Hawai’i looks to keep Mountain West momentum rolling at San Jose State

Hawai’i looks to keep Mountain West momentum rolling at San Jose State

Oct 30, 2025

Hawai’i LB Jalen Smith holds up the turnover club after forcing a fumble on the road. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista, HSRN

Hawai’i looks to keep Mountain West momentum rolling at San Jose State

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 30, 2025

HONOLULU – Keep the good times rolling.

Exiting the second of three bye weeks on their 2025 schedule, the University of Hawai’i football team hopes to maintain momentum of a season-long three-game win streak this Saturday as they hit the road to face off against San Jose State.

The Rainbow Warriors (6-2, 3-1 Mountain West) enjoyed another well-timed week off after beating Colorado State on October 18, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time under head coach Timmy Chang (and the earliest point in a year since the 2007 season) as the offense posted a third consecutive game with 400 or more total yards.

ADVERTISEMENT

The defense enjoyed a banner day against the Rams as well, racking up a season-best six sacks as a unit while UH combined to commit a season-low three penalties as a team. The offensive line dominated in their own right, not allowing a single sack for the second straight road contest.

The reward for the players?

A chance to be college students, rest and catch up and/or get ahead on studies.

“There’s just a lot of things to cover as a student-athlete,” Chang said to the media after practice on Tuesday. “These guys are focusing on academics and picking up the pieces of everyday life is really important for them. Then, just recovering their bodies and getting ready to play a really good San Jose State team.”

The Spartans (2-5, 1-2 Mountain West) almost always promise for a fun game against the Rainbow Warriors. The programs boast ties that run together all over, from legendary late coach Dick Tomey – who the rivalry trophy the two teams play for is named after – on the sidelines, to the 46 meetings inside the lines on the gridiron that have ended up in 22 wins for UH, to the multiple recruiting battles the two find themselves in for similar prospects.

Fully refreshed with focus turned to SJSU, the Rainbow Warriors look to continue their venture into new territory under Chang. Already on a career-best three-game winning streak, the fourth-year head coach hopes to improve upon a 2-4 career record following bye weeks with a potential fourth straight victory.

San Jose State presents an intriguing challenge for UH. The Spartans got off to a rocky start in the 2025 campaign, stumbling to a 2-5 record with a bundle of “what-ifs” that hold actual weight.

Four of SJSU’s five losses this year have come by one possession, including one by a single point and another by just two. The kicking game has struggled for the Spartans, seeing Mathis Brown and Denis Lynch flounder to a combined 6-for-14 on field goal attempts while letting multiple games slip through the cracks.

The left-footed Lynch specifically has experienced both highs and lows this season, knocking through the game-winning 48-yard kick against Idaho back on September 20 for San Jose State’s first win of the year and immediately turning around and going 3-of-5 on field goals with a pair of misses inside 30 yards the very next week for the Spartans in a one-point loss at Stanford.

SJSU’s offense has started to figure things out over the past five games, putting up 25 or more in each outing despite the kicking woes. The defense for the Spartans has sputtered over that same timespan, allowing 28 points or more in all five contests.

Despite discussions around postseason potential heating up and an opponent punching below preseason expectations, the Rainbow Warriors remain focused on one game at a time. This week, preparing for the best version of a Spartans squad with a dynamic offense and a defense due for a breakout performance has been front-of-mind for UH.

“It’s one at a time,” Chang said when asked about how the home stretch of the schedule. “We got to go get this one [against] a tough and dangerous opponent in San Jose. They’re looking to get right back on track and get things going, so we got to focused in on what we’ve got to do.”

There may be a lingering desire among players who participated in the last matchup against SJSU to avenge a brutal 35-0 loss on Homecoming that came against Chevan Cordeiro and the Spartans in 2023, added motivation even with the “single game at a time” mindset

Redshirt freshman QB Micah Alejado said that he remembers watching the last matchup between the Rainbow Warriors and San Jose State as a signee for UH. Despite the many differences for the Spartans, having brought in a new faces quarterback and head coach among other changes since the last meeting between the programs, Alejado believes revenge remains on the minds of some veterans.

“I think some of the guys still have that taste in their mouth that were on the team,” Alejado said speaking about the matchup. “It’s one of the games they want to get back so [we] just attack the same.”

