New Mexico rallies from 10-point halftime deficit to hand Hawai’i fourth straight loss

HONOLULU — The devil is in the details.

Despite holding a double-digit halftime lead, committing fewer penalties and forcing more turnovers than a defense that entered the night leading the nation in takeaways, the University of Hawai’i football team suffered an all-too-familiar result Saturday night, falling 21-10 to New Mexico (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West) at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

Hawai’i (1-6, 0-4 Mountain West) saw its struggling offense fail to get off the ground again, managing just three points off the three takeaways produced by its defense while getting shut out in the second half.

“Well-fought, hard played game,” head coach Timmy Chang said to open his postgame press conference. “That’s a really good team on the other side, well-coached, and the guys gave them all that they could handle. Just a few more plays were made on that side of the ball, so the result is losing by 11.”

New Mexico endured a nightmare first half in the islands, committing 12 of its 16 penalties in the opening 30 minutes. The mistakes helped Hawai’i extend multiple drives while repeatedly putting the Lobos' offense in difficult situations before halftime.

Hawai’i failed to fully capitalize on New Mexico's slow start, managing just three points in the first quarter after defensive back Jeremiah Hughes' first career interception gave the offense possession near midfield. With help from a pair of late-hit penalties against the Lobos, the Rainbow Warriors moved inside the red zone before settling for a 27-yard field goal from Sean Olvera-Harle, taking a 3-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.

The UH defense provided another boost early in the second quarter, forcing another turnover when defensive back Matagi Thompson punched the ball free following a 40-yard scramble by New Mexico quarterback Toa Fa’avae. Defensive back Kona Moore recovered the fumble, giving Hawai’i another possession near midfield.

This time, the Rainbow Warriors came away empty-handed. Wide receiver Audric Harris had the ball knocked loose on what would have been a touchdown catch before Olvera-Harle missed a 29-yard field goal attempt, keeping the lead at 3-0 with 10:14 remaining in the first half.

More penalties against New Mexico's offense, combined with a botched snap, gave Hawai’i possession in Lobos territory with just under two minutes remaining before halftime and one timeout at its disposal.

This time, the Rainbow Warriors made the most of the opportunity, managing the clock before wide receiver Titan Lacaden hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass for his first career score, extending Hawai’i's lead to 10-0 heading into the locker room.

New Mexico's offense finally found its rhythm to open the second half, marching 75 yards in nine plays to begin the third quarter. The drive featured a fourth-and-4 trick play in which Fa’avae caught a 35-yard pass that moved the Lobos to the doorstep of the end zone. Running back Scottre Humphrey powered into the end zone from a yard out a few plays later, cutting the deficit to 10-7 just over five minutes into the second half.

Hughes briefly swung the momentum back in Hawai’i's favor late in the third quarter, securing his second interception of the night after the Rainbow Warriors' offense had punted on consecutive possessions.

Quarterback Micah Alejado and the offense appeared poised to extend their lead after the sophomore connected with wide receiver Josiah Fetui on a 47-yard pass late in the third quarter, putting Hawai’i in scoring position entering the final 15 minutes.

However, the Lobos' defense came up with another critical stop, forcing Alejado to fumble at the goal line and preserving the three-point deficit.

New Mexico made Hawai’i pay for the mistake, taking seven minutes off the clock before Fa’avae capped a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. The score gave the visitors their first lead of the night, 14-10, in the fourth quarter.

Hawai’i reverted to its costly habits on the ensuing possession, with an unnecessary roughness penalty turning a potential fourth-and-short situation near midfield into a punting situation. The Rainbow Warriors surrendered possession with 3:32 remaining.

Starting in Hawai’i territory, New Mexico needed just one play to deliver the decisive blow. Humphrey broke free for a 49-yard touchdown run, extending the Lobos' lead to 21-10 late in the fourth quarter.

Alejado and the Rainbow Warriors attempted one final rally, but a pass that bounced off the chest of wide receiver Tama Uiliata popped into the air and was intercepted by New Mexico's Tavin Combs, ending any hopes of a comeback.

Alejado finished the night completing 23 of 40 passes for 250 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also losing a fumble. Lacaden recorded seven receptions for the second consecutive game, finishing with 41 receiving yards and Hawai’i's lone touchdown.

“It’s not really much to say,” Lacaden said about the team's continued struggles with execution. “We’ve got to clean up the little things. I feel like that’s the story every week for us … Call a spade a spade, that’s what it is. It’s the little things for us, we’re killing ourselves with the pre-snap errors, the penalties, the offsides, the holding. We’ve just got to make the plays when plays come our way.”

Humphrey delivered a dominant second-half performance, rushing for 78 of his 90 yards and scoring both of his touchdowns after halftime. After a rough start that included turnovers, Fa’avae settled in and finished with 171 yards of total offense, passing for 59 yards, rushing for 77 and adding a 35-yard reception in the victory.

For Hawai’i, the loss was another frustrating example of missed opportunities. Despite forcing three turnovers, building a 10-point halftime lead and watching New Mexico repeatedly hurt itself with penalties, the Rainbow Warriors were unable to turn those advantages into a much-needed victory.

Instead, Hawai’i heads into another week searching for answers after dropping its fourth consecutive game and remaining winless in Mountain West play.

The Rainbow Warriors will conclude a stretch of five games in five weeks when they travel to face Northern Illinois on Oct. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Hawai’i time, with both teams still searching for their first conference victory of the season.