University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

Postgame Notes
UNLV at Hawai‘i
Sept. 5, 2026
Clarence T.C. Ching Complex  –  Honolulu

GAME CAPTAINS

• Ka‘eo Akana, Devon Tauaefa, Jack Mowrey

SERIES INFORMATION

• UNLV retained possession of the Island Showdown Trophy with their fourth straight win over Hawai‘i.
• The Warriors have dropped five of the last six in the series to the Rebels.
• UH dropped its second straight to UNLV at home but still leads the all-time series 13-5 in the islands.
• UH and UNLV have played 20 times as conference opponents, with the Rebels holding a slight 11-9 edge in those matchups. (UH led 3-2 in WAC matchups but is 6-9 in the MW).
• The visiting team won for just the fourth time in the last 18 match-ups in the series dating back to 2009.
• The two teams met for the 18th consecutive season, the longest active streak Hawai‘i has against one opponent.

UH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST

• UH dropped to 39-73 (.348) all-time in the MW, including 23-35 (.397) at home
• Timmy Chang is 13-19 in MW games with a 9-8 record at home.

TEAM STREAKS/TRENDS 

• Hawai‘i lost for just the second time in its last 10 games at Ching Complex dating back to 2024.
• UH averaged 31.8 points per game in their previous nine home games, scoring 35-plus points in six of those nine contests. UH mustered just six points against the Rebels.

INDIVIDUAL STREAKS/TRENDS 

• Elijah Palmer has played in a team high 26 straight games dating back to the 2024 season.

INDIVIDUAL CHARTS/RECORDS 

• Micah Alejado finished with 176 passing yards to up his total to 4,139 career yards passing, becoming the 15th Rainbow Warrior quarterback to surpass the 4,000 yard milestone.  

TEAM NOTES

• UH dropped to 38-24-1 (.611) all-time in home openers against collegiate opponents.
• The Rainbow Warriors dropped just their third home opener in the last 12 years. 
• Hawai‘i fell to 3-3 in home openers at Ching Complex and 2-3 under head coach Timmy Chang.
• UH failed to score a touchdown at home for the first time in their last 17 games, dating back to a 35-0 shutout loss to San Jose State on Oct. 28, 2023.
• A week after 12 different receivers caught a pass, nine different UH players caught a pass against UNLV.

 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• In his first start as a Rainbow Warrior, DeVon Rice led the team in all-purpose yards for the second straight game with 100 yards, including 73 rushing and 27 receiving. 
• Sean Olvera-Harle was true on his first career field goal attempt, a 39-yarder early in the second quarter. 
• The junior ended the evening 2-of-3 on field goals. He missed his second attempt from 41 yards in the 3rd quarter, before following up with a 33-yard field goal later in the quarter. 
• Ka‘eo Akana registered his first career sack on the final play of the first half. It was UH’s first sack of the season. 
• Five players made their first career start for the Rainbow Warriors, two on offense – Audric Harris and DeVon Rice; and three on defense – Ozzy Pollard, Ka‘eo Akana and Jeremiah Hughes.
• Sophomore quarterback Micah Alejado finished 17-of-41 for 176 yards and no touchdowns.
• Alejado failed to throw a touchdown pass for just the second time in his last 15 games.   
• Senior linebacker Jamih Otis led UH with 12 tackles, tying his career high set last year at Colorado State. It was his fourth career game with 10 or more tackles. 
• Junior safety Kona Moore finished with double-digit tackles for the second straight game, finishing with 10. He has a team-leading 24 tackles through the first two games.
• He became the first Rainbow Warrior to record double-digit tackles in back-to-back games since Logan Taylor in 2022.