GAME DAY BLOG: Hawaii rallies over UNLV to clinch bowl berth
9:25 p.m.
Behind Chevan Cordeiro, Hawaii scores 22 points in a row to defeat UNLV, 35-28, and clinch a berth in the Hawaii Bowl.
Read the game recap here.
9:20 p.m.
In what is becoming the Miracle of Salt Lake Boulevard, Chevan Cordeiro throws his third TD (in three possessions) to boost UH to a 35-28 lead with 1:25 to play.
This time, Cordeiro goes 68 to John Ursua.
The Warriors have scored 22 points in a row since Cordeiro entered.
9:10 p.m.
Two drives, two TD passes for Chevan Cordeiro.
After UH makes a dramatic midfield stop on fourth-and-1, Cordeiro guides the Warriors down the field. Cordeiro hits JoJo Ward who makes an over-the-shoulder catch with his tippy toes just inside the end zone. It’s tied at 28 with 4:23 to play.
8:55 p.m.
Chevan Cordeiro comes off the sideline to throw a 64-yard scoring pass to JoJo Ward and then fires a 2-point pass to John Ursua to close UH to 28-21 with 11:42 to play.
8:40 p.m.
The Rebels parlayed Cole McDonald’s second pick into a 21-yard scoring drive and a 28-13 lead with 14:21 to play.
Armani Rogers, playing for the time in seven games, threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Evan Owens for the TD.
8:30 p.m.
The Warriors stop Lexington Thomas for no gain on fourth-and-1, the third second-half drive the Rebels have failed to score.
8:25 p.m.
Cole McDonad goes 3 yards on a keeper for a touchdown to close UH to 21-13 with 4:46 left in the third quarter.
McDonald set up the scoring play with two fourth-down completions.
7:35 p.m.
Ryan Meskell’s FG from 41 yards closes UH to 21-6 at the intermission.
In the first half, UNLV rushed for 158 yards and controlled the clock for 17 minutes, 3 seconds.
7:25 p.m.
Lightning stikes twice.
Lexington “Lightning” Thomas goes 45 yards up the middle for a TD to extend UNLV’s lead to 21-3 with 2:22 to play in the first half.
7:05 p.m.
Lexington Thomas is stopped — and then unstopped — as he scoots 12 yards for a TD and a 14-3 UNLV lead with 7:29 left in the first half. UH has no answer for the Rebels’ multiple running game.
6:45 p.m.
Backup tight end Noah Bean catches a 9-yard scoring pass from Max Gilliam caps a 17-play drive and gives UNLV a 7-3 lead with 18 seconds left in the first quarter.
6:27 p.m.
Ryan Meskell converts a field goal from 36 yards to give UH a 3-0 lead with 8:04 left in the first quarter.
6:20 p.m.
Warriors open with a revised line: LT Ilm Manning, LG J.R. Hensley, C Kohl Levao, RG Solo Vaipulu, RT Joey Nuuanu-Kuhiiki
6 p.m.
The Hawaii coaches are honoring Vince Manuwai with shirts with his No. 65 and name on the back.
Pregame
For senior night, these things are at stake for the 6-5 Warriors:
> A winning 13-game regular season.
> The Pineapple Trophy.
> A berth in the Hawaii Bowl.
OK, OK, there’s a little holdup on that one. The Mountain West said the bowl invitations will wait until Dec. 2. And that teeny tiny fine print indicates that UH, despite a Hawaii Bowl tie-in for a winning regular season — it says so right in the UH release — isn’t a for-sure thing. It is but it isn’t, I guess.
UNLV’s top offensive threat is running back Lexington “Lightning” Thomas. He earned the handle after Spectrum analyst called him “Lightning” during a 2016 telecast.