Rebels reflect on loss in Hawaii, missed bowl opportunity

UNLV senior linebacker Austin Ajiake wanted to be part of the team that finally brought UNLV bowl eligibility.

The Fremont, California, native spent five seasons as a Rebel. He beat Hawaii and UNR. Playing in a bowl game with the UNLV logo on his helmet was the only thing missing from his resume.

Ajiake’s bowl dreams ended Saturday, as the Rebels slumped to a disappointing 31-25 loss to the Rainbow Warriors in Hawaii, mathematically eliminating UNLV from bowl eligibility.

“There was a lot on the line for us that game,” Ajiake said, “and we didn’t get the job done.”

UNLV’s 31-25 defeat against Hawaii extended the Rebels losing streak to six. After starting the season 4-1, they were unable to win two of their final seven games to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2013 season.

UNLV was an 11-point favorite over a Hawaii team that entered Saturday with one conference win.

The Rebels still have a chance to end the season on a positive note, as UNLV welcomes in-state rivals UNR to Allegiant Stadium at 3 p.m. Saturday to play in the Battle for the Fremont Cannon.

“That was a really tough loss,” UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo said. “Not playing up to our expectations in a must-win situation hurts. It hits hard.”

Arroyo stressed the Rebels (4-7, 2-5 Mountain West) are still preparing for their final game with the same intensity and focus they’ve used to approach each of the previous weeks. However, he did do some reflections on UNLV’s season and precipitous losing streak.

“We saw progress this year, but it wasn’t completed,” Arroyo said.

Against Hawaii, Arroyo felt like his team was uncharacteristically unfocused. He said UNLV wasn’t as physical as he’d expected, but specifically mentioned poor communication as a major factor in the loss.

The Rebels lost several starters to injuries Saturday which impacted their ability to relay messages, but Arroyo took responsibility for the loss.

Talking about the entire season, Arroyo said he wished the team’s problems were as simple as fixing one piece or position group. Instead, he believes the Rebels came up short because of a series of smaller lapses or failures to execute in crucial situations.

Arroyo was glad the team’s hot start created expectations, but said the next step is learning how to finish the task, win close games and empower his players to believe in themselves in big moments.

Arroyo also added he’ll do a full evaluation of the program during the offseason, like he does every year, starting with himself and then his staff.

“I’m not afraid to make changes if we need to make changes,” he said.

Any decisions Arroyo makes for next season won’t help Ajiake. The linebacker said UNLV was simply outplayed against Hawaii, despite understanding how important the game was and not underestimating its opponents. He added that the Rainbow Warriors played the game like they had nothing to lose, saying it looked like they wanted to win more than the Rebels.

It was a disheartening penultimate game for Ajiake, whose college career will end Saturday, but the linebacker is excited to strap the pads on at least one more time.

“It’s disappointing,” he said, “but I’m just thankful we have one more game.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.