LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Hawai'i football team dropped its non-conference finale at New Mexico State Saturday, 45-26 at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
 
The loss was UH's first-ever to the Aggies, as the Rainbow Warriors came in to the game 10-0 all-time versus New Mexico State. Hawai'i finished with a season-high 411 yards of total offense, rushing for a season-best 149 yards while throwing for 261. Defensively, UH surrendered 357 yards rushing, 268 of which came in the first half, while the Aggies scored five touchdowns on the ground.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (1-4) struck first, taking the opening kickoff and going 75 yards in eight plays. Brayden Schager hit James Phillips for a 24-yard completion on the first play, going 3-for-3 for 39 yards on the series that was capped off by a Dedrick Parson one-yard scoring run.
 
New Mexico State (1-4) answered with touchdown drives on its first three possessions to go up 21-7. The Aggies ran for a combined 190 yards over the two drives, getting on the board behind a TD runs of 27, 20 and three yards.
 
Hawai'i ended a run of 21 straight Aggie points at the 10:34 mark of the second quarter with a Matthew Shipley 23-yard field goal at the end of a 90-yard drive. The 'Bows ran for 70 yards on the possession, with Tylan Hines going for 44 yards on two carries on the series.
 
The Aggies found the end zone two more times during the closing minutes of the first half to take a 35-10 lead into the break.
 
After NMSU added to its lead with another rushing TD, the Rainbow Warriors got back on the board with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Schager found Jalen Walthall for UH's first passing touchdown of the season, a 16-yard strike on a fourth-down play to make it 42-17 at the 1:46 mark of the third quarter.
 
On the ensuing Aggie drive, Virdel Edwards came away with his second interception of the season to set the 'Bows up for a field goal drive, capped by Shipley hitting from 30 yards out. NMSU tacked on a field goal to make it 45-20, before Parson found the end zone for the second time to cap off the scoring.
 
Hawai'i tight end Caleb Phillips turned in a career day, setting career highs with eight receptions for 138 yards. Schager threw for a career-high 261 yards, 161 of which came in the second half while finishing the game 22-for-39 with a TD. Parson ran for multiple TDs for the second straight game and fifth time in his career, giving him six rushing scores on the year.
 
The Rainbow Warriors head into their bye week next week before opening Mountain West play on Oct. 8 at San Diego State.