LAS VEGAS >> Going into Saturday night’s game with Hawaii, there really was no defense for just how poorly UNLV’s defense had played this season.

The Rebels came in ranked a pitiful 119th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring defense, having allowed an average of 55.0 points per game. In fact, the firstteam offenses for the Rebels’ first two opponents, Wisconsin and Washington State, had a streak during which they scored touchdowns on 12 out of 13 possessions.

“We were lower than low a week ago, and we should have been,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said matter-of-factly. “But this group has a lot of character.”

So just what happened between a 59-7 drubbing at Washington State and Saturday night’s stunning 40-20 upset of Hawaii?

To hear Hauck tell it, his defense finally got around to doing the basics.

“We weren’t lacking for effort,” Hauck said. “We weren’t lacking for intensity. We were lined up. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our scheme. So it came down to making plays when it’s our play to make. And tonight our guys made plays.

“We tackled well, we played our gaps, we rushed the passer, we made plays on the ball downfield, we attached the routes. All the things I said we needed to do on Monday and Tuesday, our guys went out and did.”

Boy, did they.

With 5:01 to go in the game, Hawaii had managed just 220 yards in total offense, including minus-13 yards rushing. Thanks to a late touchdown drive against a mixture of first-and secondteam Rebel defenders, Hawaii finished with 290 total yards, including 6 yards rushing.

A big reason for UNLV’s defensive success was a surprisingly effective pass rush that accounted for three sacks and repeatedly pressured and hit Warriors quarterback Bryant Moniz. The Rebels had amassed a total of just 14 sacks over their previous 15 games.

“From watching film against Washington and other teams, they had him rattled,” said defensive tackle Mike Kravetz, who finished with three tackles, including half of a sack. “We knew if we got pressure on (UH quarterback Bryant Moniz), we knew how he’d react. We jumped on it and it all went from there.”

UNLV also forced four fumbles, recovering all of them. The Rebels held the Warriors to only 1-for-9 on third-down conversions.

Yes, this by the same defense that gave up 59 unanswered points, 32 first downs and 610 yards in total offense to Washington State and backup quarterback Marshall Lobbestael a week earlier in the Palouse.

It also was a big night for the Rebels offense, which failed to make a trip into the red zone at Washington State.

Sophomore running back Tim Cornett had the first 100-yard rushing game (11 carries, 106 yards) of his career, including an 80-yard touchdown run off left tackle late in the first quarter that increased UNLV’s lead to 10-0.

Cornett’s TD run followed a 40-yard field goal by Nolan Kohorst that gave UNLV a 3-0 advantage. Not exactly stop-the-presses stuff, except it marked the first time this season UNLV had actually led a game. Perhaps even more remarkable, it also marked the first time in the 16-game Bobby Hauck era that the Rebels scored first in a contest.

Senior wide receiver Phillip Payne caught seven passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel 33-yarder between a pair of Warriors defenders just 15 seconds into the third quarter that increased UNLV’s lead to 24-7. Hawaii never got any closer than 13 points after that.

“As good a catch as you’ll ever see,” Hauck said. “It was a big, big, big, big-time catch.”

“The win is definitely big,” said Payne, who moved into second place on the school’s career touchdown reception list (22) behind only former NFL star Henry Bailey (24). “Most people would get down after getting blown out in their first two games. But we came out on Monday and went back to work. We worked all week. Hawaii is a good team, so we just worked and were determined to be a better team.”

For one night anyway, the Rebels got their wish.