Hawaii-Fresno State 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 victories | Fresno State victories | Tie games |
| # | Date | Location | Winner | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 State | 20–18 | ||||
| 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, CA | Tie | 24–24 | ||||
| 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.