LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – 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 a 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).
“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.
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