HONOLULU — After a dreary first half, the University of Hawai'i football team crafted a dreamy finish to the non-conference schedule in a 20-17 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday night at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.
 
Amid sporadic showers in Mānoa, the Rainbow Warriors erased a 14-point halftime deficit and Matthew Shipley's 24-yard field goal as time expired triggered a celebration of UH's comeback — and payback — win and sent them into Mountain West Conference play at 2-3.
 
Nearly a year after New Mexico State rolled to a 45-26 rout of UH in Las Cruces, N.M., the Aggies again rode their ground game to take a 17-3 lead into halftime on Saturday.
 
This time, the Warriors flipped the momentum in the second half in scoring 17 unanswered points while holding NMSU to 78 yards after the break and pulled off the program's biggest comeback since overcoming a 14-point deficit in a 27-24 win over Fresno State on Oct. 2, 2021.
 
UH quarterback Brayden Schager, who orchestrated the rally two years ago, completed 26 of 37 attempts for 245 yards, sparking the comeback with the first rushing touchdown of his career and connecting with slotback Koali Nishigaya for the tying score with 7:19 left.
 
The Warriors started their final possession at UH 28-yard line with three minutes left and Schager led them on an 11-play, 65-yard drive capped by Shipley's second field goal of the game.
 
Schager went 18-for-25 for 199 yards in the second half with the Warriors outgaining the Aggies 244-78 ,and two of the Warriors' big men — defensive tackle Daniel "Sauce" Williams and offensive tackle Josh Atkins — provided two of the game's biggest plays.
 
NMSU opened up a 10-0 lead on a 39-yard screen pass from Diego Pavia to running back Monte Watkins and a 35-yard field goal and again drove into UH territory in the second quarter.
 
Williams halted the threat when he stripped the ball out of a ball-carrier's grasp and snagged the loose ball out of the air. The 5-foot-11, 330-pounder then rumbled up the sideline for a 41-yard return before being dragged down at the NMSU 40.
 
The UH offense converted the takeaway into a 35-yard field goal by Shipley with 5:27 left in the second quarter.
 
NMSU answered with an eight-play drive capped by third-down conversion when Pavia tossed a short throw to running back Star Thomas who took it down the sideline for a 21-yard touchdown to extend the Aggies' lead to 17-3.
 
A 51-yard field goal attempt came up short to end the half and send the Warriors into the locker room facing a two-touchdown deficit.
 
The Warriors opened the second half with an eight-play drive with Schager connecting with Nishigaya over the middle for a 29-yard gain followed by a 12-yard completion to the NMSU 4. Schager finished off the march with the first rushing touchdown of his career.
 
The Warriors recovered their first onside kick since 2019 when Jalen Smith pounced on Ben Falck's kick. But they went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and another promising drive to the NMSU 6 came up empty when the Aggies recovered a Schager fumble on third-and-goal.
 
On UH's next possession, Schager was pressured and lost the ball which was plucked out the air by Atkins, who then turned upfield and picked up 23 yards to the NMSU 23.
 
The Warriors converted on fourth-and-1 on a 2-yard run by Jordan Johnson, who followed with a 12-yard burst up the middle to the NMSU 4. On second down, Schager found Nishigaya open over the middle for a 3-yard touchdown pass and Shipley's kick tied the game with 7:19 left in regulation.
 
An NMSU punt sailed out of bounds at the UH 28 with three minutes showing on the clock. Schager flipped a shovel pass to Johnson for 12 yards and found Ashlock across the middle for 22 yards to the NMSU 37.
 
A 12-yard completion to Steven McBride and a pass interference call on NMSU in the end zone moved the ball to the Aggies' 9 with 52 seconds left. Two UH runs drained the clock to 10 seconds when NMSU called timeout. UH moved the ball to the middle of the field at the 7 and UH coach Timmy Chang called timeout with two seconds left. Shipley then knocked the field goal through the uprights to spark the Warriors' celebration.
 
The Warriors open Mountain West Conference play on Sept. 30 at UNLV at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
 

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