On homecoming night, the Hawai‘i football team brought back the running attack.
Running backs Leon Wright-Jackson and Alex Green became the first UH duo to each rush for 100 yards in a game in 14 years as the Warriors ran off to a 49-36 victory over Utah State.

Before 25,883 at Aloha Stadium, the Warriors won for the first time since Sept. 12, ending a six-game losing streak.
The Warriors improved to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Western Athletic Conference, keeping alive their postseason hopes. They need to finish with a winning record in their 13-game regular season to earn a berth in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl.
Wright-Jackson rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Warriors fend off several Aggie comeback attempts.
The Aggies twice cut their deficit to 14 points, the last at 42-28 with 14:54 remaining.
But fueled by Green’s rushes of 35 and 18 yards, the Warriors drove 90 yards for a touchdown to make it 49-28. The final four yards came on Bryant Moniz’s fourth touchdown pass, this time to left slotback Greg Salas running a crossing pattern in the end zone.
Green finished with 110 rushing yards.
Utah State quarterback Diondre Borell scored on a 1-yard run and threw for a 2-point conversion with 1:06 left for the final margin.
The first half began and ended with implosions, but in between the Warriors produced their best two quarters in two months to seize a 35-7 lead.
Moniz’s first pass was intercepted, and the Aggies parlayed that into a 23-yard scoring drive and 7-0 lead.
And on the first half’s final play, Scott Enos’ field-goal attempt from 44 yards was blocked.
But the Warriors dominated the rest of the first two quarters.
Moniz, making his fifth consecutive start, threw three first-half scoring passes.
And Wright-Jackson ran for 114 first-half yards and two touchdowns.
As a high school senior, Wright-Jackson — then known only as Leon Jackson — was a highly regarded running back who eventually would sign with Nebraska. He drew widespread attention for a highlight video that would become a YouTube attraction.
Five years later, Wright-Jackson produced a long-awaited sequel to that video. Wright-Jackson, running with a fury not seen in his first three UH seasons, shed tackles and doubts. His best run was a 63-yard, dodge-and-sprint off a stretch play.
The Warriors were able to mix-and-match an accurate passing attack with a power running game.
That’s because the Warriors were able to solve the Aggies’ 4-2-5 defensive scheme. The Aggies opened with four cornerbacks designed to cover the passing lanes. It was a strategy used by the Warriors’ previous four opponents: Rush with a four-man line and play an umbrella coverage in the defensive secondary.
But the Warriors broke the code on their second possession. Moniz scrambled his way free from a pass rush, then lofted a pass to slotback Jon Medeiros near the right sideline. Medeiros made the catch at the USU 40, then sprinted the rest of the way to complete the 57-yard play.
Wright-Jackson’s 18-yard run set up his 1-yard touchdown, giving the Warriors a 14-7 lead.
Their next possession started at the USU 45 following a short punt. Salas caught a pass in the right flat, then bulled his way to the 35 for a first down.
On the next play, Salas, this time staying put on the left side, broke to the left flat. Right wideout Jovonte Taylor, who had motioned to the left side, caught a swing pass in the left flat. Salas then blocked nickelback Kejon Murphy, clearing the way for Taylor to run untouched the rest of the way for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
That forced the Aggies into more passing situations. Borel completed 11 of 15 first-half passes, but only for 88 yards.
The Aggies’ offense relies heavily on Borel’s scrambling. The Warriors, cushioned by the lead, were able to crash down on the perimeters, narrowing the scrambling area for Borel. They also repeatedly blitzed. The Warriors even brought back their Okie-Dime scheme involving seven defensive backs, with defensive end Fetaiagogo Fonoti serving as nose tackle and linebacker Blaze Soares as a defensive end. The Warriors made two sacks using the Okie-Dime scheme. They also stopped Borel on fourth-and-1 from the UH 6.

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter
US—Robert Turbin 7 run (Chris Ulinski kick), 12:57. Big play: UH quarterback Bryant Moniz intercepted by Kejon Murphy giving Utah State ball at UH 23. 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:51 elapsed time. Score: Utah State 7, Hawai‘i 0.
UH—Jon Medeiros 57 pass from Bryant Moniz (Scott Enos kick), 10:06. Big play: Leon Wright-Jackson 9 pass from Moniz to UH 35 and first down. 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:51 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 7, Utah State 7.
UH—Leon Wright-Jackson 1 run (Enos kick), 0:01. Big plays: Jovonte Taylor 18 pass from Moniz on third down to US 40. Moniz 18 run. Wright-Jackson 18 run to US 1. 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:02 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 14, Utah State 7.
Second quarter
UH—Jovonte Taylor 35 pass from Moniz (Enos kick), 12:41. Big play: Greg Salas 10 pass from Moniz. 2 plays, 45 yards, :46 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 21, Utah State 7.
UH—Wright-Jackson 9 run (Enos kick), 9:41. Big plays: Salas 33 pass from Moniz to US 40. Moniz 31 run to US 9. 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:21 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 28, Utah State 7.
UH—Greg Salas 10 pass from Moniz (Enos kick), 2:25. Big plays: UH defense stops Utah State on fourth-and-1 at UH 6. Wright-Jackson 62 run to US 32. Alex Green 25 run to US 10. 6 plays, 94 yards, 3:05 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 35, Utah State 7.
HALFTIME: HAWAI‘I 38, UTAH STATE 7

Third quarter
US—Turbin 3 run (Ulinski kick), 13:20. Big plays: Eric Moats 17 pass from Diondre Borel. Xavier Bowman 43 pass from Borel. 5 plays, 67 yards, 1:35 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 35, Utah State 14.
US—Jeremy Mitchell 16 pass from Diondre Borel (Ulinski kick), 6:35. Big plays: Turbin 16 run. Omar Sawyer 31 pass from Borel to UH 26. 9 plays, 73 yards, 2:29 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 35, Utah State 21.
UH—Wright-Jackson 5 run (Enos kick), 1:49. Big plays: Salas 17 pass from Moniz. Salas 59 pass from Moniz to US 5. 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:25 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 42, Utah State 21.
Fourth quarter
US—Michael Smith 31 pass from Borel (Ulinski kick), 14:54. Big plays: Moats 32 pass from Borel. 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:47 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 42, Utah State 28.
UH—Salas 4 pass from Moniz (Enos kick), 10:25. Big plays: Salas 23 pass from Moniz. Green consecutive runs of 18 and 35 yards to US 7. 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:22 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 49, Utah State 28.
US—Borel 1 run (Omar Sawyer pass from Borel), 1:06. Big plays: Austin Alder 17 pass from Borel. Turbin 12 pass from Borel. Borel runs of 10 and 12. 12 plays, 87 yards, 2:49 elapsed time. Score: Hawai‘i 49, Utah State 36.
FINAL: HAWAI‘I 49, UTAH STATE 36

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