Hawaii Tops San Jose State to Claim Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy
SAN JOSE, CA — Under the bright lights of CEFCU Stadium, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors outpaced San Jose State 27-7 to retain the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy, and their first win against the Spartans in the last five contests.
Both teams came into the matchup red-hot — Hawaii winners of five straight, San Jose State riding a three-game win streak — but it was the Rainbow Warriors who struck the final blow in a game marked by big plays, turnovers, and a rollercoaster of emotions.
San Jose State scored first on a 6-yard run by quarterback Adam Matthews. Micah Alejado, who methodically dissected the Spartan secondary before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter, answered by using a blend of quick strikes, converting a 4th-and-2 to tight end Oakie Salave'a and finishing the drive with an option keeper that tied the game.
The ensuing Hawaii drive saw a beautiful throw and catch down the sideline to Jackson Harris, who managed to come down with the ball and get one foot down before stepping out of bounds. This 42-yard gain set up a 42-yard field goal by Kansei Matsuzawa to give Hawaii a 10-7 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.
Meanwhile, San Jose State’s offense began to sputter. Pressure from Hawaii’s defensive front led to a series of sacks and third-down failures. A pivotal moment came when the Spartans, trailing by ten, missed an opportunity to convert on a 4th-and-2 in Hawaii territory.
From there, momentum tilted firmly toward the visitors.
Hawaii capitalized with another field goal, then followed that with a picture-perfect drive, mixing short passes with quarterback scrambles, before punching it in on the ground for their third touchdown of the night.
San Jose State’s final possessions ended in frustration — stalled drives, missed throws, and a final turnover encapsulating a night where they were simply outmatched in the trenches and on the scoreboard.
With the win, Hawaii secures the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy for another year, a fitting tribute in a game honoring the late coach who left an indelible mark on both programs. More importantly, the Rainbow Warriors improve to 5-0 in Mountain West play and continue to turn heads. They return home next week to host San Diego State (5-3, 2-2 MW).
in hindsight I maybe should've started Colandrea and subbed in Orji for running plays but the way wear and tear is working they will both see playing time either way.
Davis chucked the shit out that football. 2 passes for 100+ and a tuddy #efficient
Aljeado vs Orji is gonna be a shootout