SALT LAKE CITY — BYU’s rollercoaster 2019 season came to an unceremonious end Tuesday night, as the Cougars fell 38-34 to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl at Aloha Stadium.

Nick Mardner scored the game-winning 24-yard touchdown with 1:17 to play as the Rainbow Warriors rallied to win after leading by as many as 14 points in the first half.

Here’s three key takeaways that defined the game for BYU:

Special Collector's Issue: "1984: The Year BYU was Second to None"
Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football's 1984 National Championship season.

Turnover battle lost

BYU quarterback Zach Wilson had some highlights — he threw for 274 yards and rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns — but he turned the ball over three times against Hawaii.

The first — an interception in the first quarter — led to the Rainbow Warriors taking a 14-0 lead. The second — a fumble at the goal line — led to BYU coming up without points on a third-quarter drive in a four-point game. And the final turnover — an interception to Khoury Bethley, his second of the game — ended the Cougars’ final drive.

Pass defense struggles

Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald threw for 493 yards and four touchdowns. Most of that production came in the first half, when he threw for 331 yards and three of those scores while completing 18 of 24 passes.

That helped counter a Rainbow Warriors running attack that netted just two yards. And while the BYU defense stiffened in the third quarter, holding Hawaii to minus-four yards in the quarter, McDonald got the passing game back on track in the fourth quarter, helping lead to the game-winning score in the final two minutes.

Three key possessions net just three points

BYU, which trailed throughout the first half, finally tied the game in the third quarter on a 2-yard Wilson touchdown run. The Cougars’ next three possessions all got inside the Hawaii 30, with two inside the Rainbow Warriors 5.

BYU scored just three points on those drives, a crushing blow in a one-score game.

Scoring summary: Hawaii 38, BYU 34

First quarter

Hawaii, Jared Smart 7-yard pass from Cole McDonald (7:32), Ryan Meskell kick

Hawaii, Jared Smart 40-yard pass from Cole McDonald (4:55), Ryan Meskell kick

BYU, Lopini Katoa 1-yard run (0:54), Jake Oldroyd kick

Second quarter

Hawaii, Cole McDonald 1-yard run (13:33), Ryan Meskell kick

BYU, Zach Wilson 1-yard run (9:42), Jake Oldroyd kick

Hawaii, Ryan Meskell 46-yard field goal (5:50)

BYU, Micah Simon 11-yard run (3:16), Jake Oldroyd kick

Hawaii, Jason Matthew-Sharsh 18-yard pass from Cole McDonald (1:16), Ryan Meskell kick

BYU, Jake Oldroyd 37-yard field goal (0:18)

Third quarter

BYU, Zach Wilson 2-yard run (11:58), Jake Oldroyd kick

View Comments

Fourth quarter

BYU, Jake Oldroyd 20-yard field goal (14:37)

Hawaii, Nick Mardner 24-yard pass from Cole McDonald (1:17), Ryan Meskell kick


Follow along with the action in our live blog below.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.