University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

Post Game Notes
Hawai‘i at Nevada
Nov. 4, 2023
Mackay Stadium  –  Reno, Nev. 

GAME CAPTAINS

• Virdel Edwards, Isaiah Tufaga, Eliki Tanuvasa, Jonah Kahahawai-Welch

 
SERIES INFORMATION

• UH picked up just its third win in 12 all-time trips to Reno (also in 2007, ’19).
• Two of those wins have come in the last three visits.
• UH has won four of the last five meetings overall.
• Nevada still leads the overall series 15-13. The teams have met every year since 2000.
• Eleven of the last 13 meetings have been decided by 10+ points.

 
UH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST

• Hawai‘i is now 29-64 (.312) all-time in the Mountain West — including 13-33 on the road.  

 
TEAM STREAKS/TRENDS 

• Hawai‘i ended a season-long four game losing streak.
• UH snapped a 10-game road losing streak, dating back to last season. It was the first road win since a 38-14 victory at Wyoming in the 2021 regular-season finale.
• The 10-game road losing streak was tied for the third-longest in program history.
• For the first time in the last seven games, UH did not trail after the first quarter.
• UH, however, did go scoreless in the opening quarter for the fifth time in the last six games.
• UH won the turnover battle (2-1) for the first time this season.
• UH has committed at least one turnover in nine of 10 games this season.
• After not losing a fumble through the first four games of the season, UH has lost a fumble in each of the last six games and eight total.

 
INDIVIDUAL STREAKS/TRENDS 

• DT John Tuitupou made his 23rd consecutive start and QB Brayden Schager made his 19th consecutive start.
• After seeing his 17-game streak of throwing at least one touchdown pass come to a close last week, Brayden Scahger threw a pair of touchdowns versus Nevada. He has now thrown at least one touchdown in 17 of the last 18 games.

 
TEAM NOTES

• With a 17-0 lead, UH shutout an opponent in the first half for the first time since the 2020 New Mexico Bowl vs. Houston (21-0).
• It was also the team’s largest halftime lead since the 2021 regular-season finale at Wyoming when they led by 24 points (31-7).
• UH took a halftime lead for the first time this season and the first time since Oct. 22, 2022 when they took a 13-3 lead into the locker room at Colorado State.
• UH had trailed (12) or was tied (2) at the break in the previous 14 games. 
• The Rainbow Warriors racked up a season-high six sacks. The last time UH had that many sacks was Oct. 8, 2016 at San Jose State.
• UH held Nevada to opponent season-lows in points (14), total offense (236), pass completions and yards (6, 112), and first downs (14).
• UH rushed for a season high 136 yards. It marked just the second time this year UH cracked 100 yards for a game (113 vs. Albany).
• A week after San Jose State went 11-of-16 on third downs, UH held Nevada to just 3-of-14 on third-down conversions.
• UH entered the game tied for No. 17 nationally with 35 pass breakups this season. The Rainbow Warriors posted four against Nevada, including a pair by Virdel Edwards.

 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Matthew Shipley became the first UH player to nail multiple 50-yard field goals in a game.
• Shipley hit a career-long 50-yard field goal to put UH up 3-0 early in the second quarter. He then replicated the feat early in the fourth quarter to put UH up 27-14.
• It was only his second and third career attempts, respectively, of 50 yards or longer. Earlier this season, he missed an attempt from 51 versus New Mexico State.
• Shipley also had a pair of 50-yard punts and tied a season-long with a 56-yard boot in the third quarter.
• Pofele Ashlock had a career high nine catches (87 yards) and scored multiple times for the second time this year (also vs. Stanford) with touchdown catches of 26 and 5 yards.
• Ashlock – who has scored in three of the last four games - ranks second on the team in touchdowns with seven.
• With 203 passing yards Brayden Schager moved into 7th all-time in passing yards (5,731), surpassing Garrett Gabriel (5,631).
• He moved also moved into a tie for 10^th in career passing touchdowns (37) with Dru Brown after tossing a pair on Saturday.
• Schager tied his career high with 49 rushing yards.
• Landon Sims set new career highs in rushing attempts (11) and yards (65).
• Dalen Morris scored for the second time this season when he plunged in from 1-yard to give UH a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. It was just the fourth rushing touchdown this season for UH, three of them coming from the quarterbacks 
• Peter Manuma snagged his second interception this season and fourth of his career with a third-quarter pick of AJ Bianco. That interception set up a UH touchdown that put them up 24-7.
• For the second straight game Isaiah Tufaga forced a fumble when he stripped Brendon Lewis in the second quarter. Elijah Palmer recovered and it helped set up UH’s first score of the day.
• Elijah Robinson recorded a pair of sacks in the second half. The graduate transfer now has three sacks in the last two games.
• Jalen Smith recorded his first career sack with a third-quarter takedown of AJ Bianco. Smith finished with a team-high seven tackles.  
• Andrew Choi set a new career high with six tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a shared sack.