Revenge on the Spartans would help the Rainbow Warriors keep pace atop the Mountain West before co-leader San Diego State visits the islands for a meeting that could have massive implications for the top of the conference. While bowl eligibility was one box to check off on UH’s goals list, the conference championship is the main prize currently in their sights.

It would most likely take winning out to earn a berth into the Mountain West title game.

The path to the playoff is real – very difficult, but real.

The chase for forever continues for Chang’s Rainbow Warriors on Saturday in San Jose.

Hawai’i hangs on against Chaminade behind Bullock’s 23-point night

Hawai’i hangs on against Chaminade behind Bullock’s 23-point night

Oct 26, 2025

Hawai’i G Dre Bullock hangs on the rim after throwing down a fast break dunk against Chaminade. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i hangs on against Chaminade behind Bullock’s 23-point night

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 26, 2025

HONOLULU – Popcorn prepared?

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team closed out the preseason slate with on Saturday night, holding off a high-pressure Chaminade squad for a 93-87 exhibition victory inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Graduate transfer guard Dre Bullock dropped 23 points (9-13 FG) and grabbed eight rebounds in the win for the Rainbow Warriors.

Bullock poured in 15 of his 23 points after halftime, helping UH erase a 7-point deficit to win despite the team having an up-and-down offensive performance. Hunter Erickson scored all 10 of his points in the 2nd half, including back-to-back layups to put Hawai’i out in front late.

“First, want to give credit to Chaminade and their staff and their kids,” head coach Eran Ganot said after the win. “We were fortunate to finish strong, but we knew that coming in, their style of play, [the pressure], is hard to simulate.”

Hawai’i, who was without sophomore point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor but saw senior Gytis Nemeikša and freshman Hunter Carter return from injury, committed 22 turnovers as a team against the Silverswords’ full-court press and physical defense. Chaminade, who was selected to finish fourth in the 2025-26 PacWest preseason coaches’ poll, pressed from the opening tip and outscored UH on points off turnovers, 30-10.

“Definitely a little different, like the polar opposite of what we faced last game,” Erickson said when asked about CUH’s constant full-court pressure. “It kind of catches you off guard and they play the same way the entire game … it took us a minute to adjust but it’s a great prep for the rest of the year and being strong with the ball.”

The Rainbow Warriors made up for the sloppiness with the ball by dominating the glass, outrebounding the Silverswords 59-32 overall and 22-8 on the offensive boards. Hawai’i put up 50 of their 93 points in the paint and cleaned up with second-chance points with 24 after a miss.

Hawai’i got off to a quick start behind graduate transfer Tanner Cuff, who scored five of the Rainbow Warriors’ first nine points and assisted on another bucket in the early going. The 6-foot-7 guard stuffed the stat sheet for the second consecutive exhibition, racking up nine points, seven rebounds and six assists while turning the ball over four times in 29 minutes of action.

Chaminade’s Nathan Medina, who tallied 17 points for the Silverswords, brought the Division II visitors within a basket with 8:29 remaining in the opening frame as the Rainbow Warriors struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the pressure. Hawai’i was able to regain some breathing room with the help of forward Jalen Myers, who cleaned up a free throw miss from Carter to put UH back ahead by five and spark a 7-2 run.

Turnovers and more ugly shooting numbers from the Rainbow Warriors allowed CUH to climb back to end the first half as Medina drilled a pair of 3-pointers and finished a quick layup to make it a one-possession game at the midway break.

“[Chaminade] plays one way for 40 [minutes], up 10, down 10,” Ganot said postgame, alluding to the high-effort Run-and-Jump defense the Silverswords deploy. “We had a couple of those stretches where we needed to separate and here comes turnover, layup, turnover, layup and that’s something we can work on. But that’s why we play in these games.”

Bullock began the second half with a flurry of buckets, including his lone 3-pointer of the night that opened up a 52-45 lead for the Rainbow Warriors three minutes after play resumed.

“Honestly, just trying to do everything to win the game,” Bullock said of his performance in his first start at his new school. “We don’t take it lightly with [Chaminade], they’re a very good program so really just trying to play hard and get guys involved, shoot, rebound, do everything and just win.”

