In Honolulu on Saturday night, the New Mexico State Aggies showed resilience by erasing a 16‑point deficit and tying the game at 19‑19 in the third quarter, only to fall short in the final period. The loss drops the Aggies to a 1‑2 start to the season.
Early dominance by the Rainbow Warriors
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors opened the contest with a decisive 16‑0 run, establishing early control. New Mexico State struggled to generate offense in the opening minutes, allowing Hawaii to set the tone.
Aggies spark a comeback
Midway through the second quarter, running back James Jones broke through for a 2‑yard touchdown run, finally putting NMSU on the scoreboard. Quarterback Trey Hedden then connected with receiver TK King on a 33‑yard touchdown pass, narrowing the gap to 19‑13 at halftime.
Carrying that momentum into the third quarter, the Aggies forced a critical turnover when defensive end Gabe Peterson stripped Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado. Defensive back De’Marcus Peters recovered the fumble and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 19‑19. A missed extra point left the score even.
Hawaii regains the lead and closes out
Hawaii responded quickly with a 33‑yard field goal, reclaiming the lead. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors executed a direct snap play: Tama Uiliata took the snap and threw a 7‑yard touchdown pass to Frank Abreu with 5:17 remaining, extending the lead to 29‑19.
Despite Hedden’s solid performance—completing 19 of 35 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown—he threw two interceptions, and the Aggies could not add any points in the final quarter.
Statistical snapshot
New Mexico State outgained Hawaii on the ground, 124 yards to 67, and posted 380 total yards compared with Hawaii’s 420. However, three turnovers and an inability to score in the fourth quarter proved decisive.
The loss also extended the Aggies’ historical struggles against Hawaii. New Mexico State now stands 1‑12 all‑time against the Rainbow Warriors and 0‑8 in games played in Honolulu.
Looking ahead
The Aggies return home on September 26 to face New Mexico in the annual Rio Grande Rivalry, hoping to rebound from the early‑season setback and build on the offensive spark they displayed against Hawaii.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
