LAS VEGAS » It was the shot that went between the goal posts and straight through the heart of the University of Hawaii football team.

Nolan Kohorst converted a 44-yard field goal as time expired to deliver UNLV a 39-37 victory Saturday night in Sam Boyd Stadium.

For the hard-luck Rainbow Warriors, it was as if their Christmas presents were repossessed after they rallied from a 19-point deficit to take a 37-36 lead when quarterback Sean Schroeder and receiver Chris Gant teamed on a 44-yard scoring play with 1:44 left.

"I thought we were going to win it," Schroeder said. "I really did."

But the Rebels maneuvered downfield — aided by a face-mask penalty and nearly unraveled by a catch nullified on review — to advance to the UH 26 with 5 seconds remaining.

UH coach Norm Chow called timeout to try to freeze Kohorst.

Kohorst, who apparently has Freon in his veins, recalled: "I loved it."

The snap was true, the edge-rushers were blocked, and Kohorst delivered the first walk-off kick of his college life.

"I tried to keep my head down, and follow through, and knock it through," Kohorst said. "I never had a game-winner before."

While the Rebels celebrated at midfield, the Warriors gathered at the end of their sideline, then performed a haka for their chanting fans.

"I wouldn’t want to be in any other locker room than the one I’m in," said Schroeder, a Duke graduate who transferred to UH in June 2012. "I’m so damned proud to be a Warrior. That’s the way we fight and stick together. Our breaks are going to come."

Chow insisted there was no single play that directly led to the winless Warriors’ sixth loss of the season, including four against Mountain West Conference opponents.

"Those things don’t cost you," Chow said. "It’s the down-after-down stuff you have to make plays on every time you’re out there."

The Warriors’ defense twice repelled the Rebels on fourth down in the red zone, and made a key interception at the end of the second quarter. But they had difficulty containing UNLV running back Tim Cornett, who rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Caleb Herring, who was 34-for-57 for 385 yards and a touchdown.

The Warriors committed too many penalties, achieved too few first downs (two in three third-quarter drives) and squandered too many opportunities. Two dropped passes sabotaged one drive. Bubba Poueu-Luna’s 86-yard kickoff return to the 10 was wasted when two penalties, a sack and a bobbled snap on a field-goal attempt did not result in a point.

UH quarterback Ikaika Woolsey, who had a 30-yard run on a draw, lamented juggling the snap as the holder on a field-goal attempt from 38 yards out in the second quarter.

"I took my eye off the ball," Woolsey said. "I’ll definitely take that snap on me. If we get the field goal, it’s a different game. Instead of being up by one (later in the game), we’re up by four. It’s the little things that count."

The Rebels scored 23 unanswered points to turn a 17-13 deficit at the intermission into a 36-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. That surge was capped on Herring’s 8-yard run that came two plays after UH slotback Donnie King was stripped of the football after catching a screen pass.

The Warriors were not discouraged despite the one-sided margin.

"To be honest with you," Schroeder said, "I put my head down and played football. The whole team did."

Steven Lakalaka’s burst up the middle resulted in a 15-yard touchdown, whittling the deficit to 36-23. Gant dropped the conversion pass, his third drop of the game.

Soon after, Billy Ray Stutzmann broke free on a post pattern and caught a pass from Schroeder to finish a 48-yard touchdown play.

The Warriors regained possession, failed to advance, then later took over at their 45 following a shanked punt with 2:22 to play.

The Warriors called plays without a huddle, but Gant sneaked a glance at Schroeder.

"He was calm, poised," Gant said. "He looked like he had been there before. The guy’s a leader."

Left guard Kody Afusia said: "That’s what football is all about. We live for these situations."

The first two plays netted 5 yards. Then Schroeder hit Gant on a quick out to move the ball to the UNLV 44.

With the safeties in a deep zone, UH called a go route in which Gant tried to race into an area between the cornerback and safety. Gant made the catch between the two defensive backs and darted to the end zone.

"I tried to rip it into the hole," Schroeder said. "The DB did a nice job of drifting off, and Chris made a nice play. He took it from there."

Gant recalled thinking: "First things first: Catch the ball. Then go make a play."

The Rebels’ final drive began at their 23, with 1:39 remaining. They advanced to the 45, where they faced a third-and-10 situation.

Herring threw 3 yards to Marcus Sullivan along the left sideline. UH nickelback Trayvon Henderson tried to intercept, missed, and inadvertently hooked Sullivan’s face mask as both players tumbled to the turf.

"I didn’t have my eyes in the right place," Henderson said.

Instead of a fourth and 7 from the UNLV 48, the 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the UH 37.

On the next play, Herring, on the left hashmark, threw across the field to Maika Mataele along the right sideline. The officials ruled Mataele made the catch at the 10. But after a four-minute review, the catch was negated because it was ruled Mataele was bobbling the football as he fell to the turf.

"I thought it was a catch," Mataele said. "It’s whatever. It’s part of the game. You to move on from there."

Two plays later, Sullivan found a seam between two defenders, caught a 9-yard pass from Herring, and scooted out of bounds with 5 seconds left.

Kohorst said the Rebels rehearse pressure-kicking situations in practices.

"I didn’t know how far it was, I just went on the field and kicked it," he said.

UH safety John Hardy-Tuliau, who rushed from the side, could not get close enough to deflect the kick.

"We put on pressure," Hardy-Tuliau said, "but they got the kick up."

Defensive end Beau Yap said: "When they got the kick off without getting blocked, my heart just sank. You knew it was going to go in. I didn’t even turn around. I just walked away."

Chow acknowledged the coaching staff and players made "too many mistakes during the middle of the game to get down to that."

He then said: "We’re going to keep fighting. … If people want to get after us, get after us. … Our kids played their butts off, and I’m proud as heck of them. Period."