For the University of Hawai'i football team, the good times come with an expiration date.

And on Senior Night, in the NCAA's last regular-season game of 2006, the Warriors ran out of comebacks in a 35-32 loss to Oregon State at Aloha Stadium.

A crowd of 46,683 (all 50,000 tickets were distributed) saw the Beavers end the Warriors' nine-game winning streak, and deny, at least for another three weeks, quarterback Colt Brennan's quest for an NCAA record and June Jones' bid to become UH's winningest Division I football coach.

The Warriors, who fell to 10-3, still can match the program's record for victories in a season, set by the 11-2 team in 1992. They meet Arizona State in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve.

"In life, you win and you lose," UH free safety Leonard Peters said, "and this was one of those times we lost. That's life."

Brennan, who threw for 401 yards and two touchdowns, said: "We didn't do what we needed to do to get the victory."

Brennan has thrown 53 touchdown passes, one shy of the NCAA single-season record, set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990.

But for Brennan, a fourth-year junior, his one regret was an underthrown fourth-down pass on the Warriors' final possession.

On fourth-and-14 from the OSU 26, with the Warriors trailing 35-30, Brennan tried to hit wideout Jason Rivers, who shook free of a grasping cornerback and was open along the left sideline.

"If I could have it back, I would have it back," Brennan said of the pass that short-hopped Rivers with 2:08 remaining. "In a million years, I could have easily made the pass. I just rushed it. I threw it. I wasn't anticipating (Rivers) to stop.

Unfortunately, he was trying to get the guy off of him so he could really make sure he got wide open. I just threw it too early. If I put a little more air on it, we would have had a first down, and we probably would have won the game. It's a bummer, man. It's a game of inches."

On the next possession, the Beavers whittled the clock down, before wide receiver Sammie Stroughter, aligned as a punter, ran out of the end zone for an intentional safety with two seconds to play.

Despite two pitches on the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors could not advance the kick return beyond midfield as time expired.

"We fell short on our end," UH running back Nate Ilaoa said. "We played hard, and they played hard. It was a great game for both teams. But they ended up with the win. Our hats off to them."

The Warriors had the statistical advantage in total offense (504 yards to 316) and in possession (38 minutes, 16 seconds). But in a game of big plays, they finished with a deficit budget.

Moments after UH tied the scored at 7, OSU's Gerard Lawson caught the kickoff 2 yards deep on the right side in the end zone. Lawson broke to his left, out-racing a wave of would-be tacklers to the perimeter and then sprinting the rest of the way for the touchdown.

In the third quarter, the Beavers broke a 21-all tie when Matt Moore and Stroughter teamed on an 80-yard scoring play. Moore bought time with a play-action move and Stroughter sold the play with a stop-and-go route. Stroughter, with a 3-yard lead on left cornerback Gerard Lewis, caught the pass at the UH 40 and raced untouched into the end zone.

"Coach (Mike) Riley called a great play," Stroughter said. "The offensive line did a great job. It was a little double move. We were running stops all day. It was a great job of Matt Moore standing in the pocket and throwing it up there."

Moore said: "Sammie made a great move and caught up to the ball."

The Warriors did not punt, but found themselves in difficult down-and-distance situations because of dropped passes, untimely mistakes and six sacks. Brennan was intercepted in the end zone on the play that preceded Stroughter's long touchdown play.

The Beavers, who tried to overload sides on blitzes, entered averaging 7.5 backfield tackles per game. Last night, they had nine tackles for losses.

"They made us work for everything we had to work for," Brennan said. "We couldn't get enough points on the board because their offense was so explosive today. We couldn't keep up with them like we wanted to do."

The Warriors' first two drives ended in missed field-goal attempts — from 50 and 38 yards.

On the first, Daniel Kelly did not realize the Warriors were trying to hurry the play.

"For some reason, the play clock never really came into my mind," Kelly said. "They snapped it on (the count of) one, and I wasn't looking. I was a little behind. I hit the ball solid, but I was a little behind."

On the 38-yard attempt, Kelly admitted to misjudging the blustery winds.

"It was all me," Kelly said. "I didn't judge the wind right. It was gusting hard right near the goal posts. But the wind is not a good excuse to miss something like that. I've got to be more of a man that that, and take it upon myself to make sure I make it. It ends up coming back, and we lose by a field goal. I'm young. I'll make mistakes. I have to come back and make sure I don't screw it up for the next seniors."

Still, the Warriors wouldn't go away. They found inspiration from Ilaoa, who did not practice last week because of a bruised left heel. But Ilaoa rushed eight times for 48 yards and a touchdown, and caught six passes for 67 yards.

"I had to play," Ilaoa said. "When you see the other seniors out here, you have to get out and help."

As for his injury, Ilaoa said, "You see me leaning on my right. I can't really stand on it. (The pain) will be gone for the the bowl game."

After the game, the UH seniors were introduced, presented with lei and then signed autographs for fans.

UH center Samson Satele sought out OSU offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh. Five years ago, Cavanaugh recruited Satele to UH. Satele was admittedly bitter after Cavanaugh resigned at UH in February 2005 to accept the OSU job.

But yesterday, during the madness of Senior Night, Satele and Cavanaugh embraced.

"He taught me everything I know," Satele said. "I'm so grateful he was on the field for my last (regular-season) game. This means so much."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.