Hawaii 45, Louisiana Tech 44

1234OTT
HAW (2-0)771410745
LT (1-1)147107644

Final

7:07 PM ET, September 8, 2007
Joe Aillet Stadium
RUSTON, LA

Brennan's 4 TDs help Hawaii hold off La. Tech in OT

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... Louisiana Tech failed to make its two point conversion in overtime after scoring a TD on a 2-yard pass from Zac Champion.
Gameball goes to... Colt Brennan. Hawaii's Heisman hopeful put in another stat-tastic performance, completing 43 of 61 passes for 548 yards and four TDs.
Stat of the game... 36. Brennan's air show hasn't exactly encouraged a balance offense. The Warriors were held to a measly 36 rushing yards (and allowed 250).
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs3224
Total Yards593410
Passing548187
Rushing45223
Penalties10-809-70
3rd Down Conversions9-157-18
4th Down Conversions0-12-3
Turnovers30
Possession27:1432:46
Air/Ground Leaders
Hawaii Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Brennan43/6154841
Louisiana Tech Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Champion23/3618720
Hawaii Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Wright-Jackson653147
Pilares3005
Louisiana Tech Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Jackson2398216
Porter1068121
Hawaii Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Rivers14176147
Grice-Mullins9162264
Louisiana Tech Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Anderson441020
Beck540011
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERHAWLT
TD10:31Patrick Jackson 2 Yd Run (Danny Horwedel Kick) 07
TD04:03Patrick Jackson 16 Yd Run (Danny Horwedel Kick) 014
TD01:43Leon Wright-Jackson 47 Yd Run (Daniel Kelly Kick) 714
SECOND QUARTERHAWLT
TD10:11Colt Brennan 3 Yd Run (Daniel Kelly Kick) 1414
TD05:14Daniel Porter 18 Yd Run (Danny Horwedel Kick) 1421
THIRD QUARTERHAWLT
TD09:47Ryan Grice-Mullins 64 Yd Pass From Colt Brennan (Daniel Kelly Kick) 2121
FG06:03Danny Horwedel 42 Yd 2124
TD02:04Ryan Grice-Mullins 17 Yd Pass From Colt Brennan (Daniel Kelly Kick) 2824
TD00:48Josh Wheeler 3 Yd Pass From Zac Champion (Danny Horwedel Kick) 2831
FOURTH QUARTERHAWLT
TD08:35Davone Bess 19 Yd Pass From Colt Brennan (Daniel Kelly Kick) 3531
TD03:01Dennis Morris 1 Yd Run (Danny Horwedel Kick) 3538
FG01:34Daniel Kelly 49 Yd 3838
OVERTIMEHAWLT
TDJason Rivers 6 Yd Pass From Colt Brennan (Daniel Kelly Kick) 4538
TDDustin Mitchell 2 Yd Pass From Zac Champion (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) 4544
Associated Press

RUSTON, La. (AP) -- Louisiana Tech didn't want to give Colt Brennan another chance, so the Bulldogs went for the winning 2-point conversion in overtime.

However, No. 20 Hawaii was up to the task. The Warriors knocked down the pass attempt to preserve a 45-44 victory on Saturday night.

Colt Brennan was spectacular again for Hawaii, going 43-for-61 for 548 yards and four touchdowns. The Heisman Trophy contender hooked up with Jason Rivers for a 6-yard touchdown on the second play of OT to put the Warriors (2-0, 1-0, Western Athletic Conference) up 45-38.

Zac Champion answered for the Bulldogs with a 2-yard TD pass to Dustin Mitchell. They could have tied and played on with a PAT. Instead, first-year coach Derek Dooley went for the win and Champion's final pass to Brian Jackson was batted away.

"I liked their decision to go for two," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "If it was good and they had won, it would've meant so much to that team and program. "

Dan Kelly kicked a 49-yard field goal to tie the game for Hawaii with 1:34 to play.

Champion finished 23-for-36 for 188 yards and Patrick Jackson ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns for Louisiana Tech.

"I know everyone is going to say this is a moral victory but I'm not buying it," Dooley said. "We didn't win. We had our chances.

"Our players and fans, they don't have a thing to be ashamed of or hang their heads about. It would have been great to win and we were close, but I think today we showed we can hold our own when we have this type of effort and performance."

Tech jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on Jackson's TD runs from 2 and 16 yards in the first quarter.

Leon Wright-Jackson's 48 yard TD run and Brennan's 3-yard scramble for a score tied the game in the second quarter.

"Some mistakes at times hurt us and you can't do that against a team like Hawaii," Champion said. "Not with the kind of offense they have. They can score so quickly."

Hawaii would find the end zone quickly in the third quarter on a 64-yard pass from Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullen, tying the game at 21.

After Louisiana Tech regained the lead at 24-21, Brennan hooked up with Grice-Mullen once again for 17 yards and the Warriors' first lead at 28-24.

Tech capitalized on Hawaii's lost fumble, which led to Champion's 3-yard TD pass to Josh Wheeler and a 31-28 Bulldogs' lead.

Davonne Bess hauled in a 19-yard pass from Brennan to give the Warriors the lead again at 35-31 with 8:35 to play. After an interception by Tech, Dennis Morris scored on a 1-yard plunge and Tech led 38-35 with just over three minutes to play.

"We were glad to get out of here with a win," Jones said. "This has always been a tough place for us. Louisiana Tech did a great job all night playing with a tremendous amount of intensity and belief in themselves and it showed, the way this game went down to the final seconds."

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Saturday, September 8th
Nevada 31 Final
Northwestern 36
Utah State 18 Final
Wyoming 32
Fresno State 45 Final
Texas A&M 47 OT
Boise State 10 Final
Washington 24
Cal Poly 13 Final
Idaho 20
San Jose State 14 Final
Kansas State 34
Hawaii 45 Final
Louisiana Tech 44 OT
New Mexico State 34 Final
New Mexico 44