NM State falls 29-19 at Hawaii after second-half rally
NM State rallied from an early 16-point deficit to tie Hawaii in the third quarter but fell 29-19 Saturday night in Honolulu.
The Aggies erased a 16-point deficit and tied the game in the third quarter before Hawaii pulled away late
Organ Mountain News report
Key Numbers
HONOLULU - New Mexico State erased a 16-point deficit and pulled even with Hawaii early in the second half Saturday night, but the Rainbow Warriors scored the final 10 points to hand the Aggies a 29-19 loss.
NM State fell to 1-2 after turning the ball over three times and failing to score in the fourth quarter.
Hawaii built a 16-0 lead before the Aggies found the end zone midway through the second quarter. James Jones capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 16-6.
Quarterback Trey Hedden then connected with TK King on a 33-yard touchdown pass with 1:17 remaining before halftime. Hawaii answered with a 42-yard field goal and took a 19-13 lead into the break.
Defense pulls Aggies even
NM State tied the game less than two minutes into the third quarter when Gabe Peterson forced a fumble from Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado.
De’Marcus Peters recovered the loose ball and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown, making it 19-19 after the Aggies missed the extra point.
The turnover extended NM State’s streak of games with at least one takeaway to 19, dating to the 2024 season.
Hawaii regained the lead later in the quarter on a 33-yard field goal.
Fourth-down plays swing finish
The Aggies had a chance to keep the game within reach in the fourth quarter but failed to convert a fourth-and-1 near midfield.
Hawaii responded with a 10-play, 46-yard drive and converted its own fourth-down opportunity for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 5:41 remaining, stretching the lead to 29-19.
NM State finished with 380 total yards to Hawaii’s 420 and held a 124-67 advantage on the ground.
Hedden completed 19 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions. Jones led the Aggies with 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
King caught four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. AJ Williams III added three receptions for a career-high 54 yards.
The Aggies committed three turnovers while forcing one.
NM State is now 1-12 all-time against Hawaii and 0-8 in Honolulu.
The Aggies return home Sept. 26 to face the University of New Mexico Lobos at 1:30 p.m. at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
