Call it a Christmas Eve miracle in Mānoa.
A Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl matchup already brimming with storylines and local connections saved its most dramatic moments for last when a backup quarterback threw the winning touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to lift the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa football team to a thrilling 35-31 win over California on December 24 at a sold-out Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
After UH Mānoa quarterback Micah Alejado orchestrated a comeback from a 21-point deficit, backup Luke Weaver wrote himself into program lore by lofting a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle in a holiday wish come true to provide an emphatic punctuation on a breakthrough season for the Rainbow Warriors.
The Rainbow Warriors (9-4) faced their largest first-half deficit of the season when Cal scored on its first three possessions to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. UH Mānoa stormed back by scoring on four consecutive drives to score 21 unanswered and tied the game early in the fourth quarter after Hawaiʻi Bowl MVP Pofele Ashlock caught his second touchdown pass of the game. After a Cal field goal, UH Mānoa took its first lead of the game when Brandon White pulled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Alejado.
Cal see-sawed ahead on a quarterback sneak just after the 2-minute timeout, and the Rainbow Warriors delivered one more holiday wish come true with Alejado leading the Warriors deep into California territory before having to go to the sideline with an injury with 15 seconds showing. Weaver, who had stepped in for Alejado twice earlier in the game, then connected with Cenacle to electrify the sellout crowd.
The Rainbow Warriors tied the largest comeback in program history—matching rallies against Michigan State in 2004 and Washington in 2007—in UH Mānoa’s ninth bowl win.
Alejado completed 32-of-46 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Two scores went to Ashlock, who tied the game record with a career-high 14 receptions covering 123 yards. Cenacle caught eight receptions for 59 yards, the last 22 coming on the game-winner from Weaver, who completed two throws in place of Alejado on the final drive.
The Rainbow Warriors reached the nine-win mark for the first time since 2019 and the 16th time in program history. Timmy Chang has been part of four of those seasons, three as a player (2001–03) and now as head coach. The only two-time MVP in Hawaiʻi Bowl history, Chang, prevailed in the 2025 coaching duel with former UH Mānoa teammate and interim Cal head coach Nick Rolovich.
Read more on the UH Mānoa Athletics website.
