Hawaii Football Throwbacks: New Mexico

Hawaii football’s all-time series with New Mexico has been one of the more unique of any between UH and a current or former conference opponent.

UH, which leads it 14-10, had a nine-game winning streak against the Lobos spanning 1983 to 1991. But UNM has since won seven straight, including the last three in Albuquerque, site of today’s game.

UH hasn’t won in the land of “Breaking Bad” since Oct. 10, 1987, a 41-31 defeat of the Lobos. The meetings there have been relatively few (17 meetings have been in Honolulu and just seven in the Land of Enchantment). But the Rainbow Warriors have gone down by margins of 27, 14 and one there since.

Let’s focus on that last win in this episode of the Throwbacks, then.

How would you like to be set for your first collegiate start at quarterback, only to be scratched because you forgot your mouthpiece?

“I couldn’t believe it, they were finally going to start me and I blew it,” said sophomore Walter Briggs.

Briggs couldn’t find it in pre-game drills, nor could he produce a replacement, and he gave way to Warren Jones. But, after a six-play “disciplinary” period, he got the call.

“He would’ve gone in sooner, but I was still so ticked off at him,” said UH offensive coordinator Paul Johnson.

He eventually passed for two touchdowns and running for another. He was coming off arthroscopic knee surgery the previous month and had only been cleared to play 11 days prior to the UNM game, according to the Honolulu Advertiser’s Ferd Lewis in his game report.

Briggs, who’d redshirted a year then played tailback in 1986, ran for 180 yards on 32 carries to help UH (3-2) pick up its first road win and first WAC win of the season.

“I felt like I did pretty well, but I also messed up a bunch,” Briggs said afterward. “I’m what you call a young buck, but I’m maturing … quickly.”

Running back Heikoti Faikava backed up Briggs with three touchdowns, including rushes of 2 and 18 yards, as he went for 144 yards on 24 carries. He also caught a 1-yard pass for a score. His first two TDs gave UH the lead for good at 24-14, the last of four lead changes. The lead would grow to its largest at 38-21 in the third.

Still, UNM rolled up 415 yards of offense to hang in it in what would be a winless season for the Lobos. Lobos quarterback Barry Garrison threw for 396 of those yards on 27-of-47 accuracy, as UNM got within 38-31 late before UH put it away with a 27-yard field goal by Rod Valverde. Lewis noted that the Lobos’ collective hand was “never far from the self-destruct button”; they had 12 men on the field on a late drive, leading to a punt.

“A win is a win is a win,” said first-year coach Bob Wagner.

“I guess this is what you call winning ugly,” said UH defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson.

Dana Directo had two sacks and Al Noga one to lead the UH defense.

UH picked up 453 yards on the ground, while netting 114 in the air.

Briggs earned his first start the following week, beating Utah 25-14 at Aloha Stadium.

Wagner finished his first season at 5-7 (3-5 WAC). UH would lose its final three games, and five of its last six. Wagner’s first winning season would come the next year.

For UNM and first-year coach Mike Sheppard, who came over from Long Beach State, Hawaii was the fifth opponent in an 0-11 season. The five-year Sheppard era was a low point of the program, as he went 9-50 before getting fired in 1991.

Briggs would become an All-American at UH — but at defensive back in the 1989 season. UPI named him to their AA second team after he recorded a program-record nine interceptions that year.

But for this game, he was just the sophomore who forgot his mouthpiece.

Here was what appeared in the following day’s combined Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin:
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