Local Sports

Hawaii beats Houston 28-14 in New Mexico Bowl — in Texas

The Associated Press and The Maui News

FRISCO, Texas -- Chevan Cordeiro threw three first-half touchdown passes, Calvin Turner broke the New Mexico Bowl record with a 92-yard kickoff return had another long scoring play to help Hawaii beat Houston 28-14 on Thursday in the New Mexico Bowl.

The game was moved to Frisco from its usual location in Albuquerque because of COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico.

Hawaii (5-4) gave first-year coach Todd Graham his 100th career victory. He previously coached at Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State. Graham is the first UH coach to post a winning record in his first season since June Jones did it in 1999 (9-4).

Hawaii had three interceptions -- the first two leading to a 14-0 lead -- and five sacks.

"Our deal was to push the quarterback off his spot, try to pressure him and confuse him," Graham said. "We talked about batting the ball. We gave him four or five different looks."

The Rainbow Warriors had a winning record for the third season in a row, the first time they've done that since 2001-04. Houston (3-5) has consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2000-02.

Cordeiro completed 15 of 23 passes for 136 yards and had eight carries for 33 yards.

Houston's Clayton Tune was 20 of 38 for 216 yards with two touchdowns and the three interceptions.

Hawaii raced to a 21-0 lead in the first half, with Cordeiro throwing scoring passes of 3 yards to Dae Dae Hunter, 75 yards to Turner, and 4 yards to Jonah Laulu.

Houston rallied with two touchdowns in the third quarter, with Tune throwing a 7-yard scoring pass to Nathaniel Dell and a 26-yarder to Christian Trahan.

After Trahan's score, Turner returned the kickoff 92 yards to cap the scoring. Turner was named the New Mexico Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player after racking up 252 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

"They had just scored a touchdown," Turner said, "so I was thinking I needed to come up with a big play."

Turner's kickoff return touchdown was the first for UH since 2015 when Baldwin High School graduate Keelan Ewaliko did it against Air Force.

Said Houston coach Dana Holgorsen: "I was sick to my stomach. "We played spurts of good football, but that's not going to get it done. I'm glad 2020's over."

It's the Warriors fourth winning record in the last five seasons. Hawaii improved to 8-6 overall in 14 all-time bowl appearances.

UH improved to 2-1 in Mainland bowl games. Hawaii won the 1992 Holiday Bowl over Illinois (27-17) and lost to Georgia (41-10) in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.

Hawaii 14 7 7 0--28

Houston 0 0 14 0--14

First Quarter

HAW--Dae Dae Hunter 3 pass from Chevan Cordeiro (Matthew Shipley kick), 10:43.

HAW--Calvin Turner 75 pass from Cordeiro (Shipley kick), 3:35.

Second Quarter

HAW--Jonah Laulu 4 pass from Cordeiro (Shipley kick), 8:05.

Third Quarter

HOU--Nathaniel Dell 7 pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick), 7:39.

HOU--Chrsitian Trahan 26 pass from Tune (Witherspoon kick), 3:45.

HAW--Turner 92 kickoff return (Shipley kick), 3:29.

Att--2060.

HAW. HOU

First downs. 11 20

Rushes-yards 34-131 38-58

Passing yards 136 249

Total offense 267 307

Comp-Att-Int 15-23-0 21-43-3

Return Yards 108 55

Punts-Avg. 8-38.4 7-43.7

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 3-40 5-25

Time of Possession 26:56 33:04

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--HAW, Turner 12-60, Hunter 12-44, Cordeiro 8-33, team 2-(minus 6); HOU, Mulbah Car 15-47, Kyle Porter 9-30, Chandler 3-5, Logan Holgorsen 1-(minus 8), Tune 10-(minus 16).

PASSING--HAW, Cordeiro 15-23-0--136; HOU, Tune 20-38-3-216, Holgorsen 1-5-0--33

RECEIVING--HAW, turner 4-88, Jared Smart 3-33, Hunter 3-9, Laulu 2-4, Melquise Stovall 2-1, Michael Eletise 1-1; HOU, Dell 6-112, Trahan 5-88, Peyton Sawyer 5-24, Tre’Von Bradley 2-14, Ke’Andre Street 1-8, Kyle Porter 4-3.

MISSED FIELD GOALS--HAW, Shipley 49.