HONOLULU -- The University of Hawaii football team faced something on Saturday night it has not had to deal with since the third game of the season, the possibility of losing.

With 7:29 left in the game, the Warriors (7-1 WAC, 10-2 overall) were behind the University of Purdue Boilermakers (5-3 Big Ten, 8-5 overall) by one point. Less than a minute later, the team was down by eight points when Purdue's offense took advantage of a Nate Ilaoa fumble.

That's when quarterback Colt Brennan took over. Brennan marched the Warriors 80 yards for a touchdown and two-point conversion in eight plays to tie the score at 35.

The UH defense made sure that Brennan had support. Defensive back Gerard Lewis picked off Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter with 2:09 left in the game.

Brennan and UH's high-powered offense had a chance to take the lead. Brennan hit wide receiver for two passes to get to Purdue's 27-yard line.

After scrambling for 4 yards on one play, Brennan connected with wide receiver Ian Sample for a touchdown and the lead.

The Boilermakers still had a minute left and a chance to win the game. Painter moved the ball on two plays from the 20 to the 34-yard line with time ticking away.

UH's defense sealed the victory with another interception. Linebacker Adam Leonard hauled in the pass to midfield, allowing the offense to run out the clock and keep its winning streak intact.

The Warriors lost a 17-0 halftime lead when the Boilermakers gained momentum on a fumble by Ilaoa at the beginning of the second half and an interception against Brennan.

Hawaii rallied back to win, something it has not had to do since beginning its winning streak that grew to nine with Saturday night's victory.

Brennan finished the night with 33 completions on 48 attempts for 434 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His three touchdowns took his season total up to 51, two back of the NCAA record. Hawaii still has one more game to play next week against Oregon State.

Ilaoa had 161 yards on 12 carries, two touchdowns and two fumbles.

Hawaii's defense, which had been dominant in recent games, gave up 384 yards in the air and 89 on the ground. However, the defense came up big when it needed to. The two interceptions cleared the way for a big victory against a Big Ten team.

Purdue's loss does not hurt its bowl chances. The team already accepted an invitation to the Champs Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 29. The Boilermakers' opponent has not been picked yet.

Hawaii accepted a bid to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. Their opponent has not been chosen yet.