A Gridiron Clash: Delving into the Football History of UCLA vs. Hawaii

The history of college football is filled with intriguing matchups and memorable moments. Among them, the gridiron contests between the UCLA Bruins and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors offer a unique narrative. This article explores the historical trajectory of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football program and examines the games they've played against UCLA.

Early Years and Rise to Prominence of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and competes in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The program's first season was in 1909, marking over a century of football tradition. For many years they were part of the Western Athletic Conference until July 2012, when the team joined the Mountain West Conference (MW) as a football-only member, with an upgrade to full MW membership pending in 2026.

The 1920s marked a period of early success. In 1923, a rainbow appeared over Moiliili Field after Hawaiʻi upset Oregon State, 7-0. Coaches Otto Klum led the Rainbows through back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1924-25. During these 18 games, the Rainbows outscored their opponents 606-29. Teams defeated during this period included Colorado, Colorado State, and Washington State. The Rainbows played their first game at Honolulu Stadium in 1926.

In 1935, running back Tom Kaulukukui became Hawaiʻi's first All-American player. Kaulukukui starred on Hawaiʻi's 1934 undefeated team and set a school record in 1935 with a 103-yard kick return touchdown during a 19-6 loss to UCLA in Los Angeles. The University later retired Kaulukukui's number 32.

Post-War Era and Conference Transitions

After a four-year hiatus, Hawaiʻi resumed football play in 1946 as a College Division Independent within the NCAA. 1955 saw the Rainbows upset Nebraska 6-0 in Lincoln, a year after suffering a 50-0 defeat to the Huskers in Honolulu. In 1961, financial constraints led the UH Board of Athletic Control to vote to abolish the football program.

Phil Sarboe guided the team to a 4-6 record in 1966, playing its first all-collegiate schedule after 15 seasons as head coach at Humboldt State. Don King, an assistant under Sarboe, became head coach in 1967, and the Rainbows improved to a 6-4 record. Dave Holmes began a successful coaching tenure from 1968-1974, winning 67 percent of his games and never suffering a losing season. Holmes remains the all-time leader at Hawaiʻi in winning percentage (.718). Larry Cole became the first UH Warrior drafted by an NFL team when the Dallas Cowboys selected him in the 16th round in 1968. In 1973, the Rainbows recorded what is widely considered their biggest upset, defeating Washington 10-7 in Seattle.

Hawaiʻi became an NCAA Division I member in 1974, adopting the nickname "Bow's". They played their final year at Honolulu Stadium before moving to the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium in 1975. The NCAA reclassified its divisions in 1976, dropping Hawaiʻi to Division I-AA (now FCS).

All-American Recognition and Bowl Game Appearances

Defensive end Al Noga became the first Hawaiʻi player named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press in 1986. He was also the school's first Heisman Trophy candidate. Hawaiʻi played in its first major bowl game, the Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl, in 1989.

WAC Championship and Bowl Victory

The Rainbows routed BYU, 59-28, on December 1, 1990. Hawaiʻi won a share of its first-ever WAC championship in 1992, earning a spot in the Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl. They secured their first bowl victory with a 27-17 defeat of Illinois, finishing the season ranked 20th nationally with a team-record 11 victories.

The June Jones Era and Offensive Revolution

June Jones became the new head coach in 1999, leading the Rainbow Warriors to the best single-season turnaround in NCAA history, winning nine games and a share of the WAC championship. In 2001, Hawaiʻi changed its nickname from "Rainbow Warriors" to "Warriors." Wide receiver Ashley Lelie became the highest draft pick in program history when the Denver Broncos selected him with the 19th pick in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. Hawaiʻi was invited to play in the inaugural ConAgra Foods Hawaiʻi Bowl in 2002.

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The team returned to the Hawaiʻi Bowl in 2003, defeating Houston in a 54-48 triple-overtime game. They triumphed over UAB, 59-40, in the 2004 Hawaiʻi Bowl. Quarterback Colt Brennan set NCAA single-season records for touchdown passes (58) and passer efficiency rating (185.78) in 2006, finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Warriors returned to the Hawaiʻi Bowl, defeating Arizona State, 41-24.

