Defense finds sweet redemption, UNLV avoids 0-2 start
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
HONOLULU—This time last week, the UNLV Rebels were facing concerns that the defensive woes that plagued parts of last season were continuing their residency in Sin City.
Despite keeping the Memphis Tigers in check for spurts, the defense would eventually buckle and surrender a lead that the Rebels ultimately never the recovered from losing. While it was not the only problem that was prevalent in UNLV’s season opener, it was the one that many were hoping was addressed from last season. Suddenly, the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors was more than just about the Golden Pineapple, but to avoid falling to an 0-2 start at the hands of a fierce Mountain West rival.
It must come as a relief that not only is the tropical trophy making a return trip to Las Vegas, but the defense turned in an excellent effort, preventing Hawaii from reaching the end zone and leading the Rebels to a 21-6 victory.
UNLV consistently found ways to disrupt Hawaii’s rhythm offensively, chasing down Micah Alejado relentlessly and making their living in the backfield.
Leading the way was redshirt freshman defensive lineman Kal-El Togafau, who made an impact in just his second game for the Rebels with a team-high two sacks. Three other Rebels (Tre Fulton, Elias Rudolph, Kenji Scanlan) would also record a sack apiece, while defensive tackle Lucas Conti would add a tackle and a half for a loss of yards.
The consistent pressure was impressive to put up against Alejado, who was previously named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the Mountain West. The Las Vegas native and Bishop Gorman product never looked settled in, going 17-for-41 on his passes for 176 yards and an interception.
While Hawaii would show signs of life offensively in the second half, UNLV was ultimately able to snuff those out in the fourth quarter with a turnover on downs, followed by a Quandarius Keyes interception on what was ultimately the final drive for the Rainbow Warriors.
On the other side of the ball, while the Rebels did not have the cleanest execution, it was still refreshing to see certain issues cleaned up.
After surrendering six sacks last week against Memphis, UNLV’s offensive line would only give up on against Hawaii, despite the fact that senior offensive lineman Austin Boyd was out for the game. The Rebels also showcased their dominance in the trenches in the run game, posting 248 yards on the ground to double up the Rainbow Warriors (118 rushing yards).
Quarterback Jackson Arnold did not get many opportunities to make plays with his arm (8-for-18, 116 passing yards), but still found ways to make an impact with his legs. Arnold would produce 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, proving that the Rebels found more ways to punish opponents on the ground.
Meanwhile, after having a quiet outing against Memphis, senior running back Jai’Den Thomas came roaring back against Hawaii. With 20 carries, Thomas ripped off a team-high 143 rushing yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run on UNLV’s penultimate drive that effectively iced the game in favor of the Rebels.
With the concerns brushed to the side for the moment, the Rebels hope to make good on this momentum when they continue their road trip to take on the North Texas Mean Green next Saturday.
