LIVE BLOG: Colorado 21, Hawaii 12, Final

Hawaii hits the road for the first time this season and will play its third Pac-12 team in four weeks when it faces Colorado at Folsom Field. UH has lost its last 13 road games dating back to 2011. Will the streak end today? Live updates below.

Colorado is one of two Pac-12 teams (Washington State) Hawaii has a winning record against. UH has won two of three meetings, including a 34-17 win at Aloha Stadium in 2011.

Ralphie has made it into his cage, meaning kickoff is near.

Colorado will receive the opening kickoff which Tyler Hadden boots through the back of the end zone.

FIRST QUARTER

Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau‘s first pass of the game is a deep ball that is intercepted by Ne’Quan Phillips and Hawaii forces a turnover on defense immediately. Phillips returns it to the Colorado 40.

Receiver Scott Harding has a step on the defense toward the end zone but UH quarterback Ikaika Woolsey overthrows him. Big third-down completion to Marcus Kemp for a first. Third down and Woolsey is hit from the blind side for a Colorado sack and fumbles. Colorado ball as DB Greg Henderson forces and recovers it.

Buffs have a third-and-1 and move early. Now third-and-6 and Hawaii gets aggressive on defense, sending a safety blitz to force a short pass and a punt.

Hawaii gets the ball back and runs the ball three times for 3 yards and punts. That was….strange.

Colorado has a third-and-2 and UH’s defense comes up with a big stop as safety Taz Stevenson is in on the tackle. Fourth-and-1 and Colorado lines up to go for it. UH DT Kennedy Tulimasealii makes a great play to force the running back to come up short and Hawaii takes over.

Sophomore Steven Lakalaka breaks off a big run for 28 yards and UH is in business in Colorado territory. Woolsey scrambles and hits Quintin Pedroza who takes a big hit but holds on for a first down. UH at the CU 16. UH is stopped but Hadden drills a 35-yard field goal to go to 7-for-8 for the season. UH 3, CU 0, 3:03, Q1.

First play after the field goal and Colorado with its longest pass play of the year. Nelson Spruce with a 71-yard touchdown reception from Liufau as UH DB Dee Maggitt stumbles trying to make a play on the ball. CU 7, UH 3.

Hawaii back to work as Woolsey-to-Kemp is complete for a first down. Woolsey keeps the drive alove with a nice run and the first quarter ends with Colorado leading 7-3.

SECOND QUARTER

Lakalaka breaks off a 17-yard run and UH is in the red zone. Hawaii runs a reverse on third-and-6 and Keelan Ewaliko gets the first down inside the 5. Woolsey tries to roll out on second-and-goal but is sacked by Addison Gillam. Play-action pass to Justin Vele on third-and-goal goes for nothing as Colorado had it stuffed. Way too slow developing. Hadden boots a 25-yard field goal and it’s now 7-6 with 11:19 left in the first half.

Colorado answers for the second straight time as the Buffaloes march down the field. 8 plays, 75 yards as freshman Shay Fields runs it in from 13 yards out on the sweep. A 26-yard pass to D.D. Goodson from Liufau set it up. Extra point is good. CU 14, UH 6, 8:57, Q2.

Hawaii with a quick three-and-out as Harold Moleni drops a pass on second down. Harding, who was shaken up earlier and limping a bit on the sideline, runs into his own man after getting the punt off and is slow to get up again.

Liufau is heating up and finds Spruce again for 8 yards. Liufau tries to go deep to Spruce but the ball is long. Phillips with the solid coverage. Christian Powell comes up 3 yards short on a third-down run and Colorado will go for it. Liufau rolls right then throws it back left at Kyle Slavin. Good defense but better pass as CU gets the first down on the 29. Another third-down conversion for the Buffs on the short pass to Fields. Third-and-goal from the 9 and George Frazier is wide open for his first career touchdown. Colorado opening it up on offense to lead 21-6 with 4:04 remaining.

Liufau is 15-for-21 for 193 yards and two scores already.

Lakalaka starts the next drive with a 5-yard run and now has 62 rushing yards on 10 carries. Another incomplete pass on a Woolsey rollout that is almost intercepted. Henderson makes a great play on third down on the pass attempt to Ewaliko to break it up and it’s three-and-out.

Beau Yap tips a pass at the line to fall incomplete and the Buffs in another third-and-long. Spruce is wide open as Jalen Rogers falls down on the play but Liufau misfires. UH catches a break and the Buffs punt.

Henderson again with a pass breakup. Big first half for him. Third-and-8 for UH and Woolsey fires low for another three-and-out. Woolsey is now 8-for-18 for 40 yards.

Harding got the punt downed at the 1 but Powell gets through for a first-down run and that will likely allow Colorado to run out the clock.

UH does call consecutive timeouts after the next two Colorado runs. The Buffs just run it again though and Colorado can run down the clock but has to punt with about 17 seconds left. Harding with the fair catch at the UH 40 with 11 seconds left. Harding with a 16-yard reception to the 44 with five seconds left. UH will try to throw it to the end zone. Woolsey throws it out of bounds by a good margin and we go to the break.

HALFTIME: Colorado 21, Hawaii 6. UH will receive the second-half kickoff.

THIRD QUARTER

Jeremy Higgins starts the second half at QB for UH and immediately hits Kemp for a huge pass play down the left sideline. 32 yards. Lakalaka with a 12-yard run. UH with a third-and-1 and Diocemy Saint Juste is stuffed on the run. Hadden has to kick a 41-yard field goal and UH cuts the deficit to 21-9 with 12:38 left in the third quarter.

