The 2003 Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl matched the hometown Hawaii Warriors with the Houston Cougars.
Houston scored first with a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Kolb to wide receiver Chad McCullar. David Bell kicked a 21-yard field goal to increase Houston's lead to 10-0. Hawaii got its first points of the game at the end of the first quarter on a 19-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Timmy Chang found wide receiver Clifton Herbert for a 49-yard touchdown pass to make the score 10-10 Houston.
Running back Jackie Battle scored on a 2-yard touchdown run for Houston, as they increased their lead to 17-10. David Bell later kicked a field goal to increase the lead to 20-10. A Hawaii field goal before half time cut the lead to 20-13.
In the third quarter, running back Michael Brewster Jr. ran in for a touchdown tying the game at 20. Timmy Chang then threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jason Rivers, and Hawaii claimed its first lead of the game at 27-20. Jackie Battle scored on a 2-yard touchdown run and the score was 27-27. Jason Rivers caught a 4-yard touchdown pass to give Hawaii a 34-27 lead. In the fourth quarter, wide receiver Vincent Marshall caught an 81-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 34. The game headed into overtime.
In overtime, Timmy Chang found Britton Komine for an 11-yard touchdown and a 41-34 Hawaii lead. Houston answered with an Anthony Evans touchdown run. After one overtime period the score was 41-41. On Houston's next possession, Jackie Battle got the handoff, and rushed 4 yards for a touchdown. The score was now 48-41 Houston. Jason Rivers tied it for Hawaii, by catching a 19-yard touchdown pass. In the third overtime period, Michael Brewster ran in for an 8-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed leaving the score 54-48 Hawaii, and giving Houston a chance to win. Houston couldn't score, and that ended up being the final margin.
The game is also memorable for a fight between both teams that occurred after the game was over. Players from each team got into shouting matches and punches were thrown.
Famous quotes containing the words hawaii and/or bowl:
“Things will not mourn you, people will.”
—Hawaiian saying no. 191, ‘lelo No’Eau, collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui, Bishop Museum Press, Hawaii (1983)
“One bowl is quiet; two bowls will clang together.”
—Chinese proverb.