Cardae Mack Powers Arizona State Past Hawaii 30-12

Arizona State recovered from a heavy defeat the previous week by beating Hawaii 30-12 on Saturday night in Tempe, Arizona. Freshman running back Cardae Mack rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Cutter Boley threw two touchdown passes to Reed Harris to help the Sun Devils improve to 3-2 and hand the Rainbow Warriors their third consecutive loss. The victory came after Arizona State suffered a 55-19 home defeat against Baylor.

Hawaii fell to 1-5 despite gaining offensive yards through quarterback Micah Alejado, who threw for 252 yards and connected with Audric Harris for a 32-yard touchdown. Mack recorded the most rushing yards by an Arizona State freshman since 2005, according to the game report. He scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter before breaking free for a 67-yard touchdown late in the third, extending the Sun Devils' lead to 24-6.

Mack said Arizona State needed to regain its rhythm after the loss to Baylor.

"We just had to get back in our groove and find ourselves," Mack said. "The only people that can stop us is us." Boley completed 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards. He connected with Harris for an 18-yard touchdown on the opening drive and added a 9-yard scoring pass late in the game to secure the 30-12 result.

Carson Smith also contributed with a 47-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half, giving Arizona State a 17-6 advantage at halftime. Hawaii managed two field goals from Sean Olvera-Harle but failed to turn several promising first-half possessions into touchdowns. The Rainbow Warriors' best early opportunity came after they blocked an Arizona State punt and gained first-and-goal from the 2-yard line in the second quarter. Two sacks, two penalties and a missed 51-yard field goal prevented Hawaii from scoring on the possession.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham emphasized the importance of improved fundamentals following the Baylor loss. He had also returned offensive play-calling responsibilities to coordinator Marcus Arroyo after handling the duties himself for five games. "We had people on people," Dillingham said.

"I know that sounds boring and fundamental, but that wasn't always the case last week." Arizona State's defense faced another difficult situation early in the fourth quarter when Alejado found Audric Harris for a 32-yard touchdown. Hawaii then advanced to the Sun Devils' 21-yard line on its next possession, aided by three 15-yard penalties against Arizona State, but failed to convert on fourth down.

Linebacker Martell Hughes credited improved coordination and energy for the defensive performance after the team's struggles against Baylor.

"Last week we weren't on the same page and this week it was just the little details to make sure we're all on the same page," Hughes said. "We all played with energy, played off each other and were able to make each other right." Arizona State also produced useful returns on special teams.

Jaren Hamilton returned three kickoffs for 67 yards, including a long of 29 yards, while Jalen Moss added a 21-yard punt return. Hawaii will host New Mexico next Saturday, while Arizona State will travel to face No. 11 Texas Tech.