Live blog: Hawaii football vs. New Mexico State

Nearly an exact year after suffering a loss at New Mexico State, the University of Hawaii football team hopes to return the favor against the Aggies.

Saturday’s contest between Hawaii and NMSU at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex is UH’s nonconference finale. With the Mountain West looking stronger across the board in 2023, Saturday’s contest carries even more importance for the ‘Bows.

Follow along as KHON2 will provide updates of Hawaii’s game against New Mexico State below:

Hawaii 20, New Mexico State 17, FINAL

8:56: HAWAII WINS on Matthew Shipley’s 24-yard field goal as the clock expires.

8:53: Hawaii has managed to get the New Mexico State 7 with 1 second left and will attempt a game-winning field goal.

8:43: Hawaii gets the stop it needs, and New Mexico State shanks a punt to the UH 28 with 3:00 left on the game clock with the score tied at 17. Hawaii gets the ball back with two timeouts and a chance to win it.

8:36: New Mexico State will start from its own 25 after a touchback.

8:35: TOUCHDOWN RAINBOW WARRIORS. Hawaii caps off a drive with a 3-yard pass from Brayden Schager to Koali Nishigaya. Shipley’s extra point ties the game at 17 with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

8:15: On third and goal, Hawaii FUMBLES and it’s recovered by New Mexico State on its own 9. That’s a backbreaker.

8:06: Albertson misses a 43-yard field goal attempt for NMSU and the score remains 17-10 in favor of New Mexico State with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. Hawaii takes over from its own 26. Still anyone’s ballgame.

8:00: Hawaii can’t take advantage and goes three-and-out and punts to the New Mexico State 28 with 8:23 left in the third quarter.

7:54: The ensuing kickoff is AN ONSIDE KICK that’s RECOVERED by Hawaii on its own 45. UH has not recovered an onside kick since its game against Fresno State in 2019.

7:51: TOUCHDOWN HAWAII. The Rainbow Warriors drive all the way down and score, capped off by a 4-yard rushing score by Brayden Schager, good for his first career rushing touchdown. Hawaii cuts the New Mexico State lead to 17-10 with 10:22 left in the third quarter.

7:44: Hawaii will begin the second half from its own 25 after a touchback on the kickoff.

THIRD QUARTER

7:23: New Mexico State takes a knee and Hawaii trails 17-3 at halftime. The Rainbow Warriors will receive when the second half begins.

7:21: Matthew Shipley’s 51-yard field goal attempt is short and wide right. Deficit remains 17-3 for Hawaii with six seconds left in the second quarter.

7:14: Hawaii takes over from its own 25 with one timeout left.

7:12: TOUCHDOWN AGGIES. Star Thomas takes a wide-open 21-yard screen pass TO THE HOUSE. NMSU leads 17-3 with 1:38 left in the first half.

6:59: Hawaii gets on the board with a 35-yard field goal by Matthew Shipley. New Mexico State still leads 10-3 with 5:27 left in the second quarter.

6:54: Sauce Williams makes Hawaii’s biggest defensive play of the year thus far, stripping Star Thomas, catching the fumble and returning it 41 yards to the New Mexico State 40. Before that, NMSU was threatening to make it a two-possession game. Hawaii still trails 10-0 with 7:39 left in the second quarter.

6:49: Hawaii gets one first down but not another and punts yet again. New Mexico State will get the ball back on its own 21 with 9:26 left in the second quarter.

6:45: Hawaii will begin from its own 25 after a touchback on the kickoff.

6:44: Hawaii holds New Mexico State to a field goal attempt, which is made from 35 yards by Ethan Albertson. UH trails 10-0 with 12:06 left in the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

6:38: The first quarter ends with New Mexico State driving with a 7-0 lead. The Aggies will have a fresh set of downs at the UH 27 when play resumes.

6:30: Hawaii goes three-and-out after punting on fourth-and-inches from its own 29. New Mexico State gets the ball back on its own 30 with 5:21 left in the first quarter.

6:27: Hawaii will start from its own 20 after Cam Stone’s kickoff return.

6:26: TOUCHDOWN NEW MEXICO STATE. Monte Watkins breaks about a half dozen tackles for a 39-yard touchdowns on a screen. Hawaii trails 7-0 with 7:17 left in the first quarter.

6:14: Hawaii can’t get much after an initial first down and punts to the New Mexico State 33 with 10:50 left in the first.

6:11: Led by the return of cornerback Cam Stone, who hasn’t played since a knee injury against Stanford, Hawaii forces a three-and-out and punt and gets the ball back on its own 24 with 13:57 left in the first quarter. Today is also Stone’s birthday.

6:05 p.m.: Hawaii wins the coin toss to begin the game and will defer to the second half. New Mexico State will receive to begin this game.

FIRST QUARTER