HONOLULU - On Senior Night, it was an underclassman who stole the show. True freshman quarterback Micah Alejado erupted in his first career start to lead the University of Hawai'i football team over the New Mexico Lobos 38-30 in Saturday night's season finale at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex.
 
Alejado broke UH starting debut records for passing yards and passing touchdowns with 469 yards and five touchdowns. He did so on 37-of-57 passing, both of which are also UH records for a debut start. Alejado broke head coach Timmy Chang's record for completions (37) and tied Nick Rolovich's record for attempts (57) in a starting debut. Alejado added 54 yards on the ground, giving him 523 total yards of offense and breaking Cole McDonald's record of 514. Alejado's 469 passing yards and five passing touchdowns are both UH freshman records.
 
Through week 14, Alejado has the most single-game passing yards by an FBS freshman this season, and he is tied for most single-game passing touchdowns by an FBS freshman this year.
 
Senior receiver Spencer Curtis finished with his first career 100-yard game, leading a pack of five UH receivers that finished with over 50 yards receiving. Nick Cenacle added 93 yards, while Jonah Panoke and Pofele Ashlock tallied with 86 and 79 yards respectively. Dekel Crowdus scored on a 52-yard touchdown catch, his only catch of the game, while Ashlock and Cenacle each caught a touchdown pass. Senior Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala caught two touchdown passes in his final game as a Rainbow Warrior.
 
Alejado didn't wait long to get started on his career night. Pinned deep on his own 6-yard line, Alejado faced a tough test for his first drive as a starting quarterback. He passed that test with flying colors, completing seven of his first nine passes and leading the Rainbow Warriors on a 94-yard opening drive. Alejado finished off the drive with a short pass left to Ashlock, who walked in for the three-yard score.
 
After New Mexico matched the opening score with Devon Dampier's three-yard rushing touchdown, the 'Bows offense got back to work. The first scoring drive took 12 plays. This one took only three. On the third play of the drive, Alejado found Crowdus deep down the field for a 52-yard score.
 
The Lobos countered with a 36-yard field goal to close the deficit to 14-9. Hawai'i responded with two unanswered scoring drives. Alejado connected with Mokiao-Atimalala for the duo's first touchdown, a 15-yard catch-and-run, in the final minutes of the second quarter. He led UH on another scoring drive to start the third quarter, finding Cenacle at the right pylon for a three-yard touchdown to give UH a 28-9 lead. New Mexico scored again on another Dampier rushing touchdown, while Kansei Matsuzawa added a 19-yard field goal as UH led 31-16 heading into the final quarter.
 
The Lobos threatened late with a pair of fourth quarter scores. Dampier scored his third rushing touchdown of the game, while NaQuari Rogers added another rushing touchdown. But Alejado's three-yard touchdown pass to Mokiao-Atimalala in between those two Lobos scores gave the Rainbow Warriors the cushion they needed.
 
The 'Bows came up with the clutch plays on the final drive of the game. Alejado completed an 11-yard pass to Curtis on a key 3^rd-and-10, followed by a Cam Barfield 13-yard rush. Alejado sealed the win with a 19-yard rush on 2^nd-and-6 to set up two kneel-downs for the win.