Cedric Byrd II caught four touchdown passes, and the Hawaii Warriors stopped quarterback Khalil Tate at the 1-yard line on the final play to hold on to beat the Arizona Wildcats 45-38 on Saturday night in Honolulu.
Arizona reached the Hawaii 31 with 10 seconds to go, before Tate scrambled to his right and took off down field before being brought down by Khoury Bethley and Manly Williams just short of the goal line.
Byrd caught 14 passes for 224 yards, helping the Warriors overcome six turnovers.
Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro came in late in the third quarter after Cole McDonald -- who threw for 378 yards and four touchdowns -- was intercepted for the fourth time. The turnovers helped Arizona rally from three separate deficits of 14 points, tying it for the last time at 35 in the final minute of the third quarter.
Cordeiro directed Hawaii into position for Ryan Meskell to kick a 34-yard field goal for a 38-35 lead with 10:39 to go. Arizona was poised to take the lead on the next possession, but Ikem Okeke stepped in front of Tate's pass near the goal line and returned it to the Arizona 48.
Four plays later, Cordeiro hit Byrd for a 30-yard touchdown.
Arizona closed within 45-38 when Lucas Havrisik kicked a 53-yard field goal with 3:53 left, after a delay of game and two false start penalties.
The Wildcats got the ball back at their 16 with 51 seconds left.
Cordeiro finished 5 of 7 for 58 yards and a touchdown, also rushing five times for 34 yards.
Tate was 22 of 39 for 361 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed 13 times for 108 yards.
Hawaii, which led 28-21 at halftime, scored on its first possession of the second half when Dayton Furuta rushed for a 3-yard score with 11:02 to go in the third quarter.
The Warriors squandered chances to pad their lead, losing fumbles in Arizona territory on each of their next two drives. The Wildcats took advantage of the second one, closing within 35-28 on J.J. Taylor's 24-yard run with 4:23 left in the quarter.
Arizona pounced again on the ensuing possession, intercepting McDonald on fourth-and-10 from its own 39. The Wildcats converted that into a 21-yard TD reception from Stanley Berryhill III to tie the game with 51 seconds left in the third quarter.
--Field Level Media
