“It’s certainly more of a challenge. I think it was great we had a bye week on one side of it. It’s not a bad game to have a bye week after. Those trips are tough.”
At any other time in college football history, this should be a revenge game.
Instead, it’s just a potential speed bump on the University of New Mexico football team’s road to College Football Playoff consideration.
The Lobos (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West) are already in sunny Oahu, preparing for Saturday’s clash with wounded, underachieving but still dangerous Hawaii (1-5, 0-3).
It was just two years ago that UNM had just pulled off a 38-35 monumental upset of nationally ranked Washington State in its home finale and needed a win over the Rainbow Warriors on the island to secure its first bowl appearance since 2016.
Instead, Hawaii built an early lead, and the Lobos never recovered, losing 38-30 to finish 5-7.
Normally, that game would evoke calls for payback during the ensuing meeting between the schools.
But that game seems like an eternity ago in Lobo football lore. The Lobo coach during that game, the Horse who shall not be named, is gone and trying to rebuild Utah State.
Coach Jason Eck came in last season and delivered that elusive bowl appearance. And with the arrival of the portal, so few current Lobos were even on that 2024 team to still be angry.
“I don’t know,” Eck said when asked how many current Lobos have made the trip to Hawaii before. “I haven’t asked, but I don’t think a ton of them have. We have a few guys on the ’24 team who have. I expect for the vast majority, it’ll be their first trip to Hawaii.”
The game itself has its usual challenges. The Rainbow Warriors lead the nation in pass attempts per game, averaging a whopping 45.8 every time they take the field.
Of course, Hawaii runs a version of the run-and-shoot offense, the pass-happy scheme that utilizes multiple skill players that was prevalent in the late stages of last century.
Quarterback Micah Alejado is 15th in the nation in passing yards per game at 268.8. The Lobos’ trip to New Mexico State on Sept. 26 showed that their defense was a bit vulnerable to a strong passing attack.
And the defense has given up isolated big plays in each game this season.
Eck noted that UNM’s priority this week is to stop the pass and force Hawaii to run.
But that’s nit-picking a team that has forced 19 turnovers while committing only one this season. If UNM QB Toa Fa’avae can show the same improvement in Game 3 from Game 2 as the established starter as he did in Game 2 from Game 1, the Lobos should be in good shape.
New Mexico is a 14.5-point favorite Saturday.
Even if the Lobos take care of business Friday, they will have to contend with the challenges of flying back to the mainland for their biggest home game of the season so far when they entertain North Dakota State on Oct. 24.
Eck noted that few teams traveling far distances during one week have success on the field the following week.
In fact, none of the three schools that have traveled to Hawaii this season have won their next game.
UNLV won at Hawaii 21-6 on Sept. 5 but suffered a 44-6 beat down at North Texas the following week.
NMSU lost to Hawaii 29-19 on Sept. 12, had a bye week, then lost 42-18 at home to UNM.
San Jose State beat the Rainbow Warriors 20-16 on Oct. 3 but lost at Wyoming in overtime on Oct. 9.
“I talked to coach (Barry) Odom, who’s at Purdue,” Eck said. “He was at UNLV in 2024 and they were the last team that won at Hawaii and then won the next week.
“It’s certainly more of a challenge. I think it was great we had a bye week on one side of it. It’s not a bad game to have a bye week after. Those trips are tough.”
The only silver line is that Saturday’s game is at 4:35 local time, meaning 8:35 Mountain Time, rather than a 7 p.m. start time or later in Hawaii. The Lobos will get home late … but not early Sunday.
So, while the revenge factor may not drive UNM’s Hawaii business trip, the reality of facing North Dakota State to kick off a crucial second half of the 2026 season should motivate the Lobos to get in and get out with a win.
“This is not a vacation; it’s a business trip for us,” Eck said. “We gotta take care of our business, and that’s our focus.”
After allowing 89 points to Oklahoma State, New Mexico responded with a dominant defensive performance in a 92-64 exhibition win over Washington State. The Lobos held the Cougars to 35% shooting, limited them to 12 points in the paint and forced 17 turnovers that led to 23 points. UNM’s defense fueled its transition offense, while Uriah Tenette, Jake Hall and Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi led a balanced scoring attack as 10 Lobos scored from the field.