HONOLULU — In an impressive debut, Micah Alejado threw five touchdown passes, marking a historic first for Hawaii quarterbacks, contributing to the Rainbow Warriors’ 38-30 victory over New Mexico in their final regular-season game of the 2024 college football season.

Alejado stepped in for the injured Brayden Schager and completed 37 out of 57 passes for a remarkable 469 yards, shattering the freshman single-game record of 403 yards previously set by Hawaii’s current head coach, Timmy Chang, back in 2000.

The Rainbow Warriors took the lead midway through the first quarter when Alejado connected with Pofele Ashlock for a 3-yard touchdown. Ashlock finished the game with a total of eight catches and 79 receiving yards.

Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala also made valuable contributions with touchdown receptions of 15 yards and 3 yards, while Spencer Curtis was a key player in the receiving game, amassing 100 yards on seven receptions. His final catch was a crucial 11-yard gain on third-and-10 with just 2 minutes left, allowing Hawaii to run down the clock effectively.

For New Mexico, quarterback Devon Dampier completed 19 of 31 passes for 176 yards, and he made a notable impact with 101 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Eli Sanders led the Lobos’ ground attack with 121 yards on 17 carries. NaQuari Rogers added to New Mexico’s rushing total with 83 yards and capped off the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:34 remaining in the game.

Although New Mexico ended up with a 5-7 record overall and 3-4 within the Mountain West Conference, the team was aiming for bowl eligibility under first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall. Conversely, the Rainbow Warriors have struggled with bowl eligibility, last competing in a bowl game in 2020, where they secured a 28-14 victory over Houston in the New Mexico Bowl, as the 2021 Hawaii Bowl was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

As the teams wrap up their seasons, the hope for bowl appearances remains a significant goal for both programs moving forward.