HONOLULU (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV (7-2/3-1) football improved to 5-0 on the road for the first time ever and won its school-record seventh straight away game dating back to last season with a hard-fought 29-27 final at Hawai'i (4-6/2-3) before a rain-swept crowd of 12,691 fans Saturday night at Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.
 
The Rebels improved to 15-1 under second-year head coach Barry Odom when leading after the third quarter, powered in part by a pair of 100-yard rushers who each also had a rushing touchdown – quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (122) and running back Jet Thomas (109).
 
UNLV led throughout the first half but held just a two-point advantage, 12-10, at the break in the back-and-forth affair. The visitors eventually built a nine-point advantage in the fourth quarter before UH struck back to pull within two again. However, the Rebels bullied the ball down field on the ground on a decisive drive to run out the clock and give UNLV just its fourth win in 17 all-time trips to the islands.
 
Defensively, All-America candidate linebacker Jackson Woodard had 2.5 of UNLV's nine tackles-for-loss while DB Johnathan Baldwin contributed one of the team's six sacks and grabbed an interception for the game's only turnover.
 
STAT OF THE GAME:
WR Ricky White III's blocked punt, which resulted in a UNLV safety, added to his school single-season record – now an eye-popping, nation-leading four.
 
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Ricky White III continued to move up the UNLV record books with a seven-catch, 128-yard night that included a key 37-yard touchdown. The team captain, just in his third season in Las Vegas after transferring from Michigan State, is second in 100-yard games (13), tied for third in touchdown receptions (22) and third in career receiving yards (2,901).
 
QUOTABLE:
"We knew it was going to be a tough challenge. It's hard to win. We know that we left 14 points out there. 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. Great credit to a team that found a way to win in a place that UNLV hasn't won at very often. We'll build on it. We're 7-2 with three games left in November to do something really special."
-UNLV Head Coach Barry Odom
 
NOTABLE:
-UNLV won at UH for the first time since 2016 and became just the third visiting team in the series to leave victorious in the last 16 meetings
-Barry Odom improved to 3-0 in trophy games at UNLV (UNR and UH) by keeping the famed golden pineapple as part of the Ninth Island Showdown sponsored by the California Hotel
-UNLV's safety was its first since a similar blocked punt out of bounds by Spencer Briggs vs. North Texas on Sept. 17, 2022
-Caden Chittenden made two of four field-goal attempts to give him 20 on the season, which ties for third in school history
-UH is UNLV's oldest current rival as they faced each other for the first time in year two of the Rebel program in 1969
-Seven of the last 12 games between these two teams were decided by one score
-UNLV had two non-offense touchdowns wiped out by penalty in the first quarter. A long kickoff return for a touchdown by DeAngelo Irvin Jr. (holding) and a pick-six by Antonio Doyle (roughing the passer)

UP NEXT: The Rebels will play their first home game in three weeks when they host San Diego State on Saturday night. Kickoff at Allegiant Stadium is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available by visiting UNLVTickets.com. The game will be shown televised by CBS Sports Network.