LAS CRUCES, N.M. >> TD or not TD?

In Hawaii’s 41-21 victory, a turning point was an incomplete lateral that resulted in a 5-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

New Mexico State quarterback Jonah Johnson tried to throw to running back O’Maury Samuels on the right side. Hybrid defender Quentin Frazier raced in and deflected the throw. Cornerback Cameron Lockridge picked up the ball at the 5 and raced the rest of the way for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead.

After a review, officials upheld the lateral ruling and accompanying touchdown. The Warriors insisted the call was correct. New Mexico State coach Doug Martin disagreed.

“That was a horrible call,” Martin said. “I don’t care what anyone says, it was a horrible call. They said they didn’t have a camera angle to overrule it, but I felt there was no way that they should have called it a lateral in the first place. We were throwing a pass to a running back. It wasn’t a lateral. But those things happen.”

Frazier said: “We were bringing pressure, so the ball’s going to come out fast. I saw him raise it and try to throw it, and I got my hands up, and made the play on the ball.”

>> RELATED: Hawaii beats New Mexico State

>> PHOTOS: Hawaii wins at New Mexico State

Frazier said he should have tried for the pick. “When I saw the replay, I was kicking myself,” Frazier said. “I should have tried to squeeze it. But it all happened so fast. I was happy to get a hand on it.”

Lockridge recalled thinking: “I wanted my first college touchdown. I’m a see-ball, get-ball type of player. When I saw the ball on the ground, I had to go get it. Fortunately, it worked in my favor.”

Levao doing a smashing job

In the postgame glow, head coach Todd Graham wanted to make sure offensive lineman Kohl Levao was the center of attention.

When the Warriors win, a player is given a sledgehammer to smash an engraved rock in celebration.

“Kohl has stepped up his senior year with his leadership,” Graham said of Levao, who makes the blocking calls as the starting center. “I wanted to recognize him. We had 200 yards rushing, and those (offensive linemen) have a thankless job. He’s playing hard and he’s doing good things for us.”

Levao needed one Thor-like swing to shatter the rock.

“I come from Washington,” Levao said. “I used to chop a lot of wood with my dad back home. I got a pretty good swing, you would say. One shot is all it takes.”

Levao said he was representing his linemates.

“Me and my boys work together as a unit,” Levao said. “It doesn’t really matter whether someone does well and someone doesn’t. We’re a reflection of the group as a whole. I got to break the rock, but the whole line did the work.”

UH earns charter flight home

In order to return early to prepare for the coming week’s game against Fresno State, UH and Hawaiian Airlines arranged an affordable deal in which the Warriors would travel on a charter back to Oahu. The Warriors departed from El Paso, where they stayed ahead of Saturday’s game.

In advance of the NMSU game, the Warriors departed on Thursday aboard a commercial flight to Phoenix. They then took a flight to El Paso, where they arrived late Thursday.