HONOLULU (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV (4-7/2-5) football team lost 31-25 at Hawai'i (3-9/2-5) Saturday night at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.
The Rainbow Warriors also recaptured the beloved golden pineapple Ninth Island Showdown trophy sponsored by the California Hotel.
Playing through short and various levels of rain bursts on the Hawai'i campus, UNLV wasted a halftime lead for the second straight week after going into the locker room ahead 13-7.
After suffering multiple injuries in the defensive secondary, UNLV saw Hawai'i throw two second-half touchdowns to spark its rally. Rebel Elijah Shelton would score on a fumble return and then force another takeaway to give the visitors a chance to win late but a 34-yard rushing score all but sealed it for the hosts with under three minutes remaining.
REBEL OF THE GAME:
PK Daniel Gutierrez continues to show he is deserving of All-America status as the Super Senior hit four of five field goal attempts to keep his team in the game. On the night, he not only became his school's all-time leading points scorer but he also broke his own previous school record set last year by making his 17th consecutive field goal -- before finally hitting the post on a rainy attempt late in the game to end the streak.
STAT OF THE GAME:
UNLV finished with more first downs and total yards gained than UH but had to settle for field goals on four different successful drives.
QUOTABLE:
"Frustrated is an understatement. They played better than we did and that's a hard locker room right now, we have to do a much better job. We just got out-competed and that was uncharacteristic. I was tough on the guys all week, I warned them that this type of game gets set up this way. That's got to fall on my shoulders first, got to fall on the ears that hear it and look at what we can do different."
UNLV Head Coach Marcus Arroyo
REBEL NOTES:
-The annual meeting of these teams have been decided by one score in six of the last 10
-The home team won this matchup for the 12th time in the last 14 outings
-UNLV lost a one-score game for the third straight week and for the 10th time in the last 23 games dating back to last season
-Super Senior LB Austin Ajiake, who came in leading the MW in total tackles, added 15 more to his season total, including two TFL, along with a fumble recovery
-Elijah Shelton's scoop and score, which came off Adam Plant's QB sack, was the first fumble returned for a TD by a Rebel since 2016
-Receiver Kyle Williams was the standout on offense, posting his first 100-yard game fo the season with 111 on eight catches
-With a crowd of just over 9,000, this marked the smallest capacity stadium for a UNLV football game since 1973 when the Rebels faced UNR at then-6,500-seat Mackay Stadium
-UNLV has three players from the islands on its team: starting center Leif Fautanu, reserve QB Cameron Friel and DB Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen
NEXT FOR THE REBELS:
UNLV closes out its season by hosting UNR in the annual Battle for the Fremont Cannon on Saturday. Kickoff for Senior Day at Allegiant Stadium is set for 3 p.m. PT.
