NASHVILLE — The season opener between Hawaii and Vanderbilt didn't start on time, but the game's finish rewarded those who stuck it out on a rainy night and hung around until the end.
AJ Swann threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns as Vanderbilt held off the Rainbow Warriors, 35-28, after a long lightning delay.
Jayden McGowden returned a kickoff untouched 96 yards to put the Commodores ahead to stay at 14-7 midway through the first quarter, and Swann added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Will Sheppard to start the second quarter. Sheppard also caught a 1-yard touchdown toss in the third to cap a drive he started with a 27-yard punt return.
Swann found London Humphreys for a 32-yard touchdown and a 35-14 lead to start the fourth as Vanderbilt won a second straight opener in coach Clark Lea's third season at his alma mater.
"It was a sloppy game, and we were fortunate to come away with a win," Lea said. "The first credit goes to (Hawaii coach) Timmy Chang, who's done a really nice job advancing that program. It's a prideful team that was fighting for the state of Hawaii."
The Rainbow Warriors came to the U.S. mainland just weeks after deadly wildfires devastated Maui.
Vanderbilt previously announced a portion of ticket sales from the game would be donated to the Maui Strong Fund to help with recovery from the recent wildfires. Lea said they wanted to recognize everyone hurting from those fires, adding: "Obviously, our hearts remain with them."
Hawaii scored twice in the fourth to force a thrilling finish. The second touchdown came with 4:49 left on a 1-yard keeper by reserve quarterback Dalen Morris to pull within 35-28 after the Rainbow Warriors forced a turnover on downs.
They thought they had the ensuing onside kick, too, but Jalen Smith's right elbow was out of bounds as he recovered the ball. Vanderbilt didn't seal the win until De'Rickey Wright picked off his second pass of the game with 1:43 left.
The Rainbow Warriors have yet to win on the road against a Southeastern Conference team. They dropped to 0-5 in such games and 3-11-1 all-time against current SEC teams.
Lightning within eight miles delayed the kickoff originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time until 8:10, with rain starting during the delay and continuing through much of the first half. It was just the third weather delay at home for Vanderbilt since 2006 and first since the 2014 season opener against Temple.
The Rainbow Warriors, routed 63-10 at home by Vanderbilt a year ago, took a 7-6 lead with Brayden Schager hitting Steven McBride on a 9-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Vanderbilt immediately answered with McGowan's kickoff return to put the Commodores ahead to stay.
Schager hit McBride again on a 45-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-4, and Hawaii thought it scored on a fumble recovered in the end zone. The score was overturned on review with the ball ruled down at the 1-yard line. Tight end Greyson Murphy then was flagged for a false start.
Wright picked off Schager's next pass in the end zone, getting a foot down for the interception.
"They had a chip on their shoulder, especially like how we (beat) them last year, and they fully believed that they could beat us," Wright said.
Hawaii outgained the Commodores in total offensive yard, 391-297, as Schager passed for 351 yards.
The Commodores gave up three sacks and were outgained 40-39 in rushing yards despite Patrick Smith's 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Vanderbilt, which has the SEC's smallest football stadium, is in the midst of the venue's first major renovation since 1981, with construction ongoing in both end zones. A pair of cranes held up the temporary videoboard that swayed with the winds during the delay.
Officials had to remind the operator of the temporary clocks in each end zone to put 15 minutes on the game clock before the opening kickoff — twice. The operator needed a couple minutes to get that right.