Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jordan Murph Hawai‘i linebacker Brad Kalilimoku (43) leads the Warriors in the ha‘ia, a traditional Hawaiian war chant, before an NCAA football game against the Boise State Broncos at Aloha Stadium. Hawai‘ii defeated Boise State 39-27 to win the 2007 WAC championship.

Media Credit: Jordan Murph University of Hawai‘i quarterback Colt Brennan (15) holds up the ball after a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against Boise State at Aloha Stadium.

Hawai‘i 63, Northern Colorado 6
Sept. 1, 2007

Ranked No. 23 in the preseason Associated Press top 25 poll, the University of Hawai‘i football team cruised to a 63-6 victory over the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) Northern Colorado Bears at Aloha Stadium to open up the 2007 season. The win pushed the Warriors three spots up in the AP poll to No. 20. Despite a weekend that saw underdog teams like Appalachian State defeat then-No. 5 Michigan in a 34-32 upset, UH silenced any recurring thoughts as they took an early 28-0 lead with 4:24 left in the first quarter.

While the successful reputation of the offense rang true, it was the defensive unit that brought the game to an entirely new level. Earning the Ka Leo's Unit of the Game award is the Warrior defense, which forced three turnovers and held the Bears to a mere 15 yards in the first quarter and 46 yards in the first half. The Warriors accumulated 439 yards by halftime.

Hawai‘i 45, Louisiana Tech 44 (OT)
Sept. 8, 2007

Hawai‘i dropped four spots, from No. 20 to No. 24, after a 45-44 overtime win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the Warriors' first road game of the season. UH entered the game as a 28-point favorite but struggled as the Bulldogs took an early 14-0 advantage and a 21-14 lead into the second half.

With the score knotted at 38 at the end of regulation, the Warriors' offense took the first try at scoring in the extra period and took a 45-38 lead after senior quarterback Colt Brennan connected with senior wide receiver Jason Rivers in the end zone and junior place kicker Dan Kelly successfully kicked the extra point. On the ensuing drive, the Bulldogs reached the end zone for a score and looked for a win with a two-point conversion, but the attempt was thwarted by senior Gerard Lewis, who batted down the pass at the goal line. Lewis earns Ka Leo's nod for Player of the Game.

Hawai‘i 49, UNLV 14
Sept. 15, 2007

The No. 19 Hawai‘i football team saw an all-too-familiar fourth quarter of relief by the backup quarterback as the Warriors cruised to a 49-14 victory over the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. UH ended their losing streak against the Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium, with that streak dating back to 1995.

After UNLV opened the game with a touchdown, Hawai‘i scored 42 unanswered points, which included back-to-back scores on two 1-yard rushing drives by Colt Brennan, which marked his first multiple touchdown game on the ground and earned him Ka Leo's nod for Player of the Game honors. Brennan finished the night 26-of-32, for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

Hawai‘i 66, Charleston Southern 10
Sept. 22, 2007

While the Warriors held a 21-10 lead going into the locker room at halftime, it was the defensive unit that grasped the win for the night as they allowed only one red zone appearance for the Buccaneers. Hawai‘i, with junior quarterback Tyler Graunke starting in place of Colt Brennan, scored 45 unanswered points in the second half to close the game at 66-10.

For another night, Brennan was out of commission as he paced the sidelines. But it was the Warriors' defense that put up another prolific performance with three interceptions and one fumble recovery, forcing Charleston Southern to convert only five of 20 third downs, again earning Unit of the Game honors from Ka Leo.

Hawai‘i 48, Idaho 20
Sept. 29, 2007

Hawai‘i continued with their unblemished record as they improved to 5-0 on the season after a 48-20 victory over the Idaho Vandals on the road. Colt Brennan returned to the starting lineup as the Warriors put up 31 unanswered points between the second and third quarters.

Sharing Ka Leo's honors for Player of the Game are junior linebacker Adam Leonard and senior defensive back Myron Newberry. Leonard regained the Warriors' lead to close the first quarter after intercepting a pass and running it back 40 yards for the touchdown. It was his second interception return in as many games. Newberry recorded two interceptions for 98 yards and six solo tackles.

