Hawaii-Fresno State rivalry

Hawaii–Fresno State football rivalry
First meeting November 18, 1938
Fresno State 15, Hawai'i 13
Latest meeting November 19, 2016
Hawai'i 14, Fresno State 13
Next meeting 2017
Statistics
Meetings total 49
All-time series Fresno State leads, 26–22–1 (.541)
Largest victory Fresno State, 70–14 (2004)
Longest win streak Fresno State, 8 (1955–66)
Current win streak Hawai'i, 1 (2016)

The Hawaii–Fresno State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. It is the second-oldest and most fierce rivalry in the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. The two teams have met 49 times, with Fresno State currently leading 26–22–1.

Game results

Hawaii victoriesFresno State victoriesTie games
#DateLocationWinnerScore
1 November 18, 1938 Fresno, CA Fresno State 15–13
2 December 2, 1939 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 38–2
3 January 1, 1941 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 3–0
4 November 11, 1946 Fresno, CA Hawaii 7–2
5 December 6, 1947 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 27–13
6 December 2, 1949 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 41–14
7 October 6, 1950 Fresno, CA Fresno State 34–20
8 September 25, 1954 Fresno, CA Hawaii 25–20
9 November 26, 1955 Honolulu, HI Fresno State20–18
10 October 27, 1956 Fresno, CA Fresno State 39–20
11 November 22, 1957 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 31–8
12 November 27, 1959 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 22–13
13 September 24, 1960 Fresno, CA Fresno State 17–7
14 October 3, 1964 Fresno, CA Fresno State 28–0
15 November 27, 1965 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 7–3
16 September 17, 1966 Fresno, CA Fresno State 28–27
17 November 25, 1967 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 29–19
18 November 28, 1970 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 49–0
19 October 2, 1971 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 19–8
20 September 22, 1973 Fresno, CA Hawaii 13–10
21 November 23, 1974 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 21–7
22 October 6, 1984 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 27–15
23 October 24, 1985 Fresno, CATie24–24
24 November 15, 1986 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 24–13
25 October 17, 1992 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 47–45
26 November 13, 1993 Fresno, CA Fresno State 45–21
27 September 24, 1994 Fresno, CA Fresno State 31–16
28 November 4, 1995 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 42–37
29 September 28, 1996 Fresno, CA Fresno State 20–0
30 October 11, 1997 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 28–16
31 November 14, 1998 Fresno, CA Fresno State 51–12
32 November 13, 1999 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 31–242OT
33 November 4, 2000 Fresno, CA Fresno State 45–27
34 October 26, 2001 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 38–34
35 October 25, 2002 Fresno, CA Hawaii 31–21
36 October 11, 2003 Honolulu, HI Hawaii 55–28
37 October 12, 2004 Fresno, CA Fresno State 70–14
38 October 29, 2005 Honolulu, HI #22 Fresno State 27–13
39 October 14, 2006 Fresno, CA Hawaii 68–37
40 November 10, 2007 Honolulu, HI #16 Hawaii 37–30
41 October 4, 2008 Fresno, CA Hawaii 32–29OT
42 October 3, 2009 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 42–17
43 October 9, 2010 Fresno, CA Hawaii 49–27
44 November 19, 2011 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 24–21
45 November 10, 2012 Fresno, CA Fresno State 45–10
46 September 28, 2013 Honolulu, HI #25 Fresno State 42–37
47 November 29, 2014 Fresno, CA Fresno State 28–21
48 November 14, 2015 Honolulu, HI Fresno State 42–14
49 November 13, 2016 Fresno, CA Hawaii 14–13
Series: Fresno State leads 26–22–1

The Rivalry

Fresno State and Hawaii first met in 1938 on the basis of the Pineapple Bowl (then not an NCAA-sanctioned bowl) being in Honolulu that year. Fresno was invited back for the 1941 Pineapple Bowl, which the Bulldogs won, 3-0. The rivalry went mostly unnoticed as Fresno State and Hawaii alternated winning streaks. It wasn't until 1992 under coach Bob Wagner that the rivalry took center stage as Fresno joined the WAC in 1992 after the Bulldogs departed the Big West. However, much of the games went without bravado, with each team winning from anywhere from five to 20 points.

