Yes, there is reason to celebrate that the University of Hawaii football team is off to its best start since 2019.
But it should also be remembered that not all 3-1 records are created equally.
That’s why Fresno State is a 3.5-point favorite at Hawaii when they meet in the Mountain West opener for both teams on Saturday at the Ching Complex.
Both come off wins where they were huge favorites hosting FCS schools.
While the Warriors needed the entire first quarter to get on track in their 23-3 victory over Portland State of the Big Sky conference, the Bulldogs rolled from the first drive in their 56-7 romp over Southern of the SWAC.
Penalties were a notable difference in the rivals’ wins against physically overmatched opponents. Fresno State was flagged six times for 50 yards, while UH’s infractions cost the Warriors 138 yards — and negated two touchdowns.
“We had a lot of miscues, a lot of things we didn’t do well,” UH coach Timmy Chang said. “Penalties; 13 when it was said and done. It’s a thing here, a thing there and things add up. We gotta clean that up.”
Hawaii was favored to beat Portland State by more than five touchdowns — and the Warriors might have done that if not for the penalties and slow start.
“We’re trying to limit the unforced errors,” said running back Cam Barfield, who caught two touchdown passes from Luke Weaver that did count.
But he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the second TD.
“I’m not proud of it,” Barfield said. “We have to have the right type of passion to stay level-headed.”
The UH offense didn’t earn as many scoreboard and style points as Fresno State did on Saturday. Quarterback E.J. Warner, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, threw his first four touchdown passes of the season.
The Warriors can hope for Warner to regress to the guy who threw five interceptions in his first three games. Hawaii’s defense played well against a Vikings offense quarterbacked by former teammate John-Keawe Sagapolutele.
Elijah Palmer’s interception of a Sagapolutele pass late in the first quarter ended a long Portland State drive, and sparked the Warriors.
“I love the way Elijah Palmer plays,” Chang said. “He played aggressive on the screens, he’s a downhill tackler but he also has the athletic talent to cover in space.”
Palmer’s first interception of the season was the turning point, as UH scored on the next drive on a 16-yard catch-and-run to Barfield from Weaver.
The same connection worked on the next Hawaii possession, this time for a 31-yard TD.
Portland State finished the game with the same number of touchdowns it scored in its first three games, all losses: one.
“Defense was awesome,” Chang said. “A goal line stand, another fourth down to end the game. They took the ball away. Did a nice job against the run and the short passes John was trying to throw.”
The legend of Kansei Matsuzawa continued to grow, as the self-taught kicker knocked three more field goals through the uprights, plus two more points after touchdown. That makes him 11-for-11 on 3-pointers and eight-for-eight on PATs.
The 41 points put him fifth nationally among all FBS players, and first among kickers. (Penn State’s Ryan Barker, who is next with 39, has played in three games compared to four for Matsuzawa).
“His mindset is he stays in the moment and kicks them one at a time,” Chang said.
The Warriors can only play one game at a time, and they won their second in a row without starting quarterback Micah Alejado. Some fans will now start thinking about the magic number to make a bowl game. Meanwhile, the team’s focus switches to climbing the Mountain.
“We go into conference 3-1. All the goals (are) in front of us,” Chang said.
This week UH plays its first opponent entering the game with at least one win. As the season progresses, the old Bill Parcells quote about being who your record says you are will mean a lot more for this team than it does right now.
