If the University of Hawaii had any thoughts of playing in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve, those hopes took a serious hit Saturday night before an Aloha Stadium crowd of 25,643.

The San Diego State Aztecs scored on their first two possessions of the game, then settled in for a comfortable 28-14 Mountain West Conference victory over Hawaii.

The big road win raised the Aztecs season record to 3-3 and 2-0 in league play. Hawaii dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in conference action.

Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey did most of the damage for San Diego State. He rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries to do in a weary UH defense that has been on the field far too much the last three games.

SDSU quarterback Maxwell Smith was an efficient 11-for-15 for 184 yards and one touchdown pass just before the half of 58 yards to Eric Judge that kept UH at bay.

The Aztecs had 402 yards offensively, while holding Hawaii to 251.

UH senior Max Wittek, who missed most of the second half with a leg injury, hit 14 of 34 for 179 yards and two interceptions. Ikaika Woolsey came off the bench to go 5-for-5 for 19 yards. He also carried the ball three times for 11 yards.

Melvin Davis was UH’s leading rusher with 52 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown. Wittek scored UH’s other six points on a sneak from 1 yard out.

After falling behind by two touchdowns over the opening 30 minutes, Hawaii got back into the game thanks to a rare mistake by San Diego State.

Widout Jemond Hazely fumbled the ball after catching a third-down pass on SDSU’s second offensive series of the second half. It was recovered by UH’s Marrell Jackson at the Aztecs 32.

Six plays later, helped by a pass interference penalty in the end zone on Aztecs cornerback J.J. Whitaker, the Warriors scored from 1 yard out on a quarterback sneak by Wittek. Rigoberto Sanchez added the PAT to cut San Diego State’s lead to 21-14 with 7:13 left in the third quarter.

But the Aztecs put together a critical drive to extend the game to two scoring possessions, going 85 yards on 11 plays to move ahead 28-14 with 13 minutes left in the game. The scoring play was a 4-yard run by Pumphrey, his third touchdown of the night as Donny Hageman was steady and true with the PAT to give the Aztecs a two-touchdown lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Aztecs scored early and often in the first half as well.

San Diego State took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards on seven running plays, including a 34-yard scoring jaunt by Pumphrey on third-and-short. Pumphrey gained 67 yards on four carries to start the game as Hageman added the PAT to make it 7-0 with 11:44 left in the first quarter.

A Hawaii fumble by Quinton Pedroza on the Warriors opening offensive series was recovered by the Aztecs at the Hawaii 32-yard line. Four plays later, Pumphrey scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from 8 yards out as Hageman made the PAT to give SDSU a 14-0 advantage at the 9:10 mark of the first quarter.

Hawaii finally got on the board in the second quarter to cut SDSU’s advantage to 14-7 with 12:44 left in the half. The Warriors went 75 yards on seven plays, the final one was a 1-yard scoring run by Melvin Davis as Sanchez added the PAT to get UH back in the game. A 52-yard completion from Wittek to Isaiah Bernhard was the big play of the drive.

San Diego State struck quickly to build its lead back to 14 on a 58-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Judge, who beat Ne’Quan Phillips badly on the play. Hageman hit the PAT to extend the SDSU advantage to 21-7 with 1:40 left in the half.