No. 14 Hawai‘i Defeats Wyoming 27–17 to Regain Paniolo Trophy
HONOLULU, HI -- Behind a disruptive pass rush and clutch scoring drives, the 14th-ranked Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors knocked off Wyoming 27–17 on Saturday night at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, keeping the rivalry hardware on the islands for another year.
Hawaii’s defense set the tone early, sacking Cowboys quarterback Kaden Anderson three times in the opening half and limiting Wyoming’s ground game. Quarterback Micah Alejado broke the game open with a third-and-long scramble for a touchdown, igniting the home crowd and giving UH the edge.
After Wyoming briefly tied the game with a second-quarter score, Hawai‘i answered immediately with a touchdown strike to tight end Oakie Salave'a. From there, the Warriors never trailed.
In the second half, Kansei Matsuzawa connected on a field goal to extend their lead back to double digits. The Cowboys responded with Anderson's second touchdown pass of the day, cutting the lead back down to three.
With the game on the line Alejado methodically drove his team down the field thanks to multiple completions to Jackson Harris and Pofele Ashlock. On 4th and inches with 2:43 left on the clock, third string running back David Cordero took the direct snap and charged up the middle for a gain of five. On the next play Alejado punched it in from three yards out to extend their lead back to ten.
On Wyoming's final possession, facing a 4th down, defensive end Wynden Ho'ohuli broke free for a sack to end any chance of a comeback. With the win Hawaii finishes the regular season a perfect 8-0 in conference play as they will host UNLV in the Mountain West Championship.
let's run it back!
Hawaii in the playoffs
