Before a Senior Night crowd of 32,892, the Warriors (10-3) amassed 610 total yards and surged from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to complete their first 10-victory regular season and knock back an old-school bully.

The Aztecs had won the previous nine meetings between the teams, a rivalry that went on hiatus when San Diego State joined seven other schools in seceding from the Western Athletic Conference on July 1, 1999.

But last night, against an Aztec team that rolled up 632 yards in offense — including 507 through the air — the Warriors fought back by mixing and matching four-receiver passing schemes with their limited menu of running plays.

"Pass-blocking is our dinner," UH right tackle Uriah Moenoa said, "and run-blocking is, like, our dessert. Sometimes we feel like skipping dinner and going right to the dessert. Tonight, the dessert was very sweet."

Sweet indeed. UH had a season-high 173 rushing yards.

Warriors defensive end Travis Laboy makes the key defensive play of the game, sacking Lon Sheriff on fourth down on the Aztecs' final possession. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Aztecs, who picked apart the Warriors' secondary with a variety of screens and slants, had no answer on the ensuing possession, which ended with Pisa Tinoisamoa's crushing sack of Lon Sheriff. Tinoisamoa grew up in San Diego as an Aztec fan, and was somewhat disappointed when San Diego State did not offer him a scholarship in 1999.

Chad Owens, who usually runs circles around coverage teams, could not make an over-the-shoulder catch of the ensuing Aztec punt. The ball ricocheted off Owens at the 29, and rolled toward the end zone where it was finally recovered by UH's Josiah Cravalho at 8.

But, Moenoa recalled yelling, "We knew we were going to score. No doubt."

This time, Tim Chang, who was intercepted four times and sacked three times, refused to back down. His two 13-yard passes advanced UH to the 36, from where head coach June Jones called for the counter run, one of only four running selections in the Warrior playbook.

Ilaoa, aligned in the right slot, took a handoff, drifted to the left behind the offensive line, then cut up field, sprinting for a 42-yard gain.

Despite playing with a sore right shoulder, Warriors slotback Nate Ilaoa puts the hurt on the Aztecs with a 2-yard touchdown run that put Hawai'i ahead 41-40 with 4:45 left in the game. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Four plays later, from the 2, Ilaoa found the end zone on another counter run, giving the Warriors a 41-40 lead.

From that distance, Moenoa said, a run is "like a putt."

"It's small kine," center Derek Faavi said.

Ilaoa, who is playing with a sore right shoulder that will require surgery during the offseason, said, "With our O-line, all I need to do is run and look for the (end) zone."

The Aztecs' final drive pushed to the UH 37. But, on fourth-and-7, Sheriff was hit by a streetcar named Travis Laboy. Sheriff, who was elevated to starter two games ago when Adam Hall suffered a severe concussion, completed 31 of 47 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns. During one stretch, he completed 13 passes in a row.

Hawai'i's Keani Alapa partially blocks a punt by San Diego State's Brian Simnjanovski in the first quarter. The play set up a 48-yard touchdown pass from Tim Chang to Jeremiah Cockheran. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

On the opening drive, Tolver lined up as a quarterback, took the snap and threw an inside screen to Kassim Osgood. After eluding free safety Leonard Peters, who was knocked down by a blind-side block, Osgood sprinted for what would be an 87-yard gain. The drive resulted in the first of Tommy Kirovski's four field goals.

The Warriors then would score 22 consecutive points. Three of UH's touchdowns in the surge were set up by two partially blocked punts — by Chad Kapanui and Keani Alapa — and a forced fumble.

Then it was the Aztecs' turn. They scored 23 unanswered points in a span of 12 minutes, 21 seconds to take a 26-22 lead with 13:13 remaining in the third quarter.

San Diego State increased its lead to 40-29 on Sheriff's touchdown passes of 69 yards to Tolver and 6 to Osgood, but could not hold the advantage and finished its season with a 4-9 record.