors were able to stand tall in the red zone to force a field goal instead of a go-ahead touchdown, but the damage was already done when they failed to get off the field on third down before giving up the most explosive play of the afternoon. 

#5: Schager intercepted by D.J. Justice just before the end of the third quarter

Down-and-distance: Second-and-10 at HAW 11

Time on clock: 0:46 in 3Q

Why it was important: This play was not the nail in the coffin. But, it was the sign that Hawaii’s upset bid over a Big 10 team would be in one. It was a throw that was on the run and against Schager’s body with a throw to Nick Cenacle running a corner route out of the left slot position. What makes it more inexcusable was this was a throw that Schager was nearly intercepted on a week ago against Delaware State. UCLA would take advantage of the short field with a game-tying field goal to make it 13-13, which capped three straight possessions that the Bruins came away with points in the second half. Hawai’i never closer to the end zone than the UCLA 42 in the fourth quarter and the Bruins were able to muster a drive late to win the game.