Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors extended their winning streak in the Mountain West Conference, defeating the UTEP Miners 17-14 in El Paso on Saturday. The victory was fueled by a dominant offensive performance from quarterback Micah Alejado and his primary target, Titan Lacaden. Alejado completed his passes for 303 yards and a touchdown, while Lacaden delivered a career-best game with 11 receptions for 109 yards and a score. Audric Harris also contributed significantly, adding 101 receiving yards on four catches to keep the Hawaii attack balanced and effective against the Miners’ defense.
Rainbow Warriors secure crucial Mountain West win as Titan Lacaden sets career highs
The game’s momentum shifted early when Alejado connected with Lacaden on a 20-yard touchdown pass with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Hawaii solidified their lead midway through the second half with a 20-yard field goal by Sean Olvera-Harle, establishing a 10-0 advantage. Although UTEP responded on the ensuing drive with a Lamar Sperling five-yard rush, the Rainbow Warriors controlled the third quarter with a scoreless defensive stand. Hawaii then extended their lead to 17-7 late in the third quarter, capping a 12-play, 98-yard drive with a Sitani Mikaele six-yard touchdown run.
UTEP made a late push to stay within striking distance, but the Miners could not overcome the deficit. Raymond Moore III found Judah Ezinwa for a 15-yard touchdown pass at the end of a seven-play, 79-yard drive, narrowing the gap to three points. However, the effort came too late to change the outcome. The win improves Hawaii’s record to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in conference play, while UTEP falls to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the Mountain West, highlighting the Miners’ continued struggles on the road.
Source: Yahoo Sports
