Hawai‘i Earns First Win of 2026 With 29-19 Victory Over NMSU
By WAA Staff 9/12/2026
Hawai‘i Earns First Win of 2026 With 29-19 Victory Over New Mexico State
HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors are officially in the win column. Hawai‘i defeated New Mexico State 29-19 Saturday night at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, improving to 1-2 on the season and giving the Rainbow Warriors a much-needed victory after opening the year with losses to Stanford and UNLV.
The Rainbow Warriors jumped out to a 16-0 advantage behind a fast start from the offense. Running back DeVon Rice accounted for both early touchdowns, scoring on runs of seven and 11 yards, while kicker Sean Olvera-Harle connected from 32 yards.
New Mexico State responded in the second quarter. James Jones scored on a two-yard run before quarterback Trey Hedden connected with TK King for a 33-yard touchdown, cutting Hawai‘i’s advantage to three. Olvera-Harle answered with a career-long 42-yard field goal just before halftime to send the Warriors into the locker room leading 19-13.
The momentum swung dramatically early in the third quarter. After a 69-yard kickoff return by Titan Lacaden put Hawai‘i in scoring position, quarterback Micah Alejado was hit while scrambling and fumbled. New Mexico State’s De’Marcus Peters recovered the ball and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 19.
Hawai‘i didn’t fold.
Alejado remained in the game and immediately helped engineer an 11-play drive that ended with Olvera-Harle’s 33-yard field goal, putting UH back ahead 22-19. The Rainbow Warrior defense kept the Aggies off the scoreboard for the remainder of the night.
Hawai‘i finally delivered the knockout blow midway through the fourth quarter.
Facing fourth-and-four from the New Mexico State seven-yard line, UH reached into its bag of tricks. Wide receiver Tama Uiliata took the snap, rolled right and found tight end Frank Abreu for a seven-yard touchdown. The fourth-down conversion extended Hawai‘i’s lead to 29-19 with 5:41 remaining.
Linebacker Jamih Otis then put the finishing touches on the victory with an interception with 3:58 remaining. Otis was at the center of a strong night for the Hawai‘i defense, also recovering a first-quarter fumble and tying Kona Moore for the team lead with six tackles. UH forced three turnovers after entering the game without a takeaway through its first two contests.
Alejado delivered his best statistical passing performance of the young season, completing 33 of 45 attempts for 346 yards. Uiliata had a career night with 10 catches for 107 yards in addition to throwing the fourth-quarter touchdown. Audric Harris added a career-high 105 yards on four receptions, while Kainoa “Kaikai” Carvalho finished with nine catches for a career-high 82 yards.
Hawai‘i finished with 420 yards of total offense, including 353 through the air. New Mexico State totaled 380 yards but couldn’t overcome the turnover battle, with Hawai‘i collecting two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The win also continued Hawai‘i’s dominance over New Mexico State in Honolulu. The Rainbow Warriors are now 12-1 all-time against the Aggies and a perfect 8-0 against them at home.
After finally breaking through for its first victory, Hawai‘i will get a week off before returning to Mountain West action. The Rainbow Warriors travel to Laramie to face Wyoming on Saturday, Sept. 26, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Hawai‘i time on The CW.
Hawai‘i Falls to UNLV 21-6 in Mountain West Opener
By WAA Staff 9/5/2026
Hawai‘i Falls to UNLV 21-6 in Mountain West Opener
HONOLULU — The University of Hawai‘i football team struggled to finish drives in its Mountain West opener, falling to UNLV 21-6 on September 5 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
The loss dropped the Rainbow Warriors to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in Mountain West play, while UNLV improved to 1-1 and 1-0 in conference action. The Rebels also retained the Island Showdown Trophy for the fourth consecutive meeting.
UNLV Controls the First Half
Both defenses dictated the early stages of the game, but UNLV struck first when quarterback Jackson Arnold capped an 80-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown run.
