SAN JOSE, Calif. — In a college football game that turned into a rite of Warriorhood, Hawai'i yesterday produced a statement-making 45-38 victory over San Jose State at Spartan Stadium.

Running back Nate Ilaoa, fighting off fatigue and the burning pain of a toe injury, ran 7 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, and backup safety Dane Porlas, in an unfamiliar position, made an interception to end the Spartans' please-please-please final drive.

"You talk about being drained and spent," said UH coach June Jones, whose team improved to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in the Western Athletic Conference. "Ooh, what a game."

"We finally figured it out," said UH quarterback Colt Brennan, who threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns, and guided the game-winning 80-yard, 10-play drive. "In this game, we grew up as a team. This was about figuring it out, reaching deep inside and finding a way to win on the road. We learned about traveling, and how to win in the fourth quarter."

The game see-sawed in emotions, momentum and starring roles. Brennan, who completed 36 of 48 passes, spread the work. Right slotback Ryan Grice-Mullen amassed 125 receiving yards, with 60 coming on a catch-and-sprint for a touchdown, and also scored on a 15-yard run in which he was airborne for the final 5 yards. Left slotback Davone Bess had nine catches for 102 yards and two TDs. Left wideout Chad Mock caught 11 passes for 104 yards.

The Spartans, meanwhile, overcame self-inflicted mistakes — quarterback Adam Tafralis lost a fumble on the welcome mat of the end zone, and cornerback Trestin George fumbled at the end of an interception return — to whittle into what was once a 31-14 UH lead.

In football's version of the rope-a-dope, the Spartans countered the Warriors' relentless pressure with screen passes over the on-rushing blitzers, play-action plays and double reverses.

The Spartans tied it at 38 on a play-action run. Tafralis faked a handoff, then pitched to Al Guidry, who sprinted 25 yards around the left side with 8:57 to play. While the Spartans celebrated, UH's offense gathered on the sideline.

"It was kind of one of those defining moments," Brennan recalled. "We were all focused. We were thinking, 'Hey, we're going to go down the field, score and win this game.' There wasn't any doubt. It was like, 'Who wants its more? If we want it more, let's go get it.' "

Brennan completed five passes in a row, advancing the Warriors to the 7. The book on the Warriors is that they will pass when they have the ball between an opponents' 5 and 10. "We never run the ball in that situation," Jones said, "which is why we decided to run it."

Jones called for the stretch play, a run to the right, in which the running back has the option of cutting inside or going around the right end. Ilaoa, who did not play last week because of a sprained right big toe, took the handoff. With right tackle Dane Uperesa and right guard Brandon Eaton blocking to the left, and left guard Samson Satele leading the way to the right, Ilaoa raced around right end for the touchdown.

"All I saw was one guy coming toward me," Satele said, "and I thought, 'OK, I've got him.' I told Nate to stay outside, and it would be open."

Brennan endorsed the call, saying, "Putting the ball in (Ilaoa's) hands is a smart deal. He's got that tenacity. He knows how to run. And he's tough. That's why they call him Nasty Nate. When he's running hard, he's that nasty."

Ilaoa said he was not concerned about his "turf toe" injury. "It was sore, just a little bit," he said. "When you're playing this game, everything goes away. You don't think about the pain. Now, when I'm on the plane going back home, that's when it'll hurt."

But the Spartans were not finished.

"We were upbeat," tight end Bryan Watje said. "We had confidence. They pretty much didn't stop us all day. We felt we could score every time we had the ball."

But after Ilaoa's go-ahead touchdown, the Spartans did not score on their ensuing possession. They got the ball back with 1:43 remaining and, four plays later, advanced to their 49. On second-and-10, Tafralis threw a long pass to the middle of the field while wideout John Broussard broke to his right. Porlas intercepted, ending the suspense.

"It's just on me," Tafralis said. "I thought one thing, and it was another."

Porlas said he recalled thinking: "Don't drop it."

Jones said: "He was where he was supposed to be, and smart players put themselves into position to make plays."

In the past month, Porlas, a walk-on from San Diego, had practiced at strong safety. But during Friday's walk-through practice at De Anza College, UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville told Porlas to work out at free safety.

In the second half yesterday, Porlas replaced starting free safety Landon Kafentzis, who committed a penalty on the Spartans' final drive of the second quarter.

"We just made the adjustment at halftime," said Rich Miano, who coaches the UH safeties. "He's been moving up to the second team in the past couple of weeks. ... He's one of our typical walk-on guys. He's not that big. He's not that fast. He's not that strong. He's the guy who goes out and competes every day."

Glanville said: "When I saw the ball going up, I knew where he should be. I was hoping he was there, and he was. You know, we work on pitching and lateraling the ball on interceptions (during practices). Our only rule is: don't do it in the final two minutes of a game. I got a little afraid he was going to pitch it. I'm glad he didn't. ...

"I got the feeling, as the game was going on, it was like the NBA," Glanville added. "If you got the last shot, it was going in. If you didn't get the last shot, you were going to go home with a loss. (Porlas) made sure we got the last shot."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.