Hawai‘i 52, Utah State 37
Oct. 6, 2007

The No. 15 Hawai‘i Warriors defeated the Utah State Aggies in a 52-37 shootout at Aloha Stadium. With a 31-13 lead at the half, the Warriors, with junior quarterback Tyler Graunke at the helm, held on to improve to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Aggies 13-10 lead was short-lived as sophomore wide receiver Malcolm Lane returned the ensuing kickoff for 87 yards and a touchdown to take the lead for good, earning Ka Leo's vote for Play of the Game.

Hawai‘i 42, San Jose State 35 (OT)
Oct. 12, 2007

Rain-drenched Spartan Stadium was not enough to stop a late Warriors comeback and a Hawai‘i overtime win against San Jose State. Considered by many to be the first challenging opponent all season, the Spartans were the first to keep Hawai‘i from scoring at least 45 points in a game.

Juniors Ryan Grice-Mullins and Davone Bess, along with senior Jason Rivers, each had over 100 receiving yards. UH quarterback Brennan found Rivers from 9 yards out in the first overtime for the score and the win, garnering Ka Leo's Play of the Game.

Hawai‘i 50, New Mexico State 13
Oct. 27, 2007

Returning from a two-week break, and with the season's first Bowl Championship Series polls ranking the Warriors at 18th, the Hawai‘i football team got back on track and defeated the Aggies to join an elite class of only five undefeated teams in the nation.

UH took a 23-3 lead into halftime and never looked back. Colt Brennan became Hawai‘i's all-time leader in touchdown passes on a second-half completion to Ryan Grice-Mullins. Grice-Mullins picked up a career-high 195 yards receiving and our nod for Player of the Game.

Hawai‘i 37, Fresno State 30
Nov. 10, 2007

The Warriors were first on the board, scoring on the third play of the game, when Colt Brennan found Jason Rivers for the 67-yard touchdown. Two more would quickly follow as Hawai‘i took an early 21-0 advantage over the Bulldogs. On the ensuing possession, Bulldog A.J. Jefferson returned the kick for 98 yards and a score, narrowing the lead to 14.

Hawai‘i would take a 34-16 lead into the half, but a scoreless third quarter led to a late Fresno State comeback. Brennan suffered a concussion after colliding head-on with Bulldogs linebacker Marcus Riley early in the fourth quarter. Brennan did not return to the field and UH needed an onside kick recovery to seal the deal.

Hawai‘i 28, Nevada 26
Nov. 16, 2007

In their final road contest of the regular season, the Hawai‘i Warriors improved to 10-0, earning the program's best start yet. The win would not come easy for the Warriors as the undefeated season and the victory came down to a Dan Kelly field goal kick with 11 seconds left on the clock. Nevada's last second chance was denied when UH senior Jacob Patek intercepted the ball.

Tyler Graunke started in place of Colt Brennan and picked up the win for the Warriors with 358 yards and three touchdowns. Kelly earns Ka Leo's Player of the Game after successfully kicking the game-winning, 45-yard field goal.

Hawai‘i 39, Boise State 27
Nov. 23, 2007

Colt Brennan returned to the starting lineup for UH, leading the Warriors to their first-ever outright WAC title in front of a sold-out Aloha Stadium. The meeting with Boise State was Hawai‘i's first against a ranked team all season. With the win, the Warriors snapped the Broncos' 18-game WAC winning streak and their five-year conference dominance.

Brennan, among others, had a career night with 495 yards passing and six touchdowns. With the effort, Brennan passed prior NCAA-leader Ty Detmer for most career touchdowns, most points responsible for and most touchdowns responsible for. Joining Brennan on the record night was junior Davone Bess, who set a new school record with 15 receptions for 181 yards and two scores.

Game ball goes to the entire UH squad. The contest against Boise State was the first all season in which both the defense and offense put forth their best effort. By the weekend's close, Hawai‘i was the lone undefeated team in the nation at 11-0.

Hawai‘i 35, Washington 28
Dec. 1, 2007

The Hawai‘i Warriors' season and the team's BCS hopes came down to one game - their contest with Pac-10 opponent Washington. The Huskies dominated the Warriors early, putting up 21 straight points in the first quarter and forcing three UH fumbles. The momentum shifted in favor of the Warriors just before the half as Colt Brennan completed 17 straight passes to cut the deficit to seven.

A scoreless third quarter and two unanswered UH touchdowns in the fourth quarter were the Huskies' downfall, as the Warriors rode the momentum to an undefeated 12-0 season and a perfect ending for the seniors.

Hawai‘i concluded the regular season ranked 10th in the BCS, setting up a New Year's Day game against 5th-ranked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

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