With no fans and no starting quarterback, the University of Hawaii football team relied on a defense that forced six turnovers to upset No. 18 Fresno State 27-24 tonight at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
Matthew Shipley’s 33-yard field goal with 3:33 remaining capped a 17-point fourth quarter run for Hawaii and Hugh Nelson intercepted Jake Haener with nine seconds remaining to help Hawaii (3-3, 1-1 MWC) snap a 13-game losing streak against ranked opponents dating back to 2010.
Haener, who finished 28-for-50 for 388 yards and three touchdowns, was intercepted three times in the red zone.
Hawaii trailed 24-10 to start the fourth quarter and pulled within a touchdown on true freshman Brayden Schager’s first career TD pass of 26 yards to Caleb Phillips.
Schager started in place of an injured Chevan Cordeiro, who UH officials confirmed would not play minutes before kickoff.
Hawaii got the ball back with 10 minutes remaining when Fresno State failed on a fourth-and-10 from the UH 40.
Schager, who was 11-for-27 for 116 yards, hit Calvin Turner on a 18-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 24.
Hawaii senior Khoury Bethley, who picked off Haener twice earlier in the game, had a strip sack of Haener to set up Shipley’s go-ahead field goal.
Fresno State drove the ball inside the UH 15 on its final drive, but Haener was intercepted by Nelson to end it.