UNLV whacks the Warriors, handing UH its second straight bitter defeat

LAS VEGAS >> Thirty minutes after Hawaii’s crushing 40-20 loss to Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday night, quarterback Bryant Moniz had few answers as he gazed into the desert sky.

“They were better than us,” Moniz said. “They made nice plays, and we didn’t.”

The Rebels dominated all phases in winning for the first time in three games this year. They also reversed a brutal 59-21 season-ending loss to the Warriors in December.

The Rebels entered as at least 18point underdogs after losing their first two games by a combined 110-24. In the previous week’s loss to Washington State, the Rebels did not take a snap in the red zone.

But all of that changed on a warm night in the desert. The Rebels forced four fumbles, including three early in the third quarter, and baffled the Warriors with a balanced attack showcasing running back Tim Cornett’s quickness and receiver Phillip Payne’s gravity-defying theatrics.

Cornett rushed for two touchdowns of diverse lengths, covering 80 yards and 1 yard. Payne contributed two scoring catches.

And, to boot, Nolan Kohorst booted a career-best 50-yard field goal, which added another 10 points the Rebels parlayed from the UH turnovers.

“We were beaten in all three phases of the game — offense, defense, special teams,” UH head coach Greg McMackin said. “(UNLV coach) Bobby Hauck has done a great job. We didn’t come close. You turn the ball over four times, you’re not going to win. … I personally take full responsibility, and we will get this cleaned up.”

The Warriors arrived in Las Vegas a week earlier after the Sept. 10 road loss to Washington. They spent the week trying to mend an offense that would be without two starters — right tackle Sean Shigematsu, who will undergo season-ending knee surgery, and right slotback Miah Ostrowski, who is suffering from a strained right foot.

What’s more, left tackle Clayton Laurel has been playing despite a sore left shoulder. He was wearing a sling after Saturday’s game.

Levi Legay started in place of Shigematsu, and Justin Clapp was notified Friday night he would be Ostrowski’s replacement. Claap caught two scoring passes.

Still, the Warriors could not solve the riddle of the Rebels.

“We played two games (against Colorado and Washington) where we were going in the right direction,” McMackin said. “And we slid off the mountain on this game. There’s not much else we can say.”

It appeared the Warriors had set the tone when they stopped the Rebels’ opening drive. The ensuing punt was short, and Scott Harding could not control it while racing forward.

The Rebels recovered, with the ensuing drive leading to Kohorst’s 40-yard field goal.

In constructing the defensive plan, the Warriors wanted to rotate linebackers and key on the “Las Vegas express,” a play in which two lead blockers clear the way on a sweep for Cornett.

Late in the first quarter, Cornett took a handoff and caught the express, finding an opening between the second-team linebackers, and sprinting into the open field for an 80-yard touchdown.

“They were pulling two guys to the outside, and we were getting cut, and we weren’t making tackles,” McMackin said.

The Rebels’ ground game opened the air waves, especially for the 6-foot-3 Payne, who has a 38-inch vertical jump. In a twist, Payne’s first touchdown catch was made while sliding.

After that, Payne soared over defensive backs in finishing with seven catches for 98 yards.

“He’s a good receiver,” UH safety Richard Torres said. “We knew coming in here he was a jump-ball guy. It was a dogfight with that guy. Every time it was a jump-ball with that guy, he made the play, and we didn’t.”

All of which would have been manageable for the Warriors except for the turnovers.

Kohorst’s missed field goal before the half provided momentum for the Warriors, who trailed 17-7.

But on the second-half kickoff, UH’s Mike Edwards was hit hard, and fumbled. The Rebels recovered at the UH 33. On the next play, Caleb Herring lofted a pass into the end zone that Payne snatched away from two defenders.

The Warriors’ next two drives were short-circuited when the Rebels knocked the ball away from Moniz — once on a sack, once on a scramble.

“They made nice plays on the strips,” Moniz said.

The Rebels attacked out of three-and four-man fronts. On the sack that forced a fumble, the Rebels had three down linemen and eight others in pass coverage. At the snap, they ran a double blitz up the middle.

“They played well,” Moniz said. “They put on a lot of pressure.”

Still, the Warriors remained in the hunt. Clapp’s second touchdown catch closed the deficit to 27-14 with 5:04 left in the third quarter.

But then came the Rebels drive that symbolized the game’s theme.

Twice during that possession, Edwards was called for defensive holding, once on third and 10. Then on third and 8 at the UH 14, cornerback Kawika Ornellas was called for pass interference.

It was initially ruled as face-guarding, a tactic that is illegal in the NFL but not in college, but then the UH coaches were told Ornellas had touched the receiver’s chest.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong,” Ornellas said.

The ball was moved to the 2, and two plays later, Cornett scored from a yard away. The officials initially ruled Cornett was stopped, but after a review, the call went the Rebels’ way.

“It was their night,” Moniz said.