HONOLULU – In a classic Mountain West shootout, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior football team defeated New Mexico, 39-33, in its home opener Saturday night at Aloha Stadium. UH improved to 2-1 on the season.
UH trailed by as many as 13 points in the game and turned the ball over three times, but used a strong second-half performance, including an explosive passing attack to beat the Lobos. It was Hawai'i's first home win over New Mexico since 1991, snapping a string of four straight losses to the Lobos in Honolulu.
Quarterback
Chevan Cordeiro threw for a career-high 410 yards and four touchdowns to power the Warriors, who won their sixth consecutive home opener. All four of his touchdown passes went for 40 yards or longer, including a 64-yard bomb to
Calvin Turner that put UH up for good in the fourth quarter. The sophomore scampered for another score and was the team's leading rusher with 39 yards.
Cordeiro had five passing plays over 30 yards and directed an offense that generated 503 total yards, including 270 in the second half in which the Warriors out-scored the Lobos, 25-13. Wide receiver
Nick Mardner had a team-high six catches for 147 yards, including a 42-yard catch-and-run for touchdown in the second quarter.
The Lobos got off to a fast start building a 20-7 lead early into the second quarter, scoring on each of their first four possessions. But UH rallied with 21 unanswered bridging the second and third quarters to take possession of the game.
A pair of touchdowns by transfer
Zion Bowens in a 70-second span put UH ahead 28-20 just three minutes into the second half. His 42-yard bomb from Cordeiro gave Hawai'i its first lead of the game and on the very next possession, the pair connected again with a highlight reel reception in the back of the endzone.
UNM answered with 10 straight to take 30-28 lead early in the fourth quarter before Cordeiro went to work again. He found a streaking Turner along the sideline and the Jacksonville transfer did the rest, zigzagging 64-yards for the score. On the ensuing two-point conversion
Jared Smart's acrobatic catch in the corner of the endzone put UH on top 36-30.
After UH's defense forced a three-and-out, the Warriors marched downfield once again and capped a nine-play drive with a 41-yard field goal by freshman
Matthew Shipley for a 39-30 lead. The Lobos answered with a 42-yard field goal by George Steinkamp with 1:21 remaining and on their ensuing onside kick, UH's
Jonah Panoke grabbed the loose ball to seal the victory.
Defensively, linebacker
Darius Muasau had a team-high 10 tackles while linebacker
Quentin Frazier added a season-high nine tackles, a fourth quarter interception and 2.5 tackles for loss.
The Warriors next head to the mainland for their third road game in the first four weeks of the season when they take on San Diego State in Carson, Calif. Kickoff is 1:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. HT.
#HawaiiFB
