Fresno State emphatically rectified its recent shortcomings against the Hawaii football team.

The Bulldogs rode the accurate arm and elusive feet of senior quarterback Jake Haener to a 55-13 rout of the Rainbow Warriors at Valley Children’s Stadium on Saturday night, snapping a two-game losing streak in the series.

UH dropped to 2-8 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain West heading into next week’s game against Utah State (4-5, 3-2) at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

For much of the contest, it resembled the runaway 2004 WAC game in Fresno won 70-14 by Pat Hill’s Bulldogs against then-coach June Jones and quarterback Timmy Chang.

Chang, now the first-year head coach, had no answers to extract from his depleted roster as the Bulldogs built a 55-point lead by the middle of the fourth quarter, threatening to deal UH its most lopsided loss of the year. Thanks to a pair of UH scores in the waning minutes, it was not, but it was also a far cry from the one-score defeats in the Rainbow Warriors' three previous Mountain West defeats to San Diego State, Colorado State and Wyoming.

Haener was masterful in throwing for 327 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions on 24-for-29 accuracy. He got a complementary effort from senior running back Jordan Mims, who powered his way to 123 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Erik Brooks' circus catch in the end zone with 41 seconds left in the second quarter after UH defensive back Kaulana Makaula thought he broke up the pass more or less summed up UH's night.

Fresno (5-4, 4-1 Mountain West), the preseason pick to win the MWC West Division before it hit a rough patch early this season, picked up its fourth straight win, its longest streak since 2018.  

Coach Jeff Tedford’s team was not only potent, but disciplined in picking up its fourth straight win. It did not commit a penalty until less than a minute remained.

The talented Haener experienced upset losses to UH in Fresno in 2020 and at the Ching Complex in 2021. UH quarterback Brayden Schager, then a true freshman, contributed to the latter in the stead of injured starter Chevan Cordeiro.

But UH and Schager, now the full-time starter, did not come close to replicating the 27-24 feat against the then-No. 18 Bulldogs. This year’s Fresno team appeared more like a ranked version, dicing the Rainbow Warriors’ defense seemingly at will en route to 572 total yards of offense.

The Rainbow Warriors were held to 362 yards, with 240 of those coming after the issue was decided with Fresno up 31-0 at halftime.

UH even suffered the indignity of having one of many defected former players, defensive back Cameron Lockridge, run back a Schager interception for a touchdown from 31 yards out for the Bulldogs as part of a 17-0 first quarter.

Freshman running back Tylan Hines was the bright spot of the first half and finished with 79 yards on 11 carries. Starter Dedrick Parson, who exited the game in the first quarter with an apparent foot issue but returned, was ineffective with just 14 yards on eight carries.

Schager was 20-for-40, passing for 204 yards.

UH nearly suffered its first shutout since a 38-0 performance at Utah State on Nov. 18, 2017, but the Rainbow Warriors managed two garbage-time scores against the Bulldogs’ reserve defense. Running back Bryant Nasjzae-Lelei plunged in from a yard with 3:46 left and Schager found receiver Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala for the Campbell alumnus’ first career TD catch from 4 yards out with 35 seconds left.

The Bulldogs blocked Matthew Shipley’s point-after attempt on the final touchdown, bringing to an end his perfect 87-for-87 mark on PATs for his career.

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.