3 takeaways: UNLV holds on for 7th straight road win — PHOTOS
The UNLV football team’s performance Saturday could be evaluated in the same way one would describe the weather at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu.
Conditions for the Rebels’ 29-27 win over Hawaii ranged from sunshine, to rain and wind that got so bad that the television broadcast crew noted fans were leaving early.
UNLV’s showing was just as volatile. But the Rebels’ postseason goals are still alive, and the golden pineapple trophy from the Ninth Island Showdown is coming back to Las Vegas.
“I’m just proud of them. I mean, it was ugly, but good teams find a way to win,” coach Barry Odom said. “We had to really dig deep and overcome a number of things.”
The Rebels (7-2, 3-1 Mountain West) have now won three of the past four rivalry games against Hawaii (4-6, 2-3). It’s also UNLV’s seventh consecutive road win, a streak that dates back to last season.
Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 175 yards and a touchdown, completing 13 of 27 passes, and added 122 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 19 carries.
Wide receiver Ricky White III had 128 receiving yards, a touchdown and a blocked punt. White now has 13 100-yard receiving games, which is second all-time at UNLV.
Running back Jai’Den Thomas rushed for 109 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Here are three takeaways from the win:
1. Room for improvement
On the second play of the game, UNLV defensive back Johnathan Baldwin intercepted a pass from Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager, leading to a 41-yard field goal from Caden Chittenden.
The Rebels missed a chance to capitalize on the explosive start, as two touchdowns were called back for penalties in the first quarter.
DeAngelo Irvin Jr. took a kickoff return 83 yards to the end zone that was nullified for a holding call, and defensive end Antonio Doyle Jr.’s 21-yard interception return for a score was negated for roughing the passer.
“We know that we left 14 points out there with the kickoff return, the interception return for a touchdown,” Odom said. “Obviously, if we would have taken care of business there, I think we could have broken (the game) open early. We battled back and made enough plays.”
Chittenden also missed two field goals in the second quarter, from 29 and 32 yards, which Odom attributed to the wind.
Chittenden made a 37-yarder to open the third quarter. He finished 2-for-4 and now has 20 field goals this season, which ties for third in school history.
UNLV briefly trailed 17-15 in the third quarter, but White put the Rebels back in front 22-17 with a 37-yard TD catch.
Thomas later gave UNLV a two-score lead with a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make it 29-20.
Even though Schager was sacked five times, he connected on passes of 74, 62 and 49 yards. He ended up with 282 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, though he completed only 14 of 35 passes.
“I thought our defensive coaches did a really good job on making some adjustments, piecing together some things, and then finding a way,” Odom said.
2. Special again
With three games remaining, UNLV seems like a lock to once again boast the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year.
In 2023, UNLV kicker Jose Pizano claimed the honor. The conference gave the preseason nod to Rebels return man Jacob De Jesus, but now White arguably has the strongest case.
His blocked punt Saturday was his fourth of the season, a mark that leads the nation and added to his UNLV school record.
More importantly, it might have been the difference-maker in the game, giving the Rebels a safety to take a 12-7 lead in that rough first quarter.
3. Mountain West hopes
UNLV hadn’t won at Hawaii since 2016 and became only the third visiting team in the past 16 meetings to win in this series.
“We knew it was going to be a tough challenge. It’s hard to win,” Odom said. “Great credit to a team that found a way to go win in a place that UNLV hasn’t won very often in the last 16 tries. So we’ll build on it.”
The Rebels will have to do just that as they pursue a return to the Mountain West championship game. Boise State (8-1, 5-0) and Colorado State (6-3, 4-0) are ahead of UNLV in the conference standings. The Rebels will need to win out and hope for some help.
UNLV next hosts San Diego State (3-6, 2-2) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Allegiant Stadium.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
