Backup Weaver Etches Name in Lore as Hawaii Stuns Cal
HONOLULU, Dec. 25 – For three hours on Christmas Eve, the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex was a graveyard of good intentions. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors were buried in a 21-0 hole, their offense sputtering and their defense gashed by the California Golden Bears. But in a sport defined by inches and seconds, the difference between a blowout loss and a program-defining miracle ultimately came down to a single piece of equipment: a chinstrap.
In a finish that will be replayed in island sports bars for decades, backup quarterback Luke Weaver thrown into the fire for one play due to a helmet rule delivered a 22-yard touchdown strike to Nick Cenacle with just 10 seconds remaining, capping a frantic 35-31 comeback victory in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
The narrative of the night seemed written long before Weaver’s heroics. Starting quarterback Micah Alejado had been the architect of a furious resurgence, dragging his team back from a three-touchdown deficit to the brink of victory. With the clock ticking under 20 seconds and Hawaii driving deep into Cal territory, Alejado took a crushing hit. He popped up, ready to run the next play, but his helmet had flown off during the collision.
By NCAA rule, a player whose helmet comes off during live action must sit out for one play. The crowd of 15,000 groaned as Alejado, the clear MVP of the night, was forced to the sideline at the game’s most critical juncture.
Enter Luke Weaver. Cold off the bench. Fourth-and-season.
Weaver didn’t blink. He stepped into the pocket, looked off the safety, and lofted a fade toward the back pylon. Cenacle, battling two Cal defenders, high-pointed the ball and tapped a foot down, sending the stadium into a frenzy that reportedly registered on local seismographs.
“That’s what every football player dreams about,” Weaver said later, still clutching the game ball. It was the only pass he threw all night. It was the only one that mattered.
This victory is more than just a trophy for the mantel; it is a validation of Head Coach Timmy Chang’s “Braddahhood” culture. To rally from 21 points down against a Power 4 opponent—regardless of Cal’s conference struggles signals a mental toughness that has been developing in Manoa for two seasons.
For Alejado, despite the cruel timing of his exit, the night solidified his status as the franchise quarterback. His ability to shake off a disastrous first quarter and dissect the Bears’ secondary in the second half suggests the Rainbow Warriors have their leader for the foreseeable future. However, the game also highlighted the depth of the roster; when the star went down, the backup stepped up, a hallmark of championship-level programs.
“That was a hell of a throw by Luke. It’s a program that is built out of faith and these guys deserve it, man.” – Timmy Chang, Head Coach
Chang’s comments underline the reliance on trust within the locker room. In that timeout huddle, the coaching staff didn’t scale back the playbook for the backup; they trusted Weaver to make a difficult throw into tight coverage, rather than settling for a play that would merely set up a field goal.
The 2025 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will be remembered not for the 21-point deficit, but for the resilience required to erase it. Hawaii enters the offseason with massive momentum, a solidified quarterback room, and a storybook ending that proves no game is over until the final whistle or until the final helmet stays on.