The Silverswords swung back with consecutive buckets from forward Nate Sasser III, knotting the game at 55 with 13:07 remaining before Sasser gave Chaminade the lead less than 30 seconds later by splitting a trip to the free throw line. Chico State transfer Isaiah Kerr, alongside Myers, helped keep Hawai’i from letting go of the rope with a few baskets to keep within striking distance as they fell down by seven with 8:31 left in regulation.  

Bullock reignited the Rainbow Warriors again as the clock ticked under eight minutes, hammering home a right-handed tomahawk jam along the baseline to cut the deficit to three for the hosts.

“I’ve told you guys about some of the explosiveness,” Ganot said about Bullock with a grin. “But I think he’s more than that.”

Erickson followed up Bullock’s high-flying act a few minutes later with a pair of transition layups that pushed UH ahead with 4:46 remaining. Nemeikša, who finished with eight points and a game-best 12 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, gave Hawai’i the lead for good with 3:36 to play after putting back his own miss.

Despite struggling to a 24-of-38 clip from the free throw line overall, UH cashed in from the charity stripe in the clutch as Bullock, Cuff and Harry Rouhliadeff went a combined 9-for-10 at the line over the final 2:19 of action to seal the win.

Rouhliadeff finished with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Rainbow Warriors after being named the team’s captain for the 2025-26 season last week.

Kent King led the way for Chaminade, scoring 23 points for the visitors while pulling down a team-best nine rebounds in the loss. The Silverswords finished with four different players in double figures, seeing Sasser and RJ Banks join the fun with 14 points apiece. CUH will begin the regular season on the road on November 15, traveling to take on the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Isaiah Kerr finished with nine points, four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes off the bench for the Rainbow Warriors, providing a physical presence on both ends of the floor when UH needed.

Rubber hits the road for Hawai’i next as the Rainbow Warriors travel to the continent to begin the regular season, heading to Eugune to face off against the University of Oregon on November 4. The trip to face the Ducks marks a rare road opener for the program, marking the first time since 2006 that UH will begin the regular season away from the islands and just the sixth time in the last 55 years.

Big Fish’s double-double helps Hawai’i maul Manhattan

Big Fish’s double-double helps Hawai’i maul Manhattan

Nov 14, 2025

Big Fish’s double-double helps Hawai’i maul Manhattan BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED NOVEMBER 14, 2025HONOLULU – Nights like these were exactly what Isaac Johnson envisioned when he entered the transfer portal. The 7-foot senior center played...

read more
Hawai’i survives scare from Saint Martin’s in overtime

Hawai’i survives scare from Saint Martin’s in overtime

Nov 13, 2025

Hawai’i survives scare from Saint Martin’s in overtime BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2025HONOLULU – Sometimes, young teams make you forget their age. Sometimes, young teams remind you how important in-game experience can be....

read more
Mana Wahine Wednesday: Chaminade WBB & Tennis player Selena Buttery

Mana Wahine Wednesday: Chaminade WBB & Tennis player Selena Buttery

Oct 22, 2025

Chaminade G Selena Buttery (middle) poses with her family during an event for Project Grace for Kids, her Non-Profit in Pennsylvania. | Photo Credit: Selena Buttery

Mana Wahine Wednesday: Chaminade WBB & Tennis player Selena Buttery

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 22, 2025

HONOLULU – Chaminade’s Selena Buttery is no stranger to being extra involved.

From Brockway, Pennsylvania – a small town about two hours outside of Pittsburgh – the college senior is preparing to finish up her degree in data science more than 4,500 miles from where she grew up. Halfway across the world, playing two different college varsity sports and still crushing it in and around the classroom, her life remains just as busy back at home.

A member of the women’s basketball and women’s tennis programs, Buttery has a large chunk of her schedule spoken for with practices, weights, travel and competition already. Add in six Academic All-PacWest selections in her three years with the Silverswords, duties as the president of Chaminade’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a pristine 4.0 GPA, the senior still finds time to continue helping the kids back in Brockway.

Dating back to her junior year of high school, Buttery has run Project Grace for Kids, a 5013c Non-Profit in Pennsylvania. After taking a volunteer trip to Pittsburgh where she sorted various donated school supplies to distribute to kids in need, she saw an opportunity to give back in her hometown.

“Nobody was doing that on that kind of scale in my town,” Buttery remembered. “I thought I’ll just start up something really small … So, I created the name, it was called Project Grace, originally.”

