LAS VEGAS >> Ikaika Woolsey may have just played himself back into a hold on the starting quarterback job for the University of Hawaii.

"I’ve got to go back and evaluate the film, but from what I saw standing there on the sidelines, he did a pretty good job," interim head coach Chris Naeole said in the wake of the Rainbow Warriors’ 41-21 loss to Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday night.

"I thought he distributed the ball pretty well," Naeole said.

Woolsey completed 16 of 33 passes for 187 yards, one interception and no touchdowns.

"He made one stupid play, where he should have thrown away the ball (on a flea flicker) in the first quarter," Naeole said. "Other than that and a couple of passes that were overthrown, I thought he put the ball on the money a lot. Our guys should have made more catches."

The ‘Bows dropped four passes.

For Woolsey, who started 12 games in 2014, Saturday was his second start of 2015, the first with Max Wittek healthy. Woolsey’s only start had been at New Mexico, where Wittek was sidelined with a knee injury.

Naeole, who took over for Norm Chow a week ago, named Woolsey the starter on Wednesday after two days of practice.

"You always try to be ready when you are the backup quarterback because you never know what might happen, but being named the starter helps you prepare a little more," Woolsey said. "I just have to do a better job when I get the chance.

"I made a dumb throw on that (flea flicker) and have to do a better job of decision making."

UNLV cornerback Tim Hough intercepted the pass at the Rebels 38-yard line.

"I can’t throw picks like that and put our defense in a bad position," Woolsey said. "The defense gets a bad rap, but we have to do our job on offense, too, and not turn the ball over."

UH had three turnovers — two fumbles by running back Paul Harris and the interception.

"I have to learn from my mistakes and come back and pick it up again next week," Woolsey said. "We all have to keep fighting. This isn’t over yet.

"At the end of the day it is up to me, up to all of us. The coaches can’t make the plays for us. We have to do that."