<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3iPTU5_0vH6dsoR00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3iPTU5_0vH6dsoR00" width="1250" height="703" ><figcaption>Hawaii receiver Pofele Ashlock was knocked out of bounds by UCLA's Carson Schwesinger in the third quarter. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)</figcaption></figure>HONOLULU — For one half, the Hawaii football team exceeded the college football world’s expectations on prime-time network television.For the other, it could not meet its own.UH, after shutting out UCLA for the first half, gradually faltered and ultimately succumbed to three Mateen Bhaghani field goals in the final 16 minutes of Saturday afternoon’s 16-13 Bruins comeback victory broadcast on CBS from the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.Playing in front of 13,470 people on a cloudless, searing day in the first announced sellout at the 15,194-seat Ching Complex, UH sought its first win ever against UCLA in five all-time meetings and its first against any opponent on network television.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Definitely the most atmosphere the Ching Complex has had for a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HawaiiFB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HawaiiFB</a> game to date. UCLA got roundly booed on its entrance a moment earlier. <a href="https://t.co/sCek5jSXFX">pic.twitter.com/sCek5jSXFX</a> — Brian McInnis (@Brian_McInnis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brian_McInnis/status/1830027577924468878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>The Rainbow Warriors could not move the ball after building a 10-0 halftime lead. They gained only six first downs and 100 yards after intermission.“Tough, tough. They made a few more plays than us,” said Chang, who came close to his first coaching win over a power conference team. “But I feel for my boys. … You gotta go take things in life that you want. I don’t think it’s a good thing for my guys, but through adversity it helps us grow. Helps me grow.”UH’s best, and sometimes only option for quarterback Brayden Schager, seemed to be sophomore slotback Pofele Ashlock, who was targeted 19 times. Ashlock caught nine for 112 yards and a 19-yard touchdown that allowed UH to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.UH dropped to 0-8-1 all time in games on network TV, with the last opportunity before Saturday coming at USC in 2012.UCLA escaped with a victory in its first game under DeShaun Foster and first game as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Chang hugged Bruins defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe, a Kamehameha Schools graduate and former UH assistant coach, at midfield after the game.“I was just happy to get the victory,” said Foster after an emotional postgame celebration with his team. “It was big to get a victory in my first game. I’m just glad a lot of the players were putting it on themselves to help me get that victory.”Bhatani, who connected with a 22-yarder in the final minute of the third quarter and a 37-yarder with 14:05 left, put the deciding ball through the uprights from 32 yards with 56 seconds to play.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3bzCQK_0vH6dsoR00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3bzCQK_0vH6dsoR00" width="1280" height="720" >UH, which was out of timeouts, started on its 25. Schager went incomplete to Alex Perry, then was sacked for an 11-yard loss by Ale Kaho. The senior completed a pass to Nick Cenacle for 15 yards, and on the final play of the game went over the middle to Ashlock, who gained 10 yards before fumbling in desperation.Schager, who appeared emotional speaking to the media after the game, took a pounding. He first appeared to turn his left ankle while being tackled in the first half, and later remained down after a lineman fell on him before halftime.He returned both times. Chang acknowledged afterward the game took something out of his signal-caller, who finished 25-for-42 for 227 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.Neither team established much on the ground. UH held UCLA to 94 yards in the first half compared to 237 in the second. Linebackers Jalen Smith and Logan Taylor hauled in first-half interceptions of UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers.Garbers (19-for-38, 272 yards) found Rico Flores Jr. for two big plays in the third quarter – a 53-yard catch-and-run and a 39-yard touchdown strike. He finished with 102 yards on his three grabs.“In the first half we were playing with our hair on fire,” said safety Peter Manuma, who had a second-quarter targeting call overturned upon review. “Nothing changed in the second half. It was just mental errors and undisciplined (play) from some of our guys. We’re just going to take that into accountability and fix it out come Monday.”UH (1-1) has a bye week, then travels to Texas to take on Sam Houston (1-0) on Sept. 14.Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.</div></body>

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UCLA comes back in second half to edge Hawaii football team

HONOLULU — For one half, the Hawaii football team exceeded the college football world’s expectations on prime-time network television. For the other, it could not meet its own. UH, after shutting out UCLA for the first half, gradually faltered and ultimately succumbed to three Mateen Bhaghani field goals...

UCLA comes back in second half to edge Hawaii football team

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