LAS CRUCES, N.M. — It is, perhaps, a sign of just how remarkable Colt Brennan has become at quarterback for the University of Hawai'i football team that he almost renders the amazing, well, routine.

He had another one of those 300-plus yard, five-touchdown passing performances last night and it was greeted with something approaching nonchalance in the Warriors' 49-30 victory over New Mexico State.

The first caller on KKEA radio's post-game "Fans Phones" show even expressed disappointment in the offense.

With any other team people are wearing out the Thesaurus to describe a 22-of-31, 330-yard night. There is wonder all around. At UH, they look at it as, "Colt had another one of those games," as a couple of people put it.

In fact, like his mounting collection of Western Athletic Conference player-of-the-week awards, you got the feeling it was almost expected.

And, maybe, it was because Brennan has thrown for five touchdowns in four of the past five games, which is a big reason the Warriors have won five games in a row to go to 5-2 (3-1 WAC) now.

But even at New Mexico State, where they have the nation's passing leader, Chase Holbrook, they came to look upon Brennan's performance as something akin to the postgame fireworks that lit up the homecoming night. Opposing players shook his hand. A couple took pictures with him. And fans, kids and adults lined the asphalt walkway from the end zone to the UH locker room to shout well-dones, or just to see him up close.

At each stop, Boise State, Fresno State and, now, NMSU, there is a sense that he is something special. Just as there is by the NFL scouts, five of whom attended last night's game.

And, indeed, Brennan is on pace to do some other-worldly things. With 28 touchdown passes already and seven games remaining — including a Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl berth that UH is two victories away from clinching — he is on target to throw 50 touchdown passes this season. At this rate and with four of the bottom quartile scoring defenses in the country entering the week — Louisiana Tech (118th), Utah State (108), Purdue (101) and Idaho (95) remaining on the schedule — the NCAA single-season touchdown record of 54, while distant, still might not be beyond his reach.

According to research by Markus Owens of the UH sports information office, that mark was set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990, an 11-game season in which he had 11 TD passes in one game against Eastern Washington.

But while the touchdowns make the headlines, what has made Brennan and lifted the Warriors this season has been his laser-like accuracy. The kind that allowed him to complete his first nine passes and pick out receivers in the end zone, splitting defenders.

Consider Brennan hasn't thrown an interception since the third quarter of the Eastern Illinois game. That's three games and 110 passes without having one picked off. In that period he's thrown 14 touchdowns and completed 78 percent of his passes. Brennan — and UH — caught a huge break when, clinging to a 21-17 lead, an apparent second quarter interception was nullified by what officials said was an inadvertent whistle. An opportunity the Warriors made the most of by taking it in for a score and 28-17 lead.

Not since Nick Rolovich went on his end-of-the-season tear in 2001, have we seen anything resembling this. Maybe not even then.

"He's got such good vision and such a great feel for the windows (of opportunity) that I wouldn't put anything past him," quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison said. "He's to the point where the receiver is over there, the defenders are here and he sees the window and lets the ball go real tight to where the window will be."

UH coach June Jones, never one to spare the superlatives on his quarterbacks, might also be in the window when it comes to Brennan.

"He's been playing phenomenal and I can't imagine there's a quarterback playing better in the country," Jones said. "He's just getting better every week and getting a better grasp of what we're doing. He's got it all."

Last night it sure looked like he did. Even if it is now practically expected.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.