HONOLULU -- University of Hawaii football fans had a lot to be uncomfortable about in the first quarter of Saturday's game against Washington.

The Warriors turned the ball over and had no answer for the Huskies' running game.

Hawaii did not look like the incomparable offense that it had been touted as all season long. Instead, the team struggled to keep drives going.

Hawaii (12-0) took the lead with 44 seconds remaining on a five-yard pass from Colt Brennan to Ryan-Grice Miller, but just 20 seconds later the Huskies were threatening with a 1st-and-goal at the four. Locker was dropped for a two-yard loss, then tossed the interception, which was tipped in the air in front of Mouton.

Brennan completed 42-of-50 passes for Hawaii, which clinched its first outright Western Athletic Conference title last Friday.

Jason Rivers caught 14 passes for 167 yards and four touchdowns, while Dan Libre amassed 84 yards rushing in the victory.

Locker completed just 10-of-18 passes for 142 yards, while rushing for 76 yards on 15 carries for Washington (4-9), which started the season by winning its first two games but dropped eight of the next 11. Luke Kravitz also had a pair of rushing TDs in defeat.

With the Warriors trailing 28-21, Dan Kelly missed a 48-yard field goal attempt with 11:27 remaining in the contest. Washington, though, continued to play behind the sticks by keeping the ball in the hands of Locker, who threw a pair of incomplete passes to force a Huskie punt.

Hawaii then drove the length of the field to tie the game at 28-28 with 8:01 remaining. Brennan engineered the 73-yard drive, completing four passes on five attempts, ending when he hooked up with Rivers for his fourth TD of the game, a 40-yard pass that fell into his outstretched hands in the back of the end zone.

Washington regrouped and looked to be moving in for the go-ahead score, but had to punt again after Locker was called for an illegal forward pass. That set up the Warriors for the game-winning touchdown, as Brennan found a rhythm and went with it.

Grice-Mullen nabbed a 26-yard pass to get things going, and Davone Bess followed up with a 14-yard reception. Three straight completions to Rivers then moved the ball down the Huskies' 16, and on 2nd-and-5 Libre picked up seven by running around the left end. He was then stopped for a one-yard loss before Brennan sent a screen pass over the middle that was taken in for the go-ahead score.

That set up the Huskies' final drive, and after the interception with just three seconds left, fans stormed the field in celebration even as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

The game looked to be a blowout from the opening kickoff, as the Huskies used 19 plays -- 18 of them rushing -- to open a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

The lone passing attempt came on the first play from scrimmage, before Locker and Rankin combined for seven carries that covered 80 yards on the way to a 7-0 lead as the signal-caller went up the middle for an eight-yard touchdown.

Hawaii then lost the football on Brennan's fumble on third down at the Warriors' 20, and Washington needed just five carries to get back on the scoreboard, as Kravitz converted on 4th-and-1 with a plunge over the goal line at 8:30.

Kravitz notched his second rushing TD of the game, using a two-yard run to put the finishing touches on a six-play, 51-yard march at 5:30, and the Warriors lost a pair of fumbles while sandwiching the Huskies' first punt of the game.

Hawaii went back to its passing game after that and finally embarked on their first offensive threat, an 83-yard march ending when Brennan threw a sidearmed pass over the middle to Rivers, who peeled away from coverage in the end zone to nab the ball with 10:17 remaining in the opening half.

Washington got back on the board on a one-yard run by Paul Homer with 7:08 remaining, while Hawaii cut it to 28-14 on a three-yard pass from Brennan to Rivers with 4:11 left.

Then, with just 21 seconds to play in the half Rivers hauled in a 13-yard pass along the left side of the end zone and managed to get his foot inbounds. The play was reversed upon review after it was originally ruled incomplete, making it 28-21 at the break.

Neither team was able to dent the scoreboard in the third, as Kelly missed a 50-yard field goal try for Hawaii before the Huskies had a 38-yard attempt blocked with 1:07 remaining.

The win should be enough to keep Hawaii in the top 12 of the Bowl Championship Series poll, which would mean an automatic berth to a BCS game.

Hawaii is the only Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly IA) team that finished the regular season undefeated.

The decision on where the team will end up is expected on Sunday afternoon. Many sports analysts have said they believed the Warriors would go to the Sugar Bowl.

Game Notes:

Brennan has thrown for at least 200 yards in 36 of his 37 career games. Hawaii had 538 total net yards to Washington's 403.

The Sports Network contributed to this report.