Box Score
RENO, NV - The Warriors arrived in Reno, Nev., with hopes of sealing an invitation to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and securing a Western Athletic Conference championship showdown against Boise State, but left 24-14 victims to Nevada in a WAC contest Saturday at Mackay Stadium.
A small Hawaii contingent and 15,268 fans braved light rains and sub-40 temperatures to watch the Warriors score 14 points in the third, but go scoreless in the remaining three quarters of play and snap a four-game win streak that began Oct. 11 against Fresno State.
Hawaii (6-4, 5-2 WAC) squandered several scoring opportunities in the first half. The offense managed to drive the ball inside the Wolf Pack 32-yard line three times, but came away empty on two missed field goals by Justin Ayat and a failed fourth down attempt.
Nevada (6-5, 4-3 WAC) took a 6-0 halftime lead on two field goals (28 and 42) by Damon Fine.
The Warrior defense came out of the locker room ready to play. Abraham Elimimian intercepted Nevada quarterback Andy Heiser to give the Warriors the ball. One play later Hawaii took its first lead (7-6) on a 39-yard pass from Timmy Chang to a wide-open Chad Owens at the 10:48 mark in the third quarter.
One play after that, Heiser fumbled the ball and Warrior defensive end Travis LaBoy picked it up and jaunted 16-yards to the "house" to put the Warriors up, 14-6.
The Wolf Pack answered by scoring 18 straight unanswered points, nine off Warrior turnovers. Running back Chance Kretschmer leaped into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive, to cut the Warrior lead to 14-12 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
On the Warriors next possession, Chang's pass was tipped in the air and caught by Nevada defensive tackle Derek Kennard who returned it 11-yards for a touchdown and 18-14 lead (failed two-point conversion).
Fine kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 21-14 with 1:58 left in the third quarter. The score resulted from a fumble by Warrior running back John West at the Wolf Pack 31-yard line.
Fine added his fourth field goal of the game, a 23-yarder, to cap the scoring and give the Wolf Pack the final margin of victory, 24-14, early in the fourth quarter.
Chang tossed his second interception of the game on Hawaii's next possession to give Nevada the ball in Warrior territory, but the defense came to the rescue, a sack by safety David Gilmore pushed the Wolf Pack back and forced Fine to miss his first field goal on the day, a 47-yard attempt.
Hawaii had two more possessions, but the drives fell short, the last on a completion to Chad Owens to tie his career-high and school record 12 catches. Owens raced for 164 yards, his second consecutive 100-yard game and third of the season, while adding 16 yards on punt returns.
The Warrior defense held Nevada to 143 yards rushing, and 312 yards of total offense, close to 100 yards below the Wolf Pack average.
The Warriors return home tonight and will spend the week preparing for a three-game home stand that begins with Army on Nov. 22.
