LAS CRUCES, N.M. — How many times this season have we seen University of Hawai'i football opponents score suddenly, leaving the Warriors choking in the dust because they were unable to respond?

Well, this wasn't one of them.

What was both notable and refreshing about the Warriors' 42-30 victory over New Mexico State yesterday was that it was the offense that had the defense's back.

Talk about role reversal — did you ever think you'd hear the defense thanking the offense for not only saving, but dominating, the day this season?

But when the Aggies scored on the second play of the game with an 84-yard aerial strike from quarterback Chase Holbrook to speedy Chris Williams, the Warriors got it right back on the ensuing series.

When the Aggies got another Hoolbrook-Williams touchdown hook up, the Warriors answered.

Suddenly, it was the Aggies that couldn't keep pace or slow down UH and its emerging quarterback, Greg Alexander. With 26 of 32 passing for 288 yards and two touchdowns, Alexander, even for someone already 6-feet-3 inches and 230 pounds, was growing into the position before our eyes. Nor was he alone.

Here in the Southwest, it was the Warriors who came armed with the most ammunition for a shoot-out.

The return of Kealoha Pilares and his success in debuting at slotback (nine catches for 90 yards and a touchdown) coupled with Daniel Libre's two-touchdown, 88-yard showing at running back, and the emergence of the receivers finally provided an offense UH fans could relate to and the Warriors' hopes for a postseason required.

"This was a must-win game for us," head coach Greg McMackin said. "We had to have this ballgame."

And, they had to have an offense to take it.

The Warriors won their three previous Western Athletic Conference meetings with New Mexico State precisely because they could outscore the pass-happy Aggies, averaging 49.3 points to do it.

Yesterday the Warriors were still able to outshoot and outlast them. It was, in fact, the most points scored by UH in 15 games dating to, well, the 2007 meeting with New Mexico State.

As a result the 5-5 (4-3 WAC) Warriors are two victories away from becoming bowl eligible and clinching a place in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

"Those guys (the offense) are hitting their stride," said linebacker Adam Leonard. "It takes a while with all the guys they lost, but they have more confidence — and it shows."

McMackin said "They (the offense) had sort of been feeding off the defense and special teams this year and now, all of a sudden, I thought the offense took over in the ballgame."

Call it an overdue squaring of accounts with a defense that had been, by far, the majority partner in this deal. A defense that, to be sure, needed the help yesterday with the way Holbrook and Williams were carving up the field.

Holbrook passed for 394 yards and four touchdowns. Two of them — and 107 yards — went to Williams about the time the first quarter was half over.

Moreover, UH's maddening penchant for penalties — 11 for 95 yards this time — was an unnecessary hurdle to be surmounted.

Leonard said, "It would have been a different game if our offense got stopped."

Truth be told, it would have been the same old story this season.

Instead — and not a moment too soon — the Warriors appear able and ready to author a new, successful ending to this season.

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