Hawai‘i 38, San Diego State 6 — Notes & Quotes from the Postgame Presser

Hawai‘i’s most complete outing of the season came with a side of Mānoa rain and a lot of swagger. After a rocky opening (two early sacks and an interception), head coach Timmy Chang said freshman quarterback Micah Alejado “settled in” — and as a first-time captain, “he’s nails … pretty special.” Chang praised the group’s week of work and quick “turn the page” mentality, crediting offense, defense, and special teams for executing across all three phases.

Offense Finds Its Gear (Again)

Alejado finished 22-for-34 for 256 yards and three touchdowns, all to Jackson Harris (7 catches, 130 yards). The sophomore wideout attacked man coverage on verticals for scores of 9, 34 and 35 yards, explaining simply that SDSU “played a lot of man, and we took advantage — Micah is going to throw a dime every time.”

The 38 points marked UH’s fifth straight game hitting 30-plus, the program’s longest single-season streak since 2007.

Defense Makes a Statement

UH held SDSU without a touchdown, limiting the Aztecs to 12 first downs and 132 passing yards, while forcing four takeaways (two interceptions, two fumble recoveries).

Senior safety Peter Manuma said the difference was everyone doing “their 1/11th,” adding the defense wanted to respond after last week — “I hope they watched this game.”

Chang highlighted the defensive line’s coaching and buy-in as the foundation of the front’s production. Corner Elijah Palmer delivered the exclamation point with a 53-yard pick-six.

“We came a long way — this wasn’t built overnight,” said Manuma, a four-year veteran under Chang. “We’ve built this over time, and we know every game matters. Anything can happen on any given night.”

Special Teams Swing It

To open the second half, Cam Barfield housed an 86-yard kickoff return — UH’s first special-teams touchdown of the season and first KR TD since 2020.

Chang praised special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield for emphasizing hidden yardage, calling the return “the equivalent of a birdie or an eagle,” a golf reference to highlight just how rare and impactful that play was.

Chang also highlighted Kansei Matsuzawa, whose 22-yard field goal in the second quarter extended his perfect season (22-for-22) and national-best 23 straight makes.

The coach called Matsuzawa’s mindset “pretty elite,” crediting his preparation and the full operation — snapper, holder, and protection — for the unit’s consistency. When a reporter suggested Matsuzawa was performing at an All-American level, Chang agreed, emphasizing that “it’s the biggest team game there is” and that the entire unit deserves credit for the streak.

Rain Is a Blessing

On a slick, wet night (steady rain; kickoff 74°, NE wind 11 mph), Chang said the team embraced the conditions as part of the culture — football only stops for lightning.

Milestones & Context

• Final: Hawai‘i 38, SDSU 6; attendance 15,194.

• Harris became the only player in the country with five straight 100-yard receiving games and has multiple TDs in three straight.

• Matsuzawa improved to a perfect 22-of-22 and owns the nation’s longest active FG streak.

• UH snapped a five-game skid vs SDSU; the 32-point margin is UH’s largest ever in the series.

• UH has seven wins, its most since 2019.

What’s Next

Chang said the team will enjoy the win briefly, focus on academics early in the week, then “flip the page” ahead of a Friday-night road test in Las Vegas.