Buttery, assisted by her parents, went on to put on what she described as a “quick little event” under the elementary school pavilion back in Brockway where students could come and get school supplies that had been donated to the cause. From there, Project Grace flourished into doing events nearly every season – including this year’s fifth annual Fall Fest coming up on October 25.

Buttery and three kids at Sunrise Coffee Bar in Brockway, PA for an event for Project Grace for Kids. | Photo Credit: Selena Buttery

Fall Fest, according to Buttery, involves a similar concept to the program’s school supplies distribution but with winter clothing for kids in need ahead of the snowy Pennsylvania winter months.

“We give gloves, scarves, winter items to kids,” she said. “But we also have them come and paint pumpkins and do a bunch of fun things so that it’s inclusive for all kids, whether you need [the event] socioeconomically or not.”

Despite being plopped in the middle of the ocean and preparing for the women’s basketball team’s regular season-opener on November 14, Buttery still is running Fall Fest from afar.

“My parents are really good about helping me,” she acknowledged. “Right now, my dad is the only one home, my mom is at the Pentagon, so he’s really helping me out a lot.”

Buttery still takes the lead, piecing together spreadsheets and schedules for arrivals to make for an easy list to follow for anyone willing to assist her in giving back. The motivation to continue her philanthropic efforts from across the globe despite already being as busy as possible comes from a very simple place.

“I really just like helping kids and working with them,” Buttery said plainly.

Giving back to the next generation is also part of the senior’s professional plan.

Originally a childhood education major at her arrival in the islands, Buttery switched to majoring in Data Science with the goal to ultimately end up working for UNICEF.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, or UNICEF, has worked to advocate for and help children across various aspects of life for more than 80 years. With a specific interest in the education work, Buttery has already done multiple deep dives and analysis on UNICEF’s work in the field while studying at Chaminade.

“There’s really good opportunities here for that,” she said of CUH’s connections to UNITAR and getting involved with UNICEF.

Even with her charity efforts maxed out, Buttery persists on the courts and in classrooms. With a year left in the islands, she’s just trying to soak it all in – even if she needs to sneak in a little spreadsheet building and studying in with the few relaxing hours her schedule sometimes allows.

Buttery & teammates enjoy the beach together. | Photo Credit: Selena Buttery

HPU men’s basketball notebook: Post-Intrasquad “Bunnies” Notes

HPU men’s basketball notebook: Post-Intrasquad “Bunnies” Notes

Oct 20, 2025

Hawaii Pacific G Joshua West is one of four returning all-conference players in the PacWest and is looking to take another leap after a successful Year 1 with the Sharks. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HPU men’s basketball notebook: Post-Intrasquad “Bunnies” Notes

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 20, 2025

HONOLULU – Two weeks to Boise State.

After finishing on the outside of the PacWest Tournament field in 2025, the Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team returned all nine possible returners and turned to the transfer portal to put the program back in position for a postseason run in 2025-26 season.

Eight new faces – six college transfers and a pair of former prep standouts – joined the fray in the offseason for the Sharks. After an offseason filled with summer workouts and a couple weeks’ worth of practices, HPU got some “game” action last Saturday with four quarters of officiated intrasquad scrimmages (that ended up going into overtime).

Here are quick takeaways surrounding the new-look Sharks after a few weeks of observations:

Stolen Goods from the Big Sky

HPU’s offseason started with a pair of pulls from the Big Sky, getting former Idaho State G Quentin Meza and Weber State G Nemanja Sarenac to take their talents to the middle of the Pacific Ocean after each hit the transfer portal.

Sarenac, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Serbia, has a quick, repeatable shot that can provide long-distance spacing for the Sharks at multiple positions. Part of a smaller overall roster, it’ll be important for the wing to compete on the glass and do his fair share of rebounding against bigger opponents and be passable on the defensive end.

Meza, a 6-foot-0 junior, could end up being HPU’s best overall playmaker when looking back on this year. The 2022-23 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2,000-point scorer in high school, the guard began his college career at Wofford before spending last season in a reserve role for Idaho State.

The Utah native has looked more and more comfortable as he’s gotten more practices with his new teammates under his belt and shows off a natural passing ability that will result in a plethora of easy buckets in the fast-paced offense that Nakanishi and company hope to play this year. Add that to a lightning-quick shot release and a knack for getting paint touches, and fans can look for him to challenge for an all-PacWest selection and give the team an excellent option to add alongside returning starter Avi Halpert.

