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Jam Aquino / [email protected]
Dedrick Parson ran 37 yards to land on Hawaii’s opening first-quarter campaign against Vanderbilt.
Timmy Chang’s tenure as a football coach at the University of Hawaii got off to a promising start.
The cold and difficult reality of what might come quickly began after Hawaii’s opening run on either side of the ball as Vanderbilt thrashed the Rainbow Warriors 63-10 tonight in front of the first all-sold-out crowd (9346) to attend a game. At the Clarins TC Cheng Sports Complex.
Commodores quarterback Mike Wright threw twice and went down for two more and Vanderbilt turned into two Dedrick Parsons faltering in Scoop defeats and scoring to end Hawaii’s seven-game winning streak early in the season.
Rocko Griffin, Ray Davis and Cooper Lutz added scoring runs to Vanderbilt, which bombarded the Hawaii defense for 404 yards. Vanderbilt’s defense outperformed UH’s attack.
>> Pictures: Vanderbilt vs Hawaii
Sophomore Hawaiian Brayden Vacant got a start in the middle and immediately led UH down the field in an 8-play, 75-yard capped by Parson 37-yard TD scamper in third and second for 7-0 under three minutes in.
Hawaii then forced a Vanderbilt kick and was in control midway through the first quarter when she started to fall apart, then collapse completely.
UH managed only 108 yards to attack the rest of the game as Vanderbilt used a healthy balance between Wright’s legs and arm to take a 21-10 lead in the first half.
Vanderbilt scored four touchdowns in under 10 minutes to start the third quarter with Wright’s 87-yard run putting the Commodores ahead 49-10.
Wright added a 15-yard TD pass to Will Sheppard, who scored twice, to make it 35-0 in the third quarter for Commodores, who went 2-10 last year and 0-8 in the SEC.
Joey Yellen replaced a vacancy to start the second half and finished 10-20 for 89 yards before Vacant returned to the game in the fourth quarter.
Schager finished 18 for 35 for 161 yards.
Hawaii will host Western Kentucky next Saturday.