Maui graduate Tau Lotulelei arrived at Aloha Stadium with 255 tackles in his UNLV career. His last on Saturday “means more than any play I ever made so far in my college career,” the senior linebacker said.
With Hawaii driving near midfield late in the shootout, Lotulelei chased down UH quarterback Dru Brown from behind and forced a fumble that Rebels defensive back Darius Mouton recovered and returned to the end zone. The touchdown was called back due to a penalty, but the game’s lone turnover set up a UNLV drive that ended with the go-ahead field goal in the Rebels’ 41-38 win.
“I just thought about hustling and trying to make something happen,” Lotulelei said. “The moment he fumbled my mind was mind-blown. I saw it bounce right into our player’s hand and I was like, ‘Man, this is a sign right here.’”
Brown had lost fumbles on similar plays the previous three games and “our coaches told us about the stats about that,” Lotulelei said.
“We just wanted to play our hearts out. With playing your hearts out comes those types of plays — forced fumbles, interceptions.”
Lotulelei entered the game fifth in the Mountain West Conference with nine tackles per game and led the Rebels with 61⁄2 for losses. He finished Saturday’s game with seven stops and the fourth forced fumble of his career.
“Tau Lotulelei is an absolute stud,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “He’s one of our big-time guys. … In a game like that big-time guys have to make big-time plays. He found a way to make a play.”
Lotulelei is part of a group of eight players from Hawaii on the UNLV roster. Kahuku graduate Salanoa-Alo Wily finished with one tackle.
Kemp goes over 2,000
Marcus Kemp became the 15th UH receiver to pass the 2,000-yard mark in a career with a 38-yard reception in the second quarter.
The catch at the UNLV 1 also pushed the senior past UH quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann into 14th on UH’s career receiving list. Stutzmann finished his career in 2001 with 2,025 yards.
Kemp raised his career yardage total to 2,106 with 126 yards on six receptions on Saturday. Next on the list is Royce Pollard (2008-11) at No. 13 with 2,140 yards.
Kemp raised his season totals to a team-high 636 yards on 36 catches through seven games.
Still no INTs for Brown
While Brown lost a key fumble, the sophomore’s run of pass attempts without an interception reached 112 on Saturday.
Brown’s first pass of his UH career was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Michigan’s Channing Stribling in UH’s 63-3 loss on Sept. 3 and he hasn’t thrown another since.
The UH single-season record for attempts without an interception is 182 set by Colt Brennan over a six-game stretch in 2006. Timmy Chang had a run of 200 throws without a pick bridging the 2003 and ’04 seasons.
Lakalaka on TD streak
UH running back Steven Lakalaka’s streak of games with a touchdown reached five with two 1-yard runs in the first half on Saturday.
Lakalaka raised his season touchdown total to eight after scoring a total of six in his first three years.
After UNLV took a 7-0 lead, Diocemy Saint Juste broke loose for a 55-yard burst to the UNLV 3 and Lakalaka scored on his second attempt get UH on the board.
Big block for Padello
Freshman Kaimana Padello got a piece of a punt late in the third quarter that set up a UH touchdown.
Padello, a reserve defensive end from Mililani, recorded his first career sack at the end of UH’s win at San Jose State a week earlier.
After Padello deflected Evan Pantels’ punt, the ball rolled to the UNLV 45. UH scored five plays later to take a 31-24 lead.
Up next: Air Force
The Rainbow Warriors travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face an Air Force team on a two-game skid on Saturday.
The Falcons (4-2, 1-2 MWC) racked up 531 yards in total offense but gave up 387 rushing yards to New Mexico’s option offense in a 45-40 loss to the Lobos on Saturday in Dallas.
Air Force effectively closed the Norm Chow era with a 58-7 thrashing of UH last Halloween at Aloha Stadium. UH avoided a shutout thanks to Keelan Ewaliko’s 98-yard kickoff return with 5:56 left and Chow was fired the next day.
Air Force leads the series 13-6-1. UH last defeated AFA 52-30 on Nov. 24, 2001, when Nick Rolovich passed for 505 yards and five touchdowns. UH’s last win at Air Force was a 6-3 victory in 1992 on two Jason Elam field goals.
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Sta-Advertiser staff