Welcome back, Josh

Joshua West and Josh Niusulu had two very different experiences for the Sharks last year.

Niusulu missed the entire 2024-25 campaign after suffering a shoulder injury, forcing the defensive standout to redshirt the season and leaving HPU without one of the team’s most versatile pieces.

Through a few weeks of preseason, it looks like the defensive southpaw might’ve re-found his 3-point stroke of his first year with the Sharks again – Niusulu shot 38.5% from long distance over his first 22 games at HPU, though cooled off and hit just 7-of-30 from range in his final seven appearances in 2023-24.

HPU wing Josh Niusulu (23) returns for the Sharks this season after missing 2024-25 due to a shoulder injury. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

In the meantime, West broke out in his first year with the Sharks as he averaged a team-best 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds across 29 starts as he earned All-PacWest 3rd-Team honors in his first season after jumping up to the Division II level. Back for more, the 6-foot-3 senior guard is one of just four total returning all-conference selections in the entire league and looks primed for another year filled with honors.

A smooth-moving athlete who loves to contribute on both ends, West is back better than ever with an improved pull-up jumper and 3-point stroke. The smaller Sharks roster calls also calls for more cutting in the half court – something West can be more effective doing than any other player on the roster.

Smaller but still mighty

Unlike the first two years under Jesse Nakanishi with three giants on the roster at all times, Hawaii Pacific’s roster this season only employs one player at 6-foot-8 or taller and that’s true freshman Zane Gaul, a 6-foot-10 center from Prescott, Arizona.

6-foot-7 forward Maj Dusanic is back for his fourth year with HPU, providing some veteran size for an otherwise guard-heavy unit. 6-foot-6 transfer forward Shawn Villanea will fight for time because of his rebounding motor but offensively doesn’t fit a sweet-shooting lineup.

Purdue-Northwest transfer Quinton McCullough is the smallest of the bunch at 6-foot-4 but looks like he provides the best combination of aggressiveness, motor, physicality and consistency for the Sharks to go with in the frontcourt through the start of the preseason.

Local boy and athletic 6-foot-4 forward Kahiau Bruhn has also enjoyed a strong camp, providing defense at multiple spots while showing off a better-than-expected shot from distance. He will be a factor in the rotation throughout the year.

All of them will need to rebound above their height to get the Sharks where they want to be after a year away from the playoffs.

Competition for final rotation spots is hot

Nakanishi and his staff will certainly have options to try out during exhibitions and non-conference.

Casey Steadmon is back for his third year in the islands and the junior wing from Louisville, Kentucky has shown off a more consistent catch-and-shoot release while looking more aggressive in the half court when attacking the rim. An effortless leaper, Steadmon has powered home a few dunks after driving by a defender and into the lane in practice and singlehandedly forced overtime on Saturday with a pair of clutch buckets in the final quarter of scrimmaging.

Local products Justin Yap (Maryknoll) and J Marxen (Mililani) both have bided their time in the HPU system and have had solid practices with good shooting numbers. They’ll battle with JUCO transfer guard Shinichi Itoh and program stalwart Kemp Van Es for a potential situational role as a depth shooter.

Big Fish’s double-double helps Hawai’i maul Manhattan

Big Fish’s double-double helps Hawai’i maul Manhattan

Nov 14, 2025

Big Fish’s double-double helps Hawai’i maul Manhattan BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED NOVEMBER 14, 2025HONOLULU – Nights like these were exactly what Isaac Johnson envisioned when he entered the transfer portal. The 7-foot senior center played...

read more
Hawai’i survives scare from Saint Martin’s in overtime

Hawai’i survives scare from Saint Martin’s in overtime

Nov 13, 2025

Hawai’i survives scare from Saint Martin’s in overtime BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED NOVEMBER 13, 2025HONOLULU – Sometimes, young teams make you forget their age. Sometimes, young teams remind you how important in-game experience can be....

read more
Alejado, Harris & defense keep Rainbow Warriors rolling in win over Rams

Alejado, Harris & defense keep Rainbow Warriors rolling in win over Rams

Oct 18, 2025

WR Jackson Harris runs towards the end zone on one of his two TD catches. The sophomore led the Rainbow Warriors with 109 yards & 2 TDs on five catches on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Alejado, Harris & defense keep Rainbow Warriors rolling in win over Rams

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 18, 2025

Mark it down as the most memorable moment of the Timmy Chang era yet.

