DeShaun Foster has long maintained that nothing said about him or his team matters once they’re playing.

Is UCLA’s new coach too inexperienced? Play ball.

The Bruins can’t figure out a complex NFL offense? Play ball.

They’re going to have a tough debut in the Big Ten? Play ball.

The Bruins finally got to play, and it wasn’t pretty. Far from it. What happened on a scorching Saturday afternoon at the Clarence TC Ching Athletics Complex only reinforced any doubts about the preseason, even after UCLA swept Hawaii 16-13.

Near the halfway point of the third quarter, it seemed like the highlight of Foster’s day would be stepping off the team bus with a collection of colorful leis around his neck. He certainly wasn’t feeling the aloha spirit as he watched an offense stumble or special teams look wildly unprepared as the Bruins trailed by 10 points in the first half.

Disaster was averted thanks to a defense that stiffened and an offense that began moving the ball at more than a snail’s pace. That offense put UCLA in position for Mateen Bhaghani’s 32-yard field goal with 56 seconds left that made the difference in a sloppy opening game.

Consider it up to the viewer’s discretion whether the usual first-game warnings should apply to a team working with a new coach, let alone offensive and defensive coordinators. One also has to consider that the Bruins faced a team that needed a second half to beat a Football Championship Subdivision opponent in last week’s season opener.

The main protagonist in UCLA’s comeback was wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. The Notre Dame transfer hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter and set his team up for a 22-yard field goal on the next possession after his cracking catch and run of 53 yards.

UCLA’s defense was the story in the second half, limiting Hawaii (1-1) to a field goal and 100 yards of offense. Bruins linebacker Ale Kaho recorded a crucial sack and safety Bryan Addison recovered a fumble near midfield on the game’s final play.

The Bruins were fortunate to trail only 10-0 at halftime after quarterback Ethan Garbers, dragged into his own end zone, threw a desperate pass that was intercepted. Hawaii couldn’t cover the five yards it needed for a touchdown after safety Ramon Henderson tackled quarterback Brayden Schager for a loss of four yards on third down, but the Rainbow Warriors extended their lead after a knuckling 28-yard field goal barely cleared the crossbar to end the first half.

By then, there were plenty of questions for the Bruins about their offense, special teams and game management. Garbers’ opening half might have been the worst of his career, with the redshirt senior completing six of 19 passes for 69 yards with two interceptions. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown.

UCLA’s quarterback wasn’t the only part of new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s strategy that was sputtering. The offensive line failed to generate much of a push, and the running game averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Hawaii outscored UCLA, 178-94, in total yardage at halftime.

The early momentum was Hawaii’s after punter Lucas Borrow took a snap, saw a lot of open field in front of him and ran. By the time UCLA finally figured out what was happening, Borrow had gained 19 yards and reached midfield.

UCLA’s mistake was compounded when they failed to properly guard Hawaii receiver Pofele Ashlock, allowing him to haul in a jump pass from Schager to the corner of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

When they had a chance to tie the score on their next drive after a nice reception by Carter Shaw gave UCLA a first down at Hawaii’s 12-yard line, the Bruins stumbled again. On third-and-5 from the 7-yard line, Garbers rolled out and threw a pass through a crowd of defenders. Hawaii’s Jalen Smith caught the ball in the end zone for a touchback.