On a wet Manoa night, the Hawaii football team went wild in a 38-6 rout of San Diego State on Saturday at the 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. The Warriors are in third place in the MW. 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). Roll the credits for:

>> Micah Alejado, who threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns — all to wideout Jackson Harris, who topped the century mark in receiving for the fifth consecutive game.

“It was just reps, and putting in all that work in practice,” Harris said.

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Alejado said: “We have great chemistry with each other. I trust him, and he’s a great guy to have.”

>> Cam Barfield, who took the second-half kickoff and raced 86 yards the other way to extend the Warriors’ lead to 31-6.

“I saw my convoy,” Barfield said. “I saw my boys on the kickoff return team blocking. I kept seeing, one-11, one-11. It was everybody doing their job. They’re all looking for a block. They all saw me in the end zone. That’s love. They have love for me and I have love for them.”

>> Nickelback Elijah Palmer, who scored on a 53-yard interception return.

>> Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, who was true on a 22-yard field goal attempt, his 22nd trey without a miss this season. The Japan-reared Matsuzawa has connected on 23 in a row dating to last season.

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 — 6-6 1/2 and 336 pounds a blocker — the Aztecs could not get traction against the Warriors’ rotation of D-linemen. The Aztecs amassed 135 yards on the ground.

The Aztecs had little relief with their aerial attack. Two weeks after landing awkwardly on his right shoulder, quarterback Jayden Denegal was listed as “questionable” for Saturday’s game. Denegal was limited to 10-for-27 passing for 132 yards. The Aztecs’ passing woes were magnified in their first three drives of the second half.

After advancing to the UH 21, Denegal’s pass into the end zone was picked off by safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen.

“It was film study, and know what they would do,” Mendiola-Jensen said. “And also a good defensive coordinator (Dennis Thurman) making the right call at the time.”

The Aztecs’ next drive ended with Denegal’s incompletion of a fourth-and-14 pass.

On the Aztecs’ third possession after the intermission, Palmer cut in front of wideout Mikey Welsh for the interception. It was Palmer’s first pick-6 of his UH career.

“I give all the glory to God,” Palmer said. “I’ve been praying for something great, something I’ve never done in college before. It was my first pick-6. … It felt great. I had a couple touchdowns in high school, a couple of punt returns. It felt great again.”

Denegal also lost the football on a handoff. It was the Aztecs’ second lost fumble of the season.

“It was just team defense,” Thurman said. “It was team defense for a change.”

Thurman altered the usual 4-2 defense. Instead of two edges as bookends to the interior linemen, Thurman went with a “jumbo” package of three defensive tackles on the front line. The bigger defenders were able to neutralize the Aztecs’ push.

“Great game plan by Dennis,” said Jeff Reinebold, who coaches UH’s defensive tackles and nose guards. “Putting three D-tackles on the field really helped us in the run game. Jackie (Johnson III) and the edges had a great night rushing the passer. (Denegal) could never get comfortable. When you’re physical and tackle and turn the ball over, you’re going to win ball games.”

Even without their defensive leader Tano Leituli, a middle linebacker who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week, the Aztecs tried to set the tone early.

Cornerback Deshawn McCuin intercepted Alejado’s second pass, setting up Gabriel Plascencia’s 42-yard field goal.

But Alejado rebounded, working with his new favorite target, Harris. Beating corners repeatedly with double moves or flat-out quickness, Harris broke free for touchdown receptions of 9, 34 and 35 yards in the first half.

The Aztecs were held to 21 rushing yards on 12 carries in the first half. Two sacks for 13 yards contributed to the Aztecs’ futililty on the ground. Lucky Sutton, who averaged 102.5 rushing yards, gained 31 yards on seven first-half rushes. Sutton finished with 78 rushing yards.