HONOLULU — In a stirring, record-breaking debut as Hawaii football starting quarterback, freshman Micah Alejado led the Rainbow Warriors to a 38-30 victory over New Mexico in the 2024 season finale at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
The left-handed Alejado, an Ewa Beach native who led prep powerhouse Bishop Gorman (Nev.) to a consensus national championship last year, stepped in for an ailing Brayden Schager and showed uncommon poise in his first full collegiate game in front of 10,324 (12,046 tickets issued). He was 37-for-57 for 469 yards, five touchdown passes and no interceptions.
"It was great. I think I could’ve been a lot better," Alejado said. "But it was good to get the win, and just being able to make plays for the seniors and for this team ... it was a good night for us."
His passing yardage was the most for an FBS freshman since 2022. His completions and touchdowns were the most and tied for the most, respectively, for an FBS freshman this season.
He also carried the ball 10 times without a sack for 54 yards.
Alejado expressed thanks for tips from senior quarterbacks Schager and Jake Farrell throughout the season and leading up to and during this week, calling it "a blessing."
He acknowledged some frustration as he had to watch UH's downs and ups from the sideline this season — at least until the second half at Utah State two weeks ago, when he stepped in along with John-Keawe Sagapolutele in relief of an injured Schager. His 11-for-12 outing with a touchdown sling set the stage for what was to come Saturday.
"I’ll be honest, it was really tough for me mentally, for sure," Alejado said. Just going out throughout the whole season and not playing, I’ve never been in that position in my life before. I think my faith in God really strengthened during that time, but preparing for the starting job, I felt really excited. I think I’ve been waiting for this moment this whole season and it just felt like I was back to my old self."
UH (5-7, 3-4 Mountain West) rolled up 586 yards of offense, enough to outdo UNM (5-7, 3-4), which was just a few yards shy of its season average of 484.
Behind Alejado, UH set highs in the Chang era in points and total offense. His completions, attempts, passing yards, passing TDs, and total offense were the most for any UH quarterback in their first start.
Coach Timmy Chang, a former standout UH quarterback, saw some of his freshman records (403 passing yards against San Jose State in 2000, and TD passes in a game) fall by the wayside. He called the outing "instant credibility" for the 5-foot-10 player.
"You just don’t know how a true freshman’s going to come out here and play. But he’s different. He’s really different," Chang said. "We saw it in him, I’ll tell you straight, from early on at Bishop Gorman, and we recruited the smack out of him. His mentality is different and he’s just a great player.
"Those are the type of guys we want to keep around. When you got a good quarterback in this offense, the sky’s the limit."
Chang, who equaled his best win total from last year, now enters the final year of his four-year contract coaching his alma mater in 2025. UH has yet to make a bowl game in his tenure, but he expressed optimism for the future if the program gets the requisite support, ostensibly through NIL money to apply for the upcoming signing and transfer portal periods.
"I just encourage everybody in the community to really help us keep our guys, bringing guys here. Because we can put a really good product on the field," Chang said.
On UH’s first drive of the game, Alejado directed a season-long 94-yard touchdown drive capped with a 3-yard scoring pass to Pofele Ashlock.
Ten different receivers caught a pass and four had touchdowns. Senior slotback Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala had two TD balls among his four catches, while senior Spencer Curtis caught seven passes for 100 yards. Nick Cenacle had seven for 93 and a TD and Ashlock had eight for 79 yards.
"I mean, I think that’s the art of the run-and-shoot, right?" Alejado said of spreading the ball around in a similar version of the offense he ran in high school. "Just being able to get the ball, whoever’s open, you gotta get it out now. I think that was the game plan going into this week — just get the ball out quick."
Mokiao-Atimalala said the team spent the whole week running routes on air with Alejado to build the necessary connection with the first unit. During the game, the receiver said Alejado took command of the group and the offense and made decisive plays.
"It’s only a dream. I started in a little kid wanting to play for Hawaii football," Mokiao-Atimalala said. "To be in this position, senior night, making these kind of plays for my team, that’s all I can ask for."
UH associate head coach Chris Brown, a former defensive coordinator at Bishop Gorman, saw some very familiar things transpire on the Ching Complex field.
"He never lost a step. The kid is a special kid. He did some really big things at Bishop Gorman," Brown said. "The numbers that he put up at Gorman are pretty mind-blowing. And very good with ball distribution and making very, very few mistakes."
It was the second straight year that UH played spoiler to a visiting team that was in the hunt for a bowl game in its season finale. The Rainbow Warriors sent off 23 outgoing players with their seventh straight senior night victory and 12th in the last 13 years.
UH led the whole way, including by as many as 19 points on Cenacle’s 3-yard score with 11:58 left in the third, but UNM made things interesting down the stretch.
Mokiao-Atimalala’s 3-yard TD from Alejado put UH up 38-23 with 8:48 to play. UNM, led by first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, got within eight on JaQuari Rogers’ 1-yard plunge with 2:34 left.
UNM tried an onside kick but Curtis recovered it. Alejado found Curtis for 11 yards for a first down. He and running back Cam Barfield, a fellow Bishop Gorman alum, teamed up in the backfield to advance the ball. On second and 6 from the Lobos 24, Alejado ran a keeper to the left and followed the block of Jonah Panoke for the game-clinching 19-yard pickup.
Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier was 19-for-31 for 176 yards passing and ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Lobos running back Eli Sanders carried it 17 yards and 121 yards and Rogers 15 times for 83 yards.
Alejado finished the season with four game appearances, keeping his redshirt year intact.
Alejado's outing impressed many along the sidelines, including Schager, who said he knew for the last two weeks he'd be unable to play because of his knee injury.
"I’m just so happy for the guys, such an awesome thing to watch," Schager said. "It just really brought me joy and I’m so happy for Micah, man. He lit it up. Just so proud of him and the growth that he’s had throughout this year."
Schager, a top-three player in UH career passing yardage, said he felt like he matured considerably in Hawaii since arriving as a wide-eyed 18-year-old from Dallas. He will rehab in time to prepare for the Tropical Bowl in Florida on Jan. 19 as he looks to the pros.
Senior night was an emotional one for several people. Cornerback Cam Stone brought a framed picture of his late mother. He showed it to UH Athletic Director Craig Angelos, who was on his second-to-last day on the job. For offensive lineman Luke Felix-Fualalo, about a dozen family members joined him from his native Australia.
Linebacker Logan Taylor led one final postgame prayer at midfield for members of both teams.
"I’m so blessed, man," the defensive captain said. "I’m so grateful for God to give me this opportunity, allowed me to be in this moment with this team. … It’s a moment I’m going to cherish. I love this place so much."
Chang acknowledged that close losses against UCLA, San Diego State and UNLV held the team back from the season it could've had and chalked them up as learning experiences.
"These guys stayed, and that’s what matters," Chang said of the senior class, many of whom were holdovers from the Todd Graham era. "The thing that hurts is we left games out there where we could be playing in our own bowl game here on the 24th. But these guys laid it on the line."
UH quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison effectively had a senior night, too. He confirmed it was his final game as a college coach as he will retire.
"I’ve had 52 years, I’ve had wonderful players, wonderful coaches I’ve been with. Timmy’s been wonderful here. So it’s been a great experience to end on," Morrison said.
As for what Morrison saw from Alejado, he grinned.
"A lot of it is his composure, his poise," Morrison said. "He really worked on getting the ball out quicker, and he did a good job of that tonight. Hit the flats quickly … and his vision started to get really good. It was a good first chapter for him. He’s going to cause some problems for people down the road. The next chapter."
Note: This story has been updated with details, photos and quotes.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.