Brennan added to his NCAA records in 2007, breaking career records for TD passes and total TDs. He and wide receiver Davone Bess also tied an NCAA record for most career TDs by a quarterback-receiver combination. The Warriors were unbeaten, with a win against Boise State, securing their first win over the Broncos as a WAC member and their first outright WAC title. A 35-28 win over Washington resulted in them finishing No. 12 in the BCS rankings and earning a Sugar Bowl berth. This was the first undefeated regular season in Hawaiʻi's history. Hawaiʻi lost to Georgia 41-10 in the Sugar Bowl.

Coaching Changes and Conference Realignment

June Jones resigned shortly after the 2007 season to become the head coach at Southern Methodist University. Greg McMackin, formerly the defensive coordinator under June Jones, accepted the head coach position on January 15, 2008. Hawaiʻi won its 4th WAC Championship in 2010, becoming co-champions with Nevada and Boise State. The University of Hawaiʻi accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference for football only and the Big West Conference for all other sports.

Transition to Pro-Style Offense and Challenges

Norm Chow implemented a more balanced pro-style offense in 2012, after 13 years of the pass-heavy run and shoot offense installed by June Jones. The 2014 season started with promise under new starter Ikaika Woolsey, but the crowd audibly booed the offense for continually running with limited passing plays during a game versus Northern Iowa. Chow described the 27-24 win as "joyless." The team fell apart, culminating in a disheartening 28-21 loss to Fresno State following a 37-35 victory over UNLV.

Recent Seasons and Coaching Transitions

The 2015 season started with a win over Colorado, but the team slumped, and Norm Chow was fired following a 58-7 loss to Air Force. Chris Naeole was named the interim head coach. On November 27, Nevada offensive coordinator and former UH Warrior Nick Rolovich took over as head coach.

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The 2016 season started with a game against the Cal Golden Bears in Sydney, Australia, the first international football game for UH. The team lost 51-31, followed by a 63-3 loss to Michigan. The game against Michigan had an attendance of 110,222, the largest crowd to ever attend a University of Hawaii football game.

In 2018, Nick Rolovich switched to the run and shoot offense. Led by quarterback Cole McDonald, Hawaii started the season 6-1. Hawaii became bowl eligible with a 35-28 win over UNLV behind Chevan Cordeiro.

Hawaii won a 45-38 thriller against Arizona in 2019. Hawaii won their final regular season conference game against San Diego State 14-11, clinching their first division title in the Mountain West Conference. Hawaii lost their Mountain West Championship to Boise State 31-10 but won their bowl game to BYU 38-34, finishing the season 10-5.

Nick Rolovich departed from the program to take the head coaching position at Washington State University in 2020. Todd Graham was hired as the new head coach. The Rainbow Warriors won their first game of the season against rival Fresno State, 34-19. They capped off the year by winning the New Mexico Bowl over Houston, 28-14.

Issues with Aloha Stadium led to the Rainbow Warriors announcing plans to play home games on campus at the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex in 2021. Graham resigned after reports of player mistreatment.

Following Graham's resignation in January 2022, Hawaii signed former quarterback Timmy Chang to be head coach. 19 players from the 2021 team transferred elsewhere. In Chang's second season, 2023, Hawaii finished 5-8.

Rivalries

The BYU rivalry lost steam after the Cougars left the WAC in 1999. The rivalry with Fresno State has increased, with both teams regularly contending for the conference championship. Coaches from both schools have accused each other of poor sportsmanship over the years. The rivalry has featured some lopsided results, including a 70-14 Fresno victory over Hawaiʻi and a 68-37 Warriors victory over Fresno.

The rivalry with Air Force began in 1978, when Hawaii joined the Western Athletic Conference, and was played annually until 1997, shortly before Wyoming departed from the WAC and joined the newly formed Mountain West Conference. The two teams have met 24 times, with Air Force leading the series 14-9-1.

UCLA vs. Hawaii: A Football Series

Unfortunately, the information provided does not contain a detailed history of games played specifically between UCLA and Hawaii. To comprehensively cover the UCLA vs. Hawaii football history, additional research would be needed to compile records of past games, significant moments, and overall series statistics. However, we know that in 1935, Rainbow running back Tom Kaulukukui set a school record with a 103-yard kick return touchdown during a 19-6 loss to UCLA in Los Angeles.

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