Lindsay with a big kick return to midfield but UH’s defense forces a big three-and-out and Higgins is going to get the ball back immediately.

Woolset was 9-for-20 for 56 yards. Higgins has 41 yards on his first two pass attempts. UH takes over on its 20. A nice run by Lakalaka sets up a third-and-2. Hawaii goes play action and Colorado has it covered. Moleni tries to make a tough catch but can’t. Well defended. Higgins almost made it work. UH will punt.

Colorado with a first down as Spruce is over 100 yards receiving. Liufau is hit as he throws and UH with the interception. TJ Taimatuia with the pick and he returns it to the Colorado 6. Luke Shawley with the hit to force the pick.

Figure you’ve got to get seven here if you’re UH. Lakalaka is stopped on first down. Nowhere to go for Higgins on an incomplete pass on second. Third-and-goal from the 6 and UH goes empty backfield so Colorado blitzes. Nobody picks it up and Higgins has to throw it quick. Absolutely nowhere to go for UH in the red zone. Hadden with a 24-yard field goal to make it 21-12, 7:48 left in the third.

Hadden keeping UH in it with his leg but the coaching staff needs to give Hawaii some opportunities in the red zone to put up 7. Nothing has been there. Higgins had no chance on that drive. Hard not to wonder ‘what if’ in this game if Joey Iosefa was healthy.

Colorado takes over. Big hit by Gener on Jones on second down to force a third-and-3. Hawaii gets a good pass rush, led by Jeremy Castro, forced a hold and a throw away by Liufau. Second straight three-and-out for the Colorado offense.

Hawaii takes over and Higgins goes deep. Pedroza is held up and Colorado is flagged for a defensive holding. Second-and-15 and Higgins finds Pedroza for 16 yards and a first down. Colorado’s defensive backs have covered UH’s receivers well. Not a whole lot of guys wide open. UH facing a third-and-8 at midfield and it’s incomplete. Hawaii will punt. Good coverage once again.

Phillips is banged up on the first play of Colorado’s next drive and has to be helped off. CU goes right to Spruce on an out-route for a first down completion. Powell is stuffed by Tulimasealii, who makes another outstanding play on the D-line. Spruce with another reception and it’s third-and-3. Hawaii challenges the catch saying Spruce fumbled but it was obvious he was down. Very poor challenge. You’d think Hawaii would have someone in the box watching the game on a monitor saying don’t challenge. Anyway…

Spruce beats Phillips for a reception and then breaks a tackle for a big gain. Ninth reception for Spruce. First down for the Buffs near midfield. UH doing a good job stuffing the run and Tulimasealii comes up with a sack of Liufau. Colorado will punt after a short gain. Hawaii runs into the kicker for a 5-yard penalty but Buffs decline. UH takes over with 1:47 remaining deep in its own territory.

Risky pass by Higgins is nearly picked off. Hawaii desperately needs to get some receivers open. Short run by Lakalaka brings up a third-and-long. Higgins goes deep for Donnie King Jr. and Colorado will get whistled for a pass interference. Automatic first down for UH. Lakalaka breaks free for a big game and is over 100 yards for the second straight week. Higgins has a wide-open King over the middle but misses him. Poor throw there. Now Higgins overthrows Kemp. Third-and-10. Higgins with a good throw to the marker but Kemp drops it. Huge drop. UH will punt.

FOURTH QUARTER

Colorado opens the fourth quarter with a first-down completion in front of the cornerback. UH with a stop however and should get the ball with good field position. But no. Colorado fakes the punt deep in its territory and the Buffs pick up the first down and then some. All the way near midfield. HUGE momentum turn.

Spruce with another catch but Maggitt is right there for the tackle. Big third-and-short. Liufau misses an open receiver and Hawaii holds again. UH ball at the 20 down 9 with 11:43 left in the game.

Higgins just misses Ewaliko deep. Now a terrible throw that is intercepted by John Walker and returned inside the UH 10. Before the pick, however, Colorado is called for defensive holding and UH dodges a likely game-ending bullet. First-and-10 UH. Higgins is now 3-for-15. Now an ugly play as Higgins is sacked but looks like a face-mask penalty. Higgins takes a shot near the end of that play. 15-yard face mask on Colorado. It doesn’t matter as Higgins is sacked again. Holding onto the ball way too long now. Third-down pass is off Pedroza’s fingertips and UH will punt.

Harding with another beauty and Colorado has to start its drive on its own 5.

Higgins has ice on his left hand is walking off the field. Looks like Woolsey is warming up and will be back in the game on the next UH drive.

Colorado picks up a couple of first downs but UH gets the stop near midfield. Time an issue now. Colorado punting with 5:41 remaining up nine.

UH starts from its own 6. Woolsey to Kemp for 8 yards. Then he misses a wide-open Pedroza over the middle.

Taylor Graham in with 2:27 and Hawaii starting on its own 2-yard line. Talk about a rough time to get thrown into the game for the first time this year.

Graham with a second-down completion to Kemp for 8 yards and Lakalaka runs for a first. Pass complete to Pedroza for 8. Ammon Barker now with a reception for a first down. Graham’s next throw is high and Colorado with the interception.

Buffs will hold on to defeat Hawaii 21-12. UH falls to 1-3 overall and loses its 14th straight game on the road.

UH LEADERS
Steven Lakalaka 18 carries, 117 yards.
Marcus Kemp 8 receptions, 91 yards
11 tackles each for Gener and Stevenson.