HONOLULU --- Greg Alexander threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Bradley late in the fourth quarter to send the University of Hawaii football team to a 25-20 win over Central Arkansas in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Aloha Stadium.''We got the win. It wasn't pretty but we will take it,'' Alexander said. ''We came back in the second half, but we still have a ways to go. This game will be a learning experience and we can take a lot from it.''
Alexander completed three touchdown passes and threw for 304 yards, overcoming four UH turnovers. The Warriors trailed twice against the Bears, who are in their fourth year since moving from Division II to the Football Championship Subdivision.
''Tonight we lost the turnover battle, but still pulled out the win,'' said UH coach Greg McMackin.
A 66-yard run by Greg Salas with less than two minutes remaining brought Hawaii to the 8-yard line and put them in position to win. Salas also scored a touchdown and had 180 receiving yards.
The Bears' Brent Grimes scored two touchdowns and rushed for 65 yards. Robbie Park threw for 186 yards and a touchdown.
''I knew our defense would bounce back and step up,'' said Warriors linebacker Blaze Soares.
and it was great to get back on the field and go against another opponent
Central Arkansas held a 20-19 lead until Hawaii's winning touchdown pass, taking a fourth-quarter lead on Grimes' 1-yard touchdown run as he flipped over the goal line
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Kevin Sumlin has been around the Houston Cougars defense day after day, which is part of the problem. Watching a defense butt helmets repeatedly with one of the nation's most potent offenses has a way of skewing the perspective.
When the UH offense has its way at practice, Sumlin has to keep in mind that the defense has plenty of company in misery. When the defense has its way, Sumlin has to factor in its familiarity with the Cougars offense.
Sumlin enters his second season as UH's head coach knowing a litany of things about his defensive personnel: size, strength, speed, experience, work ethic, demeanor. What Sumlin doesn't know is exactly how those things will translate when the Cougars face other teams. He'll get his first snapshot of the defensive work in progress when the Cougars open the season against Northwestern State tonight at Robertson Stadium.
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