The culmination of four years of building the foundation of the Braddahhood.

Four years of lessons, growing pains and executing a vision to pull a program from college football purgatory to planning to go bowling over the holidays.

The University of Hawai’i football team punched its ticket to postseason play on Saturday, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time in Chang’s tenure with a 31-19 victory over Colorado State (2-5, 1-2 Mountain West) in a historic day in Fort Collins.

Redshirt freshman QB Micah Alejado threw for 301 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while completing 26-of-38 pass attempts as he became the first FBS quarterback to throw for 300+ yards and 3+ touchdowns in three consecutive games this season.

Sophomore WR Jackson Harris continued his breakout with the Rainbow Warriors, going over the century mark for the third straight contest as he led Hawai’i with 109 yards and two touchdowns sprinkled across five receptions. Harris became the first UH pass catcher to eclipse 100 yards in three straight games since John Ursua accomplished the feat in the first four outings of the 2018 campaign.

Senior WR Nick Cenacle started the scoring in the first quarter, taking a 17-yard pass into the end zone for his first TD of the year as he racked up seven catches for 70 yards in just his fourth game this season. Harris put the Rainbow Warriors back in front for good with his first touchdown of the day, taking an impressive one-handed catch 75 yards to the house to help Hawai’i go into halftime leading 14-7.

Harris hauled in his second score of the contest on the other side of the break, securing a nine-yard TD pass from Alejado on the opening drive of the third quarter to extend the UH advantage to two possessions, 21-7.

Senior K Kansei Matsuzawa etched his name in Hawai’i history before the third frame closed, connecting on a 26-yard kick to break Jason Elam’s program record for consecutive made field goals with his 21st straight make. Elam, who is in the UH Circle of Honor (Class of 2002) and the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame (Class of 2016), was on hand in Fort Collins to watch as Matsuzawa broke his two-plus decade old record.

Junior RB Cam Barfield put the finishing touches on Hawai’i’s bowl-clinching effort with a career-long 35-yard scoring scamper on 4th-and-1, quieting a late Colorado State comeback effort by extending the Rainbow Warrior lead back to double figures, 31-19. Barfield put up 56 yards on five carries and added a 21-yard catch as he continued to platoon with senior RB Landon Sims.

Sims added 68 yards of total offense (59 rush, 9 receiving) in the win for the Rainbow Warriors, playing in front of his father, Travis Sims, a former Rainbow Warrior standout running back.

The UH defense also posted a season-best six sacks, led by a career-high 2.0 sacks from senior defensive end Tariq Jones. Jackie Johnson III and Luther McCoy each chipped in 1.5 sacks for the Rainbow Warriors, including Johnson’s game-ending takedown of Colorado State QB Jackson Brousseau with 1:17 to play.

Junior LB Jamih Otis, who was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after forcing a pair of turnovers against Utah State last weekend, matched a career best with 11 tackles on Saturday to pace the Hawai’i defense.

Brousseau ended the day completing 15-of-29 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown for Colorado State, consistently needing to run from the disruptive efforts of the UH defensive line. Sophomore RB Llyod Avant added eight carries for 50 yards in the loss by the Rams.

After becoming the quickest UH team since the 2007 group to become bowl-eligible, Hawai’i returns home and hits another much-needed bye week. WR Brandon White missed the trip to Colorado State as he remained in concussion protocol and QB Micah Alejado came up limping late after stepping awkwardly while being tackled near the sideline, though he did not ultimately miss any snaps against the Rams.

The Rainbow Warriors return to the road in two weeks, looking for the program’s first four-game win streak since the 2019 season as they take on San Jose State to open November. Hawai’i (6-2, 3-1) sits just behind conference unbeatens Boise State (5-2, 3-0) and San Diego State (5-1, 2-0) while hanging a half-game above UNLV (6-1, 2-1), Fresno State (5-2, 2-1) and Utah State (4-3, 2-1) as the Mountain West remains clogged at the top entering the stretch run.

ADVERTISEMENT