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Post-game Notes
New Mexico State at Hawai‘i
Sept. 23, 2023
Clarence T.C. Ching Complex  –  Honolulu  

GAME CAPTAINS
  • Tylan Hines, Eliki Tanuvasa, Jonah Kahahawai-Welch, Isaiah Tufaga
 
SERIES INFORMATION
  • UH improved to 11-1 all-time against the Aggies and avenged last year’s loss in Las Cruces which was the program’s first ever in the series.
  • UH is a perfect 7-0 all-time against the Aggies in Honolulu.
  • This was the closest ever margin in 12 all-time meetings and the first to be determined by less than double-digits.
  • UH and NMSU are scheduled to meet again in 2026 and ’27, both in Honolulu.
 
VERSUS CONFERENCE USA
  • UH ended a four-game skid against Conference USA teams and improved to 39-19 all-time against teams currently in C-USA.
 
TEAM STREAKS/TRENDS 
  • UH has started the season 2-3 for the second time in the last three years (also 2021).
 
INDIVIDUAL STREAKS/TRENDS 
  • DT John Tuitupou made his 18th consecutive start and QB Brayden Schager made his 14th consecutive start.
  • Virdel Edwards II missed his first career game as a Rainbow Warrior. He had played in 17 straight games and had eight straight starts before being sidelined on Saturday.
  • Schager has thrown for at least one touchdown pass in 14 consecutive games dating back to last year. The last time Schager did not throw a touchdown pass was Sept. 17, 2022 versus Duquesne.
  • With his game-winning 24-yard field goal, Matthew Shipley is now a perfect 24-of-24 in his career on field goals inside 30 yards.
  • Shipley also made a 35-yarder in the second quarter. He has now made 28 of his last 30 field goal attempts from inside 40 yards dating back to the 2021 season.
  • Since the start of the 2021 season, Shipley has made 39 of 47 (83.0%) field-goal attempts and 77 of 78 PAT attempts.
  • Shipley missed his first field goal in four attempts this year when he was short and wide on a 51-yard attempt at the end of the first half. It was his longest attempt of his career and his first attempt of 50 yards or longer.  

TEAM NOTES
  • UH improved to 5-5 at home under head coach Timmy Chang, including 3-3 versus non-conference opponents. It was Chang’s first non-conference home win against an FBS opponent.  
  • UH shutout the Aggies in the second half. The last time UH shutout an opponent in the second half was in a 21-7 road win at UNLV on Nov. 16, 2019.
  • Their last shutout of an opponent in a half was in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl when UH out-scored Houston 21-0 by halftime.
  • The UH defense allowed a season low in points (17) with the Aggies running just 47 total plays for the game.
  • UH registered a season-high 21 first downs with 15 coming in the decisive second half.
  • The Warriors had a season-low four penalties for 25 yards.
  • For the second straight home game, UH registered a 41-yard fumble return when Daniel “Sauce” Williams stripped and returned an NMSU fumble in the second quarter. Noah Kema had a 41-yard fumble return as well two weeks ago vs. UAlbany.
  • UH recovered an onside kick in the third quarter, marking its first successful onside recovery since 2019 (Nov. 2 vs. Fresno State).
  • The Rainbow Warriors suffered its first fumble lost this year when Brayden Schager lost possession on a rush late in the third quarter. 
  • NMSU’s 14-play drive that took 8:15 of clock time was the longest in terms of plays and duration by an opponent this year. The drive ended in a 35-yard field goal.
  • UH's first walk-off win at the end of regulation since Marcus Kemp's touchdown against UNLV on Nov. 22, 2014
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Landon Sims earned his first career start at running back and finished with 28 yards on five attempts while adding two catches for 10 yards.
  • Koali Nishigaya scored his first touchdown of the season and the second touchdown reception of his career with a 3-yard catch in the fourth quarter to tie the game 17-17.
  • Nishigaya hauled in a career-long 29-yard reception in the third quarter. He finished with four catches for four yards on the game.
  • Brayden Schager scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter for the first rushing touchdown of his career. 
  • With a pair of field goals, Matthew Shipley moved into sole possession of third all-time in field goals made with 47, passing Dan Kelly (45).
  • Shipley now has 248 points and trails Davone Bess (250) by just two for the No. 4 spot all-time.
  • After missing the last two games, Cam Stone returned to the starting lineup and finished with two tackles and one pass breakup. He also returned a kickoff 19 yards.
  • Wynden Ho‘ohuli recorded his first career sack with a third-quarter takedown of NMSU’s Diego Pavia.
  • Pofele Ashlock has led the team in receiving yards in each of his first five games after catching seven passes for 77 yards versus the Aggies.
 
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