Hawaii backup quarterback Luke Weaver threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left and the Rainbow Warriors derailed Cal’s hopes for an eight-win season, claiming a 35-31 victory at the Hawaii Bowl on Wednesday.
Weaver entered the game after an injury on the previous play to freshman starter Micah Alejado, who engineered a rally from 21 points down.
Cal freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:57 left, putting the Bears ahead 31-28. They capped a 75-yard drive after Cal took possession with 7:19 to play.
But Hawaii (9-4) went 68 yards in 10 plays to score the go-ahead touchdown. After the clock expired on the fourth quarter as the Rainbow Warriors made the final stop, a shoving match ensued between the teams, but eventually cooler heads prevailed.
The Bears (7-6), who led 21-0 to start, were hoping to win for the second straight game under interim head coach Nick Rolovich, a former quarterback and head coach at Hawaii.
Tosh Lupoi will coach the Bears’ next game to open the 2026 season after being named to replace Justin Wilcox, who was fired after Cal’s loss to Stanford in the Big Game.
Sagapolutele completed 28 of 39 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown, and Jacob De Jesus caught nine passes for 137 yards, breaking the Bears’ program record for receptions in a season with 108.
Cal broke a 21-all tie when Chase Meyer kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:56 left to snap a 21-point scoring run by Hawaii.
But the Rainbow Warriors came right back, scoring on their fifth consecutive possession and taking a 28-24 lead when Alejado threw to wide receiver Brandon White, who outleaped All-ACC cornerback Hezekiah Masses to haul in a 17-yard TD pass with 7:19 to play.
Once down 21-0, Hawaii pulled within 21-13 when All-America kicker Kensei Matsuzawa converted a 39-yard field goal with 5:58 left in the third quarter. The Rainbow Warriors made five first downs on the 61-yard drive.
After the Hawaii defense turned away the Bears on their fourth consecutive scoreless possession, the Rainbow Warriors went 53 yards in eight plays, pulling within 21-19 on a 5-yard TD pass from Alejado to Pofele Ashlock with 13:50 left in the fourth quarter.
Hawaii tied it, completing a 21-point comeback run, when Alejado shoveled a pass to running back Cam Barfield for the two-point conversion.
The Bears dominated early, scoring on each of their first three drives for a 21-0 lead. By halftime, their sturdy lead had dwindled to 21-10.
Sagapolutele fired a 41-yard TD pass to De Jesus to cap an eight-play, 87-yard drive with 7:01 left in the opening quarter.
Kendrick Raphael then dashed 19 yards into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter for his 14th touchdown of the season, wrapping up an eight-play, 68-yard possession.
The margin grew to 21-0 when true freshman running back Anthony League went in from 8 yards, capping an eight-play, 49-yard drive with 9:38 left in the half.
But the Rainbow Warriors finally found some offensive rhythm to battle back into the game. Alejado completed 7 of 10 passes for 70 yards on a 75-yard scoring drive, ending with his 5-yard touchdown pass to Ashlock with 3:57 to play in the half.
Hawaii forced Cal to punt for the first time, and the Warriors blocked it, getting possession at the Bears’ 32 with 1:45 left. Seven plays later, Matsuzawa converted a 29-yard field goal, pulling Hawaii within 21-10 with 27 seconds left in the half.
The Mercury News
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