With just 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter, redshirt freshman quarterback Micah Alejado lined up in the shotgun formation on third and two at the Fresno State 10-yard line. Despite throwing three interceptions, including a costly 59-yard pick-six earlier in the fourth, Alejado and the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors were mounting one final drive in a do-or-die moment.
Alejado dropped back and fired a 10-yard dart to junior wide receiver Blaze Kamoku on a slant route, delivering a dramatic touchdown that brought the Rainbow Warriors within two points, 23-21. An almost sold-out crowd at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex erupted as Kamoku secured the ball in the end zone, breathing life back into a Hawai‘i offense that had struggled all night.
Head coach Timmy Chang didn’t hesitate. He kept the offense on the field, electing to go for two and a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Alejado took the snap, scanned quickly, and targeted junior wideout Brandon White on a short hitch route. But the ball slipped through White’s hands, ending the Rainbow Warriors’ comeback bid and closing the chapter on the final edition of the historic Fresno State–Hawai‘i rivalry.
The Bulldogs (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West Conference) escaped with a hard-fought 23-21 win over the Rainbow Warriors (3-2, 0-1 MWC) in a back-and-forth game that went down to the very last play: an ending befitting a series marked by decades of competition and mutual respect.
Despite the loss, Hawai‘i’s defense put on a clinic. The Rainbow Warriors held Fresno State to just 70 rushing yards, well below their 200-yard average from previous weeks.
“The front seven continues to be a pillar of dominance,” Chang said. “Ever since Arizona, they’ve been playing lights out.”
With 7:20 left in the second quarter, Hawai‘i’s pressure paid off. From the Fresno State 7-yard line, senior quarterback E.J. Warner was strip-sacked in the end zone, resulting in a safety and giving Hawai‘i a 2-0 lead.
Later in the quarter, Warner tossed a backwards pass to sophomore running back Bryson Donelson, who mishandled it. Junior linebacker Jamih Otis hurdled Donelson, scooped up the loose ball, and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown for the Rainbow Warriors’ first of the game, extending the lead to 9-0.
“This is a defense playing with a different mentality,” Otis said. “We brought it here tonight.”
Otis mentioned that this was his first touchdown since his days at Bishop Gorman High School.
“When I had the ball in my hands, I had to score,” Otis said.
Even in defeat, Otis is optimistic about what’s ahead.
“Whoever is on the field, we’re competitive with any team whether they come to Hawai‘i or we go away,” he said.
In his first start back from injury, Alejado struggled through much of the game before nearly pulling off a comeback for the ages. He finished 28-for-47 with 219 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.
Alejado, a former Bishop Gorman standout who led his high school team to three straight Nevada state titles (2021–2023), is not accustomed to performances like this.
“It’s tough,” Alejado said. “The defense was playing their butts off the whole game, and I couldn’t execute on offense the way I wanted to.”
Still, he showed poise on the final drive, leading the team downfield in under two minutes and throwing the clutch touchdown to Kamoku.
“We had to leave it all on the field,” Alejado said. “That’s what you saw in the offense: continuous fight.”
Despite the heartbreak, Alejado is already looking forward.
“Wake up tomorrow, you gotta go watch film, and get ready for Air Force next week,” he said.
What’s Next
Hawai‘i travels to Colorado Springs next Saturday to take on the Air Force Falcons (1-2, 0-1 MWC). Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. HST. Watch the game live on FS1 or listen on ESPN 1420 AM / 92.7 FM.