RENO, Nev. – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior football team went toe-to-toe with Nevada for one half before the Wolf Pack pulled away after the break for a 34-17 decision Saturday night at Mackay Stadium. UH dropped to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Mountain West.
 
The Wolf Pack (5-1, 2-0) scored 17 unanswered points in a nine-minute stretch bridging the second and third quarters to defeat the Rainbow Warriors for the first time since 2018.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth battle with the teams trading scores. But UH was ultimately undone by five turnovers and a pair of special teams miscues that led to 24 Nevada points.
 
A superlative performance by Dae Dae Hunter early on had UH smelling upset. Fueled by two long runs, Hunter racked up 174 rushing yards in the first half alone. Hunter burst through the line for a 75-yard touchdown on UH's first-play from scrimmage then followed that up with an 81-yard dash to give UH a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter.
 
It was 17-17 late in the first half when things turned against UH. A blocked punt led to a Nevada field goal as the Wolf Pack took a 20-17 lead into the locker room. Earlier in the quarter, a muffed UH punt return led to a short field and a Nevada touchdown.
 
After the break, the Wolf Pack capitalized on two UH interceptions to score a pair of third-quarter touchdowns and take a 34-17 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Wolf Pack finished with 477 total yards for the game, including 395 yards passing and two touchdowns from Carson Strong.
 
Freshman Brayden Schager made his first career start on the road for UH and finished 22-of-39 for 205 yards and four interceptions. Khoury Bethley finished with a team-high 13 tackles, one short of his career high. 
 
The Rainbow Warriors next return home for their first game with fan attendance when they take on New Mexico State on Saturday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is 6:00 p.m. at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex.