Hawaii football: Week Zero hero Cedric Byrd lands in record book, UH gets max exposure
It is said people best remember the first and the last things they see.
That makes Cedric Byrd’s sublime performance in Hawaii’s 45-38 victory over Arizona all the better for him and the Rainbow Warriors.
This was one of just two FBS Division I games played a week before the 150th season of college football really gets into gear. That means Byrd’s 14 catches for 224 yards and four TDs stands out all the more.
The 4:30 p.m. Hawaii kickoff time meant fans on the continent had to stay up late to see it all. But this game was so entertaining from start to end that it would be hard to turn away from it — especially since the Florida and Miami game earlier Saturday and this one was the first taste of college football since January’s national championship game.
Those who stayed tuned saw Byrd’s fourth touchdown reception give UH it’s final score, late in the fourth quarter.
Cedric Byrd with his FOURTH receiving touchdown tonight, this one from Chevan Cordeiro.#HawaiiFB 45, Arizona 35, 5 minutes remaining. pic.twitter.com/WgWXMKfgBf
— Hawaii Warrior World (@hawaiiwworld) August 25, 2019
“I feel like the coaches did a great job preparing us,” Byrd said afterward. “Everything they prepared us for, (Arizona’s defense) came out and ran it.”
But wait, there’s more. Soon after Byrd’s final TD came what could stand up as college football’s play of the year, at least for a couple of weeks. With the clock running down to zero, Hawaii defenders Pumba Williams and Kalen Hicks wrangled Arizona’s Khalil Tate at the end a 30-yard gain … but 1 short of the UH end zone.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit was among those paying attention, and he retweeted the clutch video of that clutch play posted on HawaiiWarriorWorld.com. Like Byrd, Brian McInnis is too humble for even humble bragging, so I’ll do it for him: We wondered why BMac, who shot that video, left the press box so early in the fourth quarter. Now we know, and we’re glad he did.
In a weekend of some sloppy college football how bout DT #49 Manly Williams extra effort to secure the win for Hawaii in the last play of the game?!?
Never know if you’re effort will be THE DIFFERENCE. 40 yards downfield he makes the last!
GREAT JOB Manly for not giving up! https://t.co/fzCCXK7Wyf— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) August 25, 2019
The Warriors should be, too. Herbstreit has 1.5 million followers on Twitter, and most of them are not there to see pictures of his family. They’re there to read and see what one of college football’s most well-known analysts thinks about college football.
If it were not Week Zero, Herbstreit might have still re-tweeted that video and commented on it. But it would’ve had a lot more competition.
Back to Byrd. He landed in the UH record book in a big way.
His four touchdown catches tie him for the most by a UH player in one game. Chad Owens did it twice — in back-to-back games against Michigan State and Northwestern in 2004. Before Saturday, Chris Gant most recently caught 4 TD passes, at Wyoming in 2013. Ryan Grice-Mullen (New Mexico State, 2004) and Jason Rivers (Washington, 2007) also did it.
Byrd’s 14 receptions tied him for fourth in program history for most in a game. Rivers did it three times, and Grice-Mullen, Owens and Davone Bess accomplished it once each. Kealoha Pilares with 18 is atop that list, with Greg Salas (16) and Bess (15) second and third.
His 224 receving yards are the 7th most in a game for a Hawaii player. Here are all 16 200-plus performances in UH history:
1) Rivers vs. Arizona State*, Dec. 24, 2006, Aloha Stadium: 14 catches, 308 yards, 2 TDs
2) Ashley Lelie vs. Air Force, Nov. 24, 2001, Aloha Stadium: 9 catches, 285 yards, 3 TDs
3) Owens vs. Michigan State, Dec. 4, 2004, Aloha Stadium: 13 catches, 283 yards, 4 TDs
4) John Ursua at Massachusetts, Aug. 26, 2017, McGuirk Stadium: 12 catches, 272 yards, 1 TD
5) Lelie vs. BYU, Dec. 8, 2001, Aloha Stadium: 8 catches, 262 yards, 2 TDs
6) Britton Komine vs. Nevada, Oct. 12, 2002, Aloha Stadium: 8 catches, 238 yards, 2 TDs
7) Cedric Byrd vs. Arizona, Aug. 24, 2019, Aloha Stadium: 14 catches, 224 yards, 4 TDs
8) Dwight Carter vs. Eastern Illinois, Sep. 11, 1999, Aloha Stadium: 9 catches, 220 yards, 1TD
9) Pilares vs. Lousiana Tech, Oct. 2, 2010, Aloha Stadium: 18 catches, 217 yards, 2 TDs
10) Royce Pollard at Louisiana Tech, Oct. 1, 2011, Joe Aillet Stadium: 10 catches, 216 yards, 3 TDs
11) Greg Salas vs. Tulsa*, Dec. 24, 2010, Aloha Stadium: 13 catches, 214 yards, 2 TDs
12) Lelie vs. Miami (Ohio), Nov. 17, 2001, Aloha Stadium: 6 catches, 211 yards, 3 TDs
13) Carter vs. Navy, Nov. 20, 1999, Aloha Stadium: 10 catches, 208 yards, 2 TDs
14) Jeremiah Cockheran vs. Alabama, Nov. 30, 2002, Aloha Stadium: 9 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD
15) Allen Brown vs. Puget Sound, Oct. 20, 1973, Honolulu Stadium: 9 catches, 206 yards, 0 TDs
16) Walter Murray vs. Oklahoma, Dec. 3, 1983, Aloha Stadium; 10 catches, 201 yards, 2 TDs
*Hawaii Bowl
Enjoyed the article and historical receiving stats. Didn’t realize Britton Komine was in the record books.
I understand how Hawaii gets the Week 0 consideration, but how did Florida vs Miami get in on the action?
Byrd is definitely the Word.
Florida and Miami petitioned the NCAA to play their in-state rivalry game during Week Zero as part of the celebration of the start of the 150th season of college football, and the NCAA decided it would be a good thing for general fan interest.
Thanks Dave. NCAA – anything for the P5 schools I guess.
Maddog50:
unsure if you are still on island and glad you were here to witness a great opening to the 2019 season!
happy haunts, greeting your former team mates, enjoying the Hawaiian weather and food!
be good and hope to see you later
a week of rest to review what was good, correct miss assignments, and preparing for Oregon State
#74 Pryor seemed to be having problems at the outset in controlling Arizona’s #49 and #12, but better as the game went on — watching the replay yesterday confirmed this — feet and hands were more effective and greater confidence in self and technique
great to see so many “D” players in the rotation to counter UA’s quick offense — contain #21
don’t know if the 3 DL rush was effective — seemed like QB had a lot of time to find receivers — don’t believe any UH player got close to him — certainly no ‘sack’
last play of the game — UH rushed 3 and 8 back — why was the middle so wide open that Tate could run free to the one yard line? much kudos to Pumba for tracking down Tate — all 280 #s of him !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did anyone see what looked like taunting by some of the Warrior bench against the Arizona sideline right after the game was over? Seemed like pointing & dancing in the visitors faces?Only downer from what was an awesome big upset win to start 2019.
Rolo has said act like you’ve been there before. Don’t embarrass your team or the school.
Warriors have to travel to Tucson and this time will be the visitors. Payback and bad karma can be a “b”.