McDonald throws for 319 yards, 4 TDs; Hawaii beats Rice

HONOLULU -- Cole McDonald threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Cedric Byrd, to help Hawaii beat Rice 43-29 on Saturday night and improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2007.

McDonald was 22 of 33 on Saturday and has passed for 1165 yards and 13 touchdowns with no interceptions this season. Fred Holly III had 17 carries for 100 yards and two scores and John Ursua had nine receptions for 133 yards and a TD.

McDonald hit Ursua for a 6-yard touchdown and Byrd for a 10-yard score on Hawaii's first two possessions to make it 14-0. Rice (1-2) trimmed its deficit to 36-29 when Shawn Stankavage hit Aaron Cephus for a 19-yard touchdown with 1:48 to play but Hawaii recovered the…