Hawai‘i responded early in the second quarter. Quarterback Micah Alejado connected with Kaikai Carvalho for 26 yards during an 11-play drive before the Warriors settled for a 39-yard field goal from Sean Olvera-Harle, cutting UNLV’s lead to 7-3.
The Rebels extended their advantage late in the half. A 44-yard completion helped move UNLV deep into Hawai‘i territory before Arnold scored his second rushing touchdown, this time from two yards out, giving the Rebels a 14-3 halftime lead.
Hawai‘i Moves the Ball, But Can’t Find the End Zone
The Rainbow Warriors found more offensive rhythm after halftime and controlled possession for extended stretches. Hawai‘i ultimately held the ball for more than 32 minutes and ran 76 offensive plays, but repeatedly came away without touchdowns.
One of Hawai‘i’s best opportunities came late in the third quarter.
With UH facing first-and-goal, Alejado was forced to leave the game after being injured. Backup quarterback Bjorn Jurgensen entered and appeared to connect with Audric Harris for a 15-yard touchdown, but the score was overturned following review.
Olvera-Harle instead converted a 33-yard field goal, bringing Hawai‘i within 14-6 with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter.
The Warriors threatened again early in the fourth quarter, driving inside the UNLV 10. But the Rebels stopped Hawai‘i on fourth down, ending another promising possession without points.
That inability to finish drives ultimately proved costly.
Rebels Put It Away
Hawai‘i’s defense kept the game within reach for most of the night, but UNLV delivered the decisive blow late in the fourth quarter.
Running back Jai’Den Thomas broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run, extending the Rebels’ lead to 21-6 with less than five minutes remaining.
Thomas finished with 143 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, while Arnold added 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns. UNLV accumulated 248 rushing yards and 364 total yards.
Hawai‘i finished with 294 yards of offense, including 185 in the second half. Alejado completed 17 of 41 passes for 176 yards with one interception, while DeVon Rice led the Warriors on the ground with 73 yards on 15 carries and added 27 receiving yards.
Defense Keeps Warriors Alive
Despite the loss, Hawai‘i’s defense gave the offense opportunities to get back into the game.
Linebacker Jamih Otis tied his career high with 12 tackles, while safety Kona Moore recorded 10. UH held UNLV scoreless throughout the third quarter and remained within one possession until Thomas’ late touchdown.
The biggest concern was Hawai‘i’s inability to turn sustained drives into touchdowns. UH reached UNLV territory multiple times but finished with only two field goals, marking the first time the Rainbow Warriors failed to score a touchdown at home since 2023.
UNLV’s 21-6 victory marked its fourth consecutive win over Hawai‘i and gave the Rebels an early Mountain West conference victory.
Up next for the ‘Bows: A non conference home game against the Aggies of New Mexico State(1-1).
UH rally falls short to Stanford 37-27
By WAA Staff
STANFORD, Calif. — Hawai‘i nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback in its 2026 season opener, erasing a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and briefly taking the lead before Stanford answered late to hand the Rainbow Warriors a 37-27 loss Saturday afternoon at Stanford Stadium.
Trailing 23-7 entering the final quarter, the Rainbow Warriors scored 20 unanswered points to surge ahead 27-23 with just over four minutes remaining. But Stanford responded with a late touchdown before adding a defensive score in the closing minutes to escape with the win. Hawai‘i opens the season at 0-1, while Stanford improves to 1-0.
Alejado Ignites Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Sophomore quarterback Micah Alejado led Hawai‘i’s furious rally, completing 30 of 50 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Alejado spread the ball around throughout the afternoon, with 12 different Rainbow Warriors recording at least one reception.
Stanford quarterback Davis Warren finished 22-of-34 for 310 yards and a touchdown, while running back Micah Ford powered the Cardinal rushing attack with 99 yards and three touchdowns.
Hawai‘i struggled to generate offense early and entered halftime trailing 14-7.
