Just in case you might have wondered how something that began with so much hope could have deteriorated so badly over the past three months, the University of Hawaii played a microcosm of its 3-9 season in four hard-to-watch quarters Saturday night.
In a 30-20 loss to Brigham Young in the season finale, the Rainbow Warriors exhibited all the shortcomings that contributed to the eight losses in their last nine games and seventh consecutive season without a winning record.
On a rainy, wind-swept night at chilly Aloha Stadium where the football wasn’t so hot, either, UH committed disabling penalties at key junctures, was incapable of sustaining offensive drives and was unable to come up with timely stops on defense or prevent big plays.
And to think, the evening had begun hopefully enough with bright rainbows, those legendary symbols of good fortune, arching over Aloha Stadium before kickoff.
It all took place against what should have been the made-to-order opponent, a now 4-9 BYU team that was trying to avoid what would have been its first double- digit loss season since 1949.
All of which served to further illuminate the need for a thorough coaching staff shakeup in the offseason.
One that can’t come soon enough as the ‘Bows head into a crucial recruiting campaign after saying goodbye to 20 seniors.
Defense would be a good place to start after UH surrendered 451 yards of total offense and an average of 5.8 yards per play to what had been for months now a toothless Cougars offense. Even when BYU’s top offensive threat, running back Squally Canada, exited in the second quarter due to the concussion protocol after amassing 113 yards and two touchdowns on 17 first-half carries, his replacements continued to slice and dice the UH defense.
Most painful to long-time UH faithful were the rushes by running back-wildcat Austin Kafentzis, whose family had blessed the ‘Bows with his father, Kyle, and four uncles between the late 1970s and 1990s. Austin ran 18 times for 98 yards. Riley Burt, who had not scored this season, ran 13 times for 75 yards and a score, killing the clock and, ultimately, the ‘Bows.
Nor did the offense scare anybody but the faithful. To illustrate what a struggle it was, running back Diocemy Saint Juste, who had averaged 133.7 yards per game and came into the game needing just 28 yards to set UH’s single-season rushing record, didn’t manage the feat until well into the fourth quarter. He finished with just 39 yards on 12 carries, a season low.
And when UH did begin to move the ball its efforts invariably ran aground on third down, where the ‘Bows converted just three of 11 attempts.
In the end, it left head coach Nick Rolovich to punctuate the loss after the offense was stymied by back-to-back penalties, an ineligible player downfield and a false start. When a last-ditch attempt to get back in the game, a bubble screen that went for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-4, with four minutes, 27 seconds remaining, Rolovich angrily spiked his headset, exhaled the rest of his pent-up frustrations and then stared forlornly at the dark sky.
By the time he lowered his eyes, Rolovich could see the remnants of the gathering of 19,256 streaming toward the exits. Like their team, they went quietly into the night and the offseason.