Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors vs UNLV Rebels Match Player Stats On Nov 07, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Nov 7, 2015

LAS VEGAS – Senior quarterback Blake Decker passed for two touchdowns, and senior Keith Whitely and freshman Lexington Thomas each eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark to lead UNLV to a 41-21 Mountain West Conference victory over Hawaii on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Decker completed 15-of-24 passes for 258 yards, including scoring passes of 85 yards to senior wide receiver Aaron Criswell and 75-yards to sophomore receiver Devonte Boyd, the latter which gave UNLV (3-6, 2-3 MW) a 24-14 lead in the third quarter and proved to be the game-winner.

Whitely broke the 100-yard barrier for the first time in his career, finishing with 124 yards on 21 carries, including a 7-yard TD run for the final score of the game, while Thomas added 120 yards on 17 carries, including 3-yard scoring run midway through the fourth quarter that increased the Rebels' lead to 34-21.

Junior Nicolai Bornand added a 31-yard field goal for UNLV, which hit the three-win total in a season for just the fourth time in 12 seasons.

Junior Paul Harris rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown and junior running back Melvin Harris added scoring runs of 1 and 3 yards for Hawaii (2-8, 0-6), which dropped its seventh straight game.

Decker, who was listed as questionable during the week by UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder in a 55-27 loss to Boise State, connected with Criswell to give UNLV a 14-7 halftime lead just a few minutes after Hawaii had tied the game on a 34-yard run by Harris.

The Rebels also scored on a 3-yard touchdown run by freshman Xzaviar Campbell that capped an impressive eight-play, 87-yard drive on UNLV's first offensive series of the game.

NOTES: Hawaii was coached for the first time by former NFL lineman and consensus All-American Chris Naeole, who is taking over on an interim basis for Norm Chow, who was fired last Sunday following a 58-7 home loss to Air Force. Chow was 10-36 in four seasons with the Rainbow Warriors. ... UNLV, which entered the day tied with Florida State for the national lead for fewest fumbles lost with one, quickly doubled that total when Decker coughed up the ball on the Rebels' second possession. ... Hawaii, which had rushed for a total of 32 yards in its previous two games against Air Force and Nevada, had 112 yards on the ground in the first half. ... The 85-yard touchdown pass from Decker to Criswell was the second longest in UNLV history behind only an 87-yarder from Carlton Kelley to Henry Vereen in 1977 against Northern Arizona.