It was in 1999 when June Jones and Pat Hill first met at Aloha Stadium, and the start of the rivalry was born. That matchup featured Dan Robinson and Billy Volek, a future NFL star. Hawaii took the 13-7 halftime lead, but Fresno State tied the game at 21, sending it to overtime. Trailing 24-21, Eric Hannum, who missed a 29-yard field goal and an extra point, made a chip shot field goal to send the game to a second overtime. Robinson connected with Craig Stutzmann, giving Hawaii a 31-24 lead. The Rainbows (as UH was known back then) then used one last stand to take over first place in the WAC and secured a berth in the 1999 Oahu Bowl.

That game is usually where many fans have started about the rivalry since; Bulldog fans felt that Charles Smith was interfered with on the final play of the 1999 game.

The fans

Both teams have notoriously committed violence or close to it in recent years, especially after the 1999 game. Fresno State has a tradition called the Red Mile, in which the visiting team must walk outside the locker room to a chorus of jeers and verbal abuse. It has been noted that the NCAA has repeatedly called for Fresno State to stop this tradition due to allegations of violence and racial slurs, which the administration has continually denied. During Hawaii road games, the Red Mile is more full than usual, and many Hawaii players have claimed the fans, which are mostly students, instigated violence in the past.

Hawaii fans have also been implicated as well; Fresno State and Hawaii fan fights are also present at Aloha Stadium, especially pre-game and post-game. Fresno State fans who walk by Hawaii tailgaters often don't make it into the stadium without getting into a fight. In fact, a 2007 report by KITV said that Hawaii fans had committed acts of abuse toward Fresno State fans, which UH Athletics has continually denied to this day. Fresno fans also told Boise State fans, Hawaii's next opponent in 2007, to not attend the game. Allegations ended up being false as Honolulu Advertiser photographers caught pictures of Boise State and Hawaii fans mingling and sharing food before the game.

Former Hawaii linebacker Solomon Elimimian, following the 2008 upset of Fresno State, claimed that 12-year old Fresno State fans were shouting curse words and racial slurs at players, which was vehemently denied by Fresno media and Fresno State's athletics department.

Notable games

1992: Hawaii and Fresno State meet for the first time as members of the Western Athletic Conference following the addition of the Bulldogs for 1992. Hawaii was victorious, 47-45.

1999: In one of the more memorable chapters of the rivalry, Hawaii defeats Fresno State, 31-24, in double overtime. This game propelled Hawaii to a share of the WAC title and gave UH a berth in the 1999 Oahu Bowl. The win comes on the heels of a 51-12 loss the year before in Fresno.

2001: In the first of six meetings between the two schools in which one of the teams is ranked, future NFL star David Carr commits two costly turnovers, leading to 14 Warrior points. Fresno State blows a 27-16 fourth quarter lead, which began with now-head coach Nick Rolovich throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Channon Harris with an ensuing two-point conversion by Thero Mitchell. Carr then fumbled a snap on the Hawaii 3-yard line, which led to an 8-play, 96-yard drive in which Hawaii took the lead on Ashley Lelie's second touchdown of the night. Carr then sealed the #18 Bulldogs' fate with a fumble caused by Nate Jackson, leading to the winning Lelie score with thirteen seconds left in a 38-34 upset. Fresno State went on to finish in third place, while Hawaii finished runner-up in the WAC.

2008: The post-Colt Brennan era got off to a false start when Hawaii opened 1-3. The Warriors traveled to Fresno, ranked #22 at the time, the decided underdog. Hawaii blew a 26-9 lead and then eventually were tied 29-29 in the fourth quarter. But the Warriors saved their season and likely their championship hopes with a late field goal block, forcing the second overtime game in the series. Kevin Goessling missed a 40-yard field goal on the opening possession, but got a second chance thanks to a running into the kicker penalty. Goessling then missed the ensuing kick, which gave UH kicker Dan Kelly a chance to win the game. Kelly didn't pass it up, and Hawaii upset Fresno State 32-29. It was the second time Hawaii upset a ranked Fresno State, and the first ever win versus a ranked opponent on the road.

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