With 2:31 left in the fourth quarter, Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes dropped back in the pocket, desperately looking for an open receiver. Barnes let go of a desperation pass over the middle to senior wide receiver Kahanu Davis, but it was intercepted by junior linebacker Jamih Otis, who blanketed Davis in coverage.
Hawaiʻi kneeled out the clock, and the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex erupted.
For the first time in 15 years, the Rainbow Warriors beat Utah State by a score of 44-26, and did it in style, bidding farewell to the Aggies as they head off to the Pac-12 Conference.
After a slow start, redshirt freshman Micah Alejado and the Hawaiʻi (5-2, 2-1 Mountain West Conference) offense tore apart the Aggie secondary. Alejado finished the night 34-for-54 with 413 yards, four total touchdowns, and one interception, putting on a performance that had echoes of the glory days under June Jones.
On 2nd & 10 with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter, Alejado dropped back from the shotgun but couldn’t find an open man. Seeing a linebacker blitzing down the A-gap and man coverage across the board, he tucked it and took off, scrambling up the middle for a 15-yard rushing touchdown, the first rushing score of his Rainbow Warrior career.
“Micah is as tough-minded as they come,” head coach Timmy Chang said. “All he wants to do is play well for his teammates and lead them.”
Earlier, with just 24 seconds left in the second quarter, junior wide receiver Pofele Ashlock ran a crisp hitch route from the slot and got wide open along the sideline. Alejado found him for his third touchdown of the first half.
The Alejado-Ashlock connection was on full display last night with Ashlock hauled in 113 of Alejado’s 413 passing yards, and all three of his passing touchdowns.
“It was a great performance by the offense,” Alejado said. “Coach Chang and Coach Arceneaux did a great job calling plays, we were able to find the deficiencies in the defense.”
Ashlock wasn’t even feeling great pregame. Still, he went out and torched the Aggie defense.
“I just go out there and play. It all comes to me,” Ashlock said.
For the second straight game, Hawaiʻi’s offense rolled up over 500 yards, and Alejado threw back-to-back 400+ yard games, the kind of numbers that brought back memories of the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Meanwhile, the defense made their own statement, stifling the Mountain West’s top offense. They held Utah State (3-3, 1-1 MWC) to just three points in the second half, and shut them out entirely in the fourth quarter.
With 10:40 left in the game and the Aggies facing 4th & 4 at the Hawaiʻi 37, Barnes dropped back and was immediately pressured by the Warrior D-line, forcing an errant throw. His throw toward Brendan Boyd was broken up by junior nickel Elijah Palmer, forcing a turnover on downs.
Palmer flexed towards the home sideline as a packed Ching Complex roared in reaction to the tough play.
“When you talk about tough guys, there’s a bunch of them on defense,” Chang said. “I’m very proud of them and how they play.”
And as always, senior kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, nicknamed “The Tokyo Toe” by national media, delivered once again in Mānoa, going three-for-three with a long of 46 yards, and tying Jason Elam’s school record of 20 straight made field goals.
Despite the emotional win, the team’s mindset is locked in.
“Our focus is to finish this season strong,” Alejado said.
Hawaiʻi heads to Fort Collins next week to take on Colorado State on October 18th at 1 p.m. HST. Catch the game live on ESPN Honolulu 92.7 FM and 1420 AM.