It wasn’t what fans or the team expected. Hawaii came into their unusually early homecoming game with high expectations. A near 40-point favorite over lowly FCS foe Duquesne, the famed 2007 Hawaii Warriors team that went 12-1 was to be honored at halftime, a parking lot full of tailgaters. There was pressure for Hawaii to perform, and visiting Duquesne wasn’t in a mood to comply. It still wasn’t enough to stop the Warriors from winning comfortably 42-21 in front of nearly 24,000 fans.
Hawaii entered the game having only conceded two turnovers the entire season. They doubled that total in the first quarter alone.