Despite Big Numbers From Williams & Williams, Finale Ends With Loss On Islands

Saturday, December 12

Manoa, HI

8 pm PT

University of Nevada Las Vegas

0-6 , 0-6

Hawaii

4-4 , 4-4

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
UNLV	0	7	14	0	21
Hawai'i	7	14	14	3	38

12/13/2020 12:43:00 AM | Football

Box Score

HONOLULU (UNLVRebels.com) – Despite some impressive statistics, the UNLV football team (0-6/0-6) completed its 2020 season with a 38-21 loss at Hawai'i (4-4/4-4) in the 30th all-time meeting between the programs Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.

The Rainbow Warriors won their third straight over the Rebels by building a 21-0 lead in the second quarter that turned out to be too big of a hole to climb out of for the visitors. UNLV did take momentum into halftime with a 75-yard scoring drive capped by quarterback Max Gilliam's pretty 19-yard pass to freshman standout receiver Kyle Williams. UH responded by taking the opening drive of the third quarter into the end zone to make it 28-7. A pair of touchdown runs by senior Rebel RB Charles Williams, including a season-long 49-yarder, drew the Rebels, who posted a season-high 463 yards of offense and posted more first downs than the hosts, to within two scores but the visitors could get no closer as the only scoring in the fourth quarter was a Hawai'i field goal.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Tough to choose between the two Rebels with a last name of Williams but true freshman Kyle Williams had a career-night to cap an already stellar debut season. The rookie became the 21st Rebel to reach double-digits for receptions in a game -- and the first since Devonte Boyd in 2016 -- with a total of 10 for a career-high 144 yards and the one over-the-shoulder touchdown in the second quarter. Williams, who was shaken up and left the game late before racking up even gaudier numbers, shattered UNLV's record for receptions-per-game by a freshman in a season with 5.8, besting Boyd's mark of 5.0 set in 2014.

STAT OF THE GAME:
Charles Williams looked more like the Chuck Wagon of old as the senior posted his first 100-yard game of the season with 148 net yards on just 22 carries. It moved him past Dominique Dorsey into fourth place on UNLV's career rushing list with 2,940 and marked the 10th century-mark game for Williams overall, which moved him into a tie for fifth in school history. His two TDs against UH gave him 19 as a Rebel -- good enough for eighth place on UNLV's career list.

QUOTABLE:
"Obviously disappointed we didn't get a chance to send these guys out on the right note but proud of their fight. I thought there were a lot of things to build off of and spring board us going forward. Proud of how we pulled together and continued to fight."
-UNLV Head Coach Marcus Arroyo

REBEL NOTES:
-Hawai'i, which is UNLV's oldest rival (first playing in 1969), improved to 18-12 in the series and retained possession of the Ninth Island Showdown trophy sponsored by the California Hotel
-Senior Max Gilliam got the start vs. UH but true freshman Doug Brumfield took over after the first series. Brumfield, however, was knocked out the game after trying to recover his own fumble in the second quarter and Gilliam returned to lead the offense
-PK Daniel Gutierrez, who missed both is first field goal and extra point attempt of the season vs. SDSU, made his three PATs vs. UH to make him perfect for the year after the initial troubles, making a combined 16-16 of his attempts
-When UH mishit a 34-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter it marked the first and only time in 2020 that a UNLV opponent missed a FGA (10-for-10 before that attempt)
-UNLV true freshman Ricky Johnson saw his first significant action and tied with two others for the team lead in tackled with seven
-The Rebels posted four QB sacks, including two from senior DL Kolo Uasike
-UNLV true freshman Nohl Wiliams went up high to grab his first interception as a Rebel, which marked just the second pick of the season for his team
-UNLV also forced two fumbles and recovered one, which marked the first time the Rebels forced more than one turnover in 2020
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