GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii Warriors Brandon White high stepped away from San Diego State Aztecs Parker Threatt during an NCAA football game at Clarence T.C. Ching Complex on Saturday.
On a wet Manoa night, the Hawaii football team went wild in a 38-6 rout of San Diego State tonight at Ching Complex.
The Aztecs entered atop the Mountain West standings and several defensive categories, but the Rainbow Warriors made a splash in every way to improve to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Mountain West.
With Hawaii on a bye next week and San Diego State playing Boise State, UH is guaranteed to be in a tie for second place entering the final two weeks of the regular season. The top two teams play in the league championship game.
Before a crowd of 13,087 — a sellout of 15,194 was announced — the Warriors ended a five-game losing streak to the Aztecs (7-2, 4-1). Micah Alejado threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns — all to wideout Jackson Harris, who topped the century mark in receiving for the fifth consecutive game.
Cam Barfield took the opening kickoff of the second half and raced 86 yards the other way for a touchdown and nickelback Elijah Palmer scored on a 53-yard interception return for the only scores by either team in the second half.
Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa was true on a 22-yard field goal attempt, his 22nd try without a miss this season. He has connected on 23 in a row dating back to last season.
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A week after being burned for 630 yards by San Jose State, the Warriors fired back to deny the Aztecs’ prolific running attack. In the first eight games, the Aztecs averaged 185.6 rushing yards. Even behind an imposing offensive line, the Aztecs could not get traction against the Warriors’ rotation of D-linemen. The Aztecs amassed 135 yards on the ground.
Hawaii defeated SDSU for just the third time in 14 tries.
UH will next play on Nov. 21 at UNLV.