LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Super Senior Charles Williams broke Ickey Woods' 34-year-old school record for carries in a game with 38 en route to a career-high 266 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as UNLV (2-8/2-4) won its first home game under head coach Marcus Arroyo, 27-13 over Hawai'i (4-7/1-4) in front of 19,623 at Allegiant Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels have now won two straight games and did it with a tough run game and perhaps an even tougher defensive effort. After scoring on a 79-yard pass on the game's first play from scrimmage, the Rainbow Warriors were essentially held in check, gaining a total of just 10 first downs and producing only a pair of field goals the rest of the way. UNLV would ultimately out-rush the visitors 293-57.

UNLV regained the famed golden pineapple trophy for the first time since its inaugural year of 2017 as the home team took the Ninth Island Showdown sponsored by the California Hotel. Hawai'i native Cameron Friel started his sixth straight game at quarterback for the Rebels and overcame a shaky start, turning the ball over three times in the first quarter, to direct the victory with 15-of-25 passing for 172 yards and just one sack.

REBEL OF THE GAME: Who else? Charles Williams buoyed his bid for a second Mountain West regular-season rushing title with yet another career-best day. The 266 yards tied Mike Thomas (1974) for second-most in a game by a Rebel as the Chuck Wagon rode to past the 1,000-yard mark for the season and the 4,000-yard mark for his career. Already his school's all-time leading run man, on Saturday he moved past Boise State's Jay Ajayi (2010-13) into fourth place in MW history with 4,029 yards as a Rebel. His three scoring runs, capped by a 47-yard burst to clinch the game under the two-minute mark, gave him 32 in his career. He also posted his 14th all-time 100-yard rushing effort.

STAT OF THE GAME:

Following the first play of the game, UNLV's defense kept Hawai'i's defense out of the end zone for the next 59 minutes and 40 seconds. The 13 points allowed were the fewest by a Rebel opponent since Vanderbilt scored just 10 in a 31-10 loss on Oct. 12, 2019. It was the fewest points allowed in a home game since a 41-13 win over SJSU at Sam Boyd Stadium in 2017.

QUOTABLE:

"Excited for those guys in that locker room right now, for the fans, for the program. Everything that goes into what we do. Obviously the defense was fabulous tonight. After the first play -- 59 minutes of no touchdowns. Charles did a heck of a job up front with the line. The thing I'm most proud of behind the stat lines is the resiliency of this group when things weren't perfect. There's a lot of good things that can come from that, when you find out you can win that way and you can finish a game and you believe in each other."

-UNLV Head Coach Marcus Arroyo

REBEL NOTES:

-Ickey Woods twice ran the ball 37 times in 1987, the same season he won the NCAA rushing title with 1,658 yards before being drafted 31st overall by the Cincinnati Bengals

-The Rebel offensive line allowed just one sack after giving up zero last week at New Mexico

-UNLV won the game despite losing the turnover battle 3-2

-DB Ricky Johnson hauled in both of UNLV's interceptions, pushing the team's pick total to eight after having just two INTs during 2020's abbreviated six-game slate

-Las Vegas product Kyle Beaudry, a MLB out of Liberty High School, led the team in tackles for the second straight game, finishing with 10. That included a key fourth-down stop near midfield in the fourth quarter with the Rebels leading by just a touchdown

-UNLV won its first home game since the thrilling finale of Sam Boyd Stadium in 2019 when the Rebels downed San Jose State 38-35 on Nov. 22, 2019

-The Rebels have now won 10 of the last 18 vs. the Rainbow Warriors

-The home team has won this matchup in 11 of the last 13 outings

-UNLV has seven players from the Aloha State, including four who have played in 2021

-The score was tied at halftime 10-10

-UNLV has trailed at halftime only four times in 10 games this season

NEXT FOR THE REBELS:

UNLV closes out its home schedule with Senior Night vs. San Diego State on Friday with a special 8:30 p.m. kickoff. The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network.