Feeding an appetite for destruction, the 23rd-ranked University of Hawai'i football team feasted on lower-division Northern Colorado for a 63-6 rout in last night's season opener.

A gore-gawking crowd of 36,845 watched the Warriors dominate in every which way.

Colt Brennan launched his Heisman Trophy candidacy by completing 34 of 40 passes for 416 yards and six touchdowns — all in the first half. Brennan was out of uniform for the second half.

The Warriors' defense, under coordinator Greg McMackin, forced three turnovers — two of which abbreviated the Bears' first two drives and led to UH touchdowns.

And punt returner Michael Washington and kick returner Malcolm Lane broke away for long touchdown returns to finish off what was decided in the game's first 15 minutes.

"We didn't want to come out and be like Michigan," said Washington, referring to the fifth-ranked team's loss to Division I-AA Appalachian State earlier in the day. "We wanted to make a statement. We wanted to come out and blow them out."

Brennan said the tone was set in the five practices leading to last night's game.

"We knew we had to take care of business," Brennan said. "That's what we focused on. We were very businesslike in our approach in this week's practices."

Brennan was playing behind an offensive line that had new starters at four positions. The starting right wideout, C.J. Hawthorne, was a cornerback last season. Two running backs — Kealoha Pilares, the state's Offensive Player of the Year in 2005, and Leon Wright-Jackson, one of the nation's top 25 prospects in 2004 — did not play football last season.

But the inexperience meant little, especially with Brennan at the controls, and following more than four weeks of rote training.

"We do the same thing over and over in practice," said left wideout Jason Rivers, who had five receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. "It becomes like a habit."

It was a habit that UNC's predictable defense could not break.

The Bears tried to zone blitz, attacking with their linebackers, and then retreated into a two-deep zone, in which the safeties retreated into a prevent defense.

"We knew what coverage they were in," Brennan said. "When we found a hole, we'd hit it. When they'd ask their safeties to kind of look for that, then we'd do the opposite."

The UH receivers ran corner and down-and-out routes to stretch the defense. Then they would cut inside on screens, slants and posts.

"There were holes," Brennan said. "There are always going to be holes. We were able to know where the holes were and capitalize."

Brennan was ready since stepping off the team bus. Of his six scoring passes, five were to different receivers.

His 19 first-quarter completions were a school record. So, too, were his 34 first-half completions.

He also tied his buddy, former Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart, for sixth place with his 99th career touchdown pass. Leinart and Brennan were teammates at Mater Dei High School.

Brennan's first scoring pass of the season was to Pilares, who sneaked into the left flat to catch a slip pass.

"I looked around, and nobody was there," Pilares said of his 15-yard scoring play that punctuated the Warriors' first possession.

Brennan and Rivers then collaborated on a 30-yard touchdown pass, a play that was made possible when Pilares blocked a blitzer.

"That guy had a free shot at Colt," Pilares said. "I was glad to get a piece of him."

Brennan also threw scoring passes of 5 and 2 yards to left slotback Davone Bess, and 30 to Hawthorne, who made a fingerprint grab at the end zone's doorstep.

"Colt made it possible," Hawthorne said. "He kept talking to me. He's been helping me feel comfortable in the offense."

By the time the Warriors were leading 35-0 early in the second quarter, "and the way the defense was playing," Brennan said, "the game was in pretty good hands."

It was then that head coach June Jones instructed Brennan to work on specific plays. During one sequence in the second quarter, the Warriors ran the two-minute offense.

"The best practices," Brennan said, "are game time."

For the Warriors' defense, the game served as a final examination. McMackin, who returned after an eight-year hiatus, implemented a 4-3 base scheme that emphasized speed, blitzes and ferocity. McMackin implored his players to seek turnovers; a portion of each practice is devoted to the blocking schemes on fumble and interception returns.

"We want to help the offense by getting them the ball," weakside linebacker Adam Leonard.

The Bears' first two possessions ended with lost fumbles. On the first, safety Keao Monteilh and Leonard knocked free the football from running back David Woods. On the second, Woods mishandled a handoff from Dominic Breazeale. Defensive tackle Michael Lafaele recovered.

"We had a couple of mishaps," Breazeale said. "We fumbled the ball a little bit, and turned the ball over, which you can't have in the game. That's what we struggled with. We knock those out, we're probably still in the game. We have to eliminate the mental mistakes."

The Bears tried to shorten the game with running plays. Believing they could not out-race defensive ends Amani Purcell and Karl Noa, the Bears tried to run into the heart of the UH defense. Several times, they motioned the tight end to serve as the lead blocker for Woods.

"There wasn't much future in that," defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold said. "The (defensive tackles) do such a good job of holding the point."

Lafaele said: "They kept trying to run the ball down the middle. We weren't having none of that. We played hard-nosed football."

The Bears were held to 182 yards, an average of 2.9 yards per play.

"We had so many three-and-outs, I wasn't tired," Lafaele said.

Leonard said: "We're trying to make our mark. We want to set the tone for the season. We want to take this game as a platform and try to get better. As long as we ran our plays right, we could stop them. If we do what we're supposed to do, we can stop anybody."

That confidence extended to the special teams. Washington and Lane are backups.

But Washington was summoned as the punt returner in the third quarter. He fielded a punt at the 20, drafted behind the blockers, then sprinted into the open field.

"They scattered down there like ants," Washington said. "I cut one way, then the other, and just took it."

Dennis McKnight, who coaches the returners, said: "There was no scheme to it. Michael made a lot of guys miss."

There was choreography to Lane's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The return was designed to go to the right.

"I saw it go middle, and I called, 'me, me, me,' " Lane said. "As soon as I saw our wedge get a couple of good blocks, I saw the kicker, one on one. I knew it was over. I didn't know if I wanted to go left or right. I went right and came back left and went for six."

After the game, Brennan said: "It's all business for us right now. We realized the only thing that's fun is winning. This is a good start."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.