Ford opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run on Stanford’s second possession. The Rainbow Warriors answered early in the second quarter when Kansas State transfer DeVon Rice scored Hawai‘i’s first touchdown of the 2026 season on a 3-yard jet sweep.
Stanford quickly reclaimed the lead when Warren connected with Atticus Joseph for a 6-yard touchdown, making it 14-7.
Despite being outgained 257-81 in the opening half, the Hawai‘i defense came up with a pair of late stops to keep the Rainbow Warriors within one score at halftime.
Stanford Builds a 16-Point Advantage
Things got more difficult for Hawai‘i early in the second half.
Charlie Eckhardt blocked a UH punt that rolled out of bounds for a safety, extending Stanford’s advantage to 16-7. Following the Hawai‘i free kick, the Cardinal capitalized on the extra possession, with Ford scoring his second 2-yard touchdown of the afternoon. Suddenly, Hawai‘i faced a 23-7 deficit.
After five consecutive three-and-outs, however, the Rainbow Warrior offense finally found its rhythm.
UH put together a 16-play, 80-yard drive that consumed more than five minutes. Facing fourth-and-1 from the Stanford 5-yard line, sophomore running back Sitane Mikaele broke through for his first career touchdown.
Tama Uiliata followed with a successful two-point conversion, cutting Stanford’s lead to 23-15.The comeback was on.
Rainbow Warriors Take the Lead
Hawai‘i’s defense quickly forced a three-and-out, giving Alejado another opportunity.This time, the Rainbow Warriors needed just five plays to cover 63 yards. Alejado connected with Uiliata for an 11-yard touchdown, pulling Hawai‘i within two at 23-21 with 9:39 remaining after an unsuccessful two-point attempt.Uiliata turned in a career performance, leading Hawai‘i with eight receptions for 62 yards while hauling in the first touchdown catch of his collegiate career.
Another UH defensive stand gave the Rainbow Warriors possession with a chance to complete the comeback.Micah Alejado delivered.The sophomore engineered a nine-play, 90-yard drive. Facing second-and-13 from the Stanford 29-yard line, Alejado found Rice, who raced into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.The score completed a run of 20 unanswered Hawai‘i points and gave the Rainbow Warriors their first lead of the afternoon, 27-23, with 4:06 remaining.Rice made an immediate impact in his Rainbow Warrior debut, finding the end zone both as a runner and receiver.
Stanford Answers Late
Hawai‘i’s lead wouldn’t last. Warren responded by directing Stanford on a seven-play, 62-yard drive. Ford finished it with his third 2-yard touchdown run of the game, putting the Cardinal back in front 30-27 with 1:41 remaining.The Rainbow Warriors still had time for one final drive, but their comeback hopes ended when Stanford’s Tevarua Tafiti recovered a fumble and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown with 1:12 left.
The defensive score provided the final points in Stanford’s 37-27 victory.
Defense Delivers Career Performances
Despite the loss, several Rainbow Warriors produced standout performances defensively.
Junior safety Kona Moore recorded a career-high 14 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss. Senior safety Matagi Thompson also established a career high with eight tackles.For Hawai‘i, the loss will sting after coming so close to completing a dramatic road comeback. But the fourth-quarter response provided a glimpse of the explosiveness the Rainbow Warriors are capable of bringing into the rest of the season.
Up next: UNLV
The Rainbow Warriors return to Honolulu for their 2026 home opener and an early Mountain West showdown against UNLV on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Ching Complex and will be shown on the CW Network.
Hawaii Football
2026 Hawai’i Football
2027 HS Commits
EDGE - Davian Whitener - Desert Mountain HS(AZ)
DB - Khalil Abdullah - Mater Academy- E. Las Vegas
WR - Shaison Kupuka’a - Campbell HS
OL - Asofa Lauifi - Cathedral Catholic HS(CA)
QB - Jaden Jefferson - Corona Centennial HS(CA)