The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Lamar University played on even footing with Hawaii for the first quarter, but three turnovers and struggles by the special teams allowed the Warriors to open the floodgates to a 54-2 football win Saturday evening at Aloha Stadium.

Midway through the second quarter, it was just a 7-0 game as the Warriors took advantage of the Cardinals’ first turnover. After stopping UH on third down, LU return man Mike Venson couldn't handle the punt and set the Warriors up from the Lamar 16-yard line. On first down, Sean Schroeder found Trevor Davis for a 16-yard scoring strike.

The Cardinals, who were out-gained in the contest 369-127, fell to 1-2 on the year with the loss. Lamar will host Langston University on Saturday evening at Provost Umphrey Stadium before opening Southland Conference play on Sept. 30 with Southeastern Louisiana.

UH would grab a 14-0 lead with 8:10 to play in the first half on an 80-yard drive that culminated in a 7-yard touchdown run by John Lister. The big play was a 50-yard completion from Schroeder to Davis that put the Warriors inside the Lamar 10.

“You've got to give Hawaii credit,” said LU head coach Ray Woodard. “But we didn't help ourselves out much tonight. I think we made a pretty good football team look really good. We’re not going to beat anybody playing like we did tonight, but I think they had a lot to do with that. Our effort was good, our execution wasn't”

UH (1-1) would score twice more in the second quarter to build its lead to 28-0 at the half. Schroeder, who finished 15-of-23 for 150 yards and three touchdowns, hit Darius Bright for an 8-yard scoring strike with 3:51 to play in the half.

Less than two minutes later, UH was on the board again as John Hardy-Tuliau blocked a Kollin Kahler punt and Ne’Quan Phillips scooped it up and returned it 21 yards for the final score of the first half.

The Cardinals had just 79 yards at the half, which included an anemic three yards rushing on 15 carries. LU quarterback Ryan Mossakowski was 9-of-14 for 76 yards at the half and would finish the game 11-of-20 for just 83 yards.

The Cardinals finally got on the board in the fourth quarter after the UH holder couldn't handle the snap on an extra point attempt. Defensive back Adrian Guillory would pick up the fumble and run it back the length of the field for the Cardinals’ only points of the game.

UH would score 13 points in the third quarter on a Mike Edwards 95-yard kickoff return to open the second half and a pair of Tyler Hadden field goals. Hadden was good from 32 yards with 9:07 to play in the quarter and added a 31-yarder less than a minute later following a fumble by Nashon Davis.

Schroeder’s third touchdown toss opened the fourth quarter as the Duke transfer found Chris Gant from nine yards out. It would be Gant’s only catch of the game as nine different Warriors caught a pass in the game, led by Davis with three grabs for 85 yards.

Lister, who carried 10 times for 55 yards, would add his second rushing touchdown of the game on a 3-yard carry with 8:19 to play. Gregory Will led UH with 62 yards rushing as the Warriors’ ground game finished with 219 yards on 48 carries.

Freshman Darrell Harris led the Cardinals on the ground as he got in late in the game and ran for 37 yards on four carries. Harris had a run of 32 yards for the Cardinals’ longest play of the game.

Wide receiver Kevin Johnson, who scored three times a week ago in Lamar’s 31-0 shutout win over Prairie View A&M, didn’t have a catch on the night.

Junior linebacker Jermaine Longino led all players with a season-high 10 tackles. Longino had nine solo tackles, including one for a loss.