HONOLULU — The Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (4-7, 2-4 MWC) secured the biggest win of the Timmy Chang era Saturday, trouncing Air Force (8-2, 5-1 MWC) to take back the Kuter Trophy with a 27-13 win at Clarence T.C. Ching Complex. UH was able to start quick and end strong, handing the Falcons the first conference loss in 2023 and setting up an explosive final two weeks atop the Mountain West standings. 

Below, you can find the quick hitters of all the action from UH’s 27-13 upset win over Air Force, the second win in as many weeks for the ‘Bows. 

1ST HALF: 

• Hawai’i receives the opening kickoff, goes through the back of the end zone for a touchback. Reserve QB Dalen Morris, an active member of the Navy and short-yardage specialist, picks up the game’s first 1st down on a QB draw up the middle. 
• ‘Bows quickly move down the field with a balanced offensive attack, alternating pass and run. WR Koali Nishigaya shakes off a couple of defenders to set UH up at the Air Force 5-yard line and Pofele Ashlock takes it in on the next play to give Hawai’i the lead, 7-0, with 7:58 left in the 1st quarter. 

• • Ashlock’s TD reception was his fifth TD catch in the last 5 games and also marked the first time that UH had scored on its first offensive possession of a game all year.

• Air Force picks up one 1st down on its opening drive before UH’s defense buckled down to force the Falcons to punt. 
• The Rainbow Warriors’ offense continues cooking, smoothly moving down the field into field goal range before being stopped on 3rd-&-short. K Matthew Shipley’s 48-yard FG try is no good, going wide-left to end the 1st quarter of play. 

• • The miss by Shipley was the senior’s first FG attempt to go awry since September 23 at New Mexico State. 
• The Falcons’ offense moves methodically down the field, facing (and converting) multiple 3rd & 4th downs and short to work into the red zone. Hawai’i’s defense makes a stand, holding AFA to a 25-yard FG to keep the lead, 7-3. 

• • Air Force’s 2nd offensive drive spanned 11 minutes and 49 seconds. 
• Hawai’i quickly marches down the field, using a Brayden Schager 40-yard scramble to move into Falcons’ territory before an incredible Steven McBride toe-tap catch set the ‘Bows up at the Air Force 1-yard line. 

• • The 40-yard rush by Schager was a career-long for the QB and marked UH’s longest running play of the year. 

• After a few tries come up short, Hawai’i uses the “Braddahly Shove” to push Schager into the end zone for a TD with two seconds left in the 2nd quarter of play. Shipley missed the ensuing point-after-attempt wide-left as the ‘Bows took the 13-3 lead into the halftime break. 

• • The wide-left PAT is just the second miss in 121 career attempts for Shipley.

2ND HALF: 

• Air Force receives the opening kickoff and calls for a fair catch, bringing the ball out to their own 25. The Falcons quickly work down the field and score on a 35-yard run by Dylan Carson, going 75 yards in five plays to cut the Hawai’i lead down, 13-10.  
• The Rainbow Warriors answer back with a touchdown of their own as Pofele Ashlock’s 2nd TD catch of the night puts UH back up by 10. 

• • It’s the 2nd straight week Ashlock has had multiple scores and his third multi-TD game of the season. 

• Air Force’s 1st official pass attempt of the day goes for a 65-yard gain to Cade Harris, who was chased down by UH CB Cam Stone to save Hawai’i from a would-be Falcons’ TD. A holding penalty would kill momentum for AFA, who would settle for a 27-yard FG try from K Matthew Dapore that missed to the left. 
• Hawai’i’s offense moves past midfield to close out the 3rd quarter of action. The ‘Bows would punt just a minute into the final quarter after David Cordeiro’s run on 3rd down was stopped short of the line-to-gain. 
• Air Force coughs up a fumble after LB Jalen Smith demolishes AFA backup QB Jensen Jones in the backfield and Meki Pei returns it for the 1st defensive TD of the season for Hawai’i, giving the ‘Bows a 27-10 lead with 11:02 left in regulation. 

• • The fumble return TD from Pei was the first fumble returned for a touchdown by a Hawai’i defense since 2021 at Utah State. 

• AFA responds with a 21-yard FG after a four minute, forty-two second drive to make it a two-score game with 6:20 left in the 4th quarter. 
• After being forced to punt, Hawai’i comes up with the first of three 4th quarter interceptions as Jensen Jones’ arm is hit while he throws, and Noah Kema secures the pick. 

• • The INT was the first of Kema’s career. 

• After wasting a minute of game-clock and punting it away, Hawai’i’s defense comes away with another interception as Peter Manuma picked off 3rd-string AFA QB Ben Brittain to spoil another Falcons’ scoring chance. 
• UH’s Stone comes up with his 1st INT of the season, the 3rd pick of the quarter and fourth takeaway total, to seal the win for the Rainbow Warriors and hand Air Force a conference loss for the first time in 2023. 

The Hawai’i defense forced a season-best four turnovers as the Rainbow Warriors strung together two wins for the first time under head coach Timmy Chang. The evening was filled with season-best performances as the ‘Bows committed no turnovers of their own for the second time all year and eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for just the third time in 2023. 

The 13 points by Air Force marked a season-low by a Hawai’i opponent as the Rainbow Warriors’ defense buckled down. Peter Manuma led the way with a new career-high 12 tackles, matching a season-high for the ‘Bows, set by Isaiah Tufaga earlier in the season at New Mexico. 

Brayden Schager finished an efficient 22-of-29 passing for 176 yards and three total TDs (2 pass, 1 rush) while setting a new career best with 57 rush yards to lead the Rainbow Warriors. 

Pofele Ashlock hauled in a career-high 12 catches, the most by a Hawai’i receiver since the 2019 season-opener against Arizona. It marked the second straight game the redshirt freshman was able to find the end zone multiple times for UH. 

Hawai’i looks to make it three-in-a-row next weekend as the ‘Bows hit the road to take on Wyoming in the final road contest of the 2023 season for UH.