Hawaii’s football team (2-3, 0-0) heads to the Ninth Islands of Las Vegas for its annual rivalry trophy game against UNLV (3-1, 0-0) at Allegiant Stadium.

Created in 2017, the Island Showdown Trophy is one of four rivalry trophies that the Hawaii football team plays for and is the only one it possesses (31-25 win last season in Honolulu).

This fixture marks the Mountain West opener for both teams, and it will be the first time UNLV opens its Mountain West schedule by hosting Hawaii. It is also the earliest of these rivals since a non-conference encounter on September 17, 2011.

When and Where to Watch UNLV vs. Hawaii

Venue: Allegiant Stadium (65,000)

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Date: Saturday, September 30

Time: 4:00 pm ET

Live Stream anywhere: Click here to watch now

UNLV vs. Hawaii Series History

UNLV vs. Hawaii Series began in 1969, and the teams have faced each other 32 times, with the Warriors leading 19-13. UH has won four of the last five meetings, and Rebels has won the last six of seven games at home.

Amazingly, the home team has won 12 of the last 14 matchups in the series. UNLV and Hawaii have played 16 times in conference play, with UH leading 9-7 (3-2 in WAC and 6-5 in Mountain West).

Hawaii football Preview

Coming to the game, UH has lost its last eight road games dating back to last season, including four straight Mountain West road games.

However, UH is coming to the fixture after securing a 20-17 win last week over New Mexico State in Honolulu, where kicker Matthew Shipley booted a 24-yard field goal as the Warriors out-scored the Aggies 17-0 in the second half, improving to a perfect 7-0 all-time against them in Honolulu.

That was the first time UH shutout an opponent in the second half since November 2019, when they won 21-7 over UNLV.

In that game, UH’s defense allowed a season-low in points (17), with the NM State running just 47 total plays. Also, Wynden Ho‘ohuli recorded his first career sack with a third-quarter takedown of NMSU’s Diego Pavia.

Hawaii Team Notes

UH is posting 332.8 total yards per game on offense this season (106th ranked) and giving up 367.4 total yards per game (72nd ranked).

Warriors rank 41st in the FBS (271.8 passing yards per game) and 66th defensively (225.2 passing yards allowed per game).

Hawaii’s defense has been a bottom-25 unit on third down this season, allowing a 46.2% third-down conversion percentage (25th-worst in the FBS). On the other side of the ball, it ranks 104th with a 46.2% third-down rate.

Also, the Rainbow Warriors sport a bottom-25 turnover margin this season, 22nd-worst at -4.

UH has lost the turnover battle in three of five games this season and had equal turnovers in the other two. The Warriors are 9-of-15 (60.0%) on fourth-down plays this season. They have two rushing TDs on the season, both by quarterbacks.

UH ranks No. 127 of 130 FBS teams in rushing offense (61.6 yards/gm). Warriors suffered its first fumble loss of this year last week when QB Brayden Schager lost possession on a rush late in the third quarter.

Koali Nishigaya scored his first touchdown last week against NM State with a 3-yard catch in the fourth quarter.

UNLV football Preview

UNLV Rebels (3-1, 0-0 MW) defeated UTEP 45-28 last week in El Paso, Texas, where they rushed for 306 yards and generated 497 yards of total offense in the victory.

UNLV is totaling 384.5 yards per game on offense (76th in the FBS) and ranks 102nd on the other side of the ball with 409.3 yards allowed per contest. With 276.3 passing yards allowed per game on defense, UNLV ranks 16th-worst in the FBS.

Rebels are totaling 194.5 rushing yards per game on offense (34th in the FBS). On the other side of the ball, they rank 69th, giving up 133 rushing yards per game.

UNLV has been a top-25 unit on offense in terms of third-down efficiency, averaging a 51.6% third-down percentage (15th-best in the FBS). Meanwhile, the defense ranks 64th on defense (37.9% third-down percentage allowed).

UNLV Rebels own the 15th-best turnover margin in college football at +4, forcing nine turnovers (12th in the FBS) while turning it over five times (50th in the FBS).

UNLV has boasted the MW Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks, RB Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas this time after quarterback Jayden Maiava last week.

WR Jacob De Jesus leads the nation in kickoff return yards with 315 and ranks seventh in KOR average at 31.5, which is second among players with more than five attempts. Moreover, the former JC transfer also ranks 15th in the country in all-purpose yards with 135.8 per game.

UNLV, which got its first and so far only passing touchdown of 2023 in the fourth quarter in the win over Vanderbilt, ranks second in the league and tied with two others for fourth in the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns, coming from seven different players.

True freshman Jai’Den Thomas has seven (tied for third in the nation), while Donavyn Lester has two, and Courtney Reese, Jordan Younge-Humphrey, Vincent Davis, Jayden Maiava, and Doug Brumfield have one each.

Sophomore P Marshall Nichols ranks 10th in the nation with a 46.2-yard average, and Ricky White leads the team in both receptions (18) and yards (263).

Hybrid defender Jerrae Williams leads the MW and is tied for 12th in the nation with 1.8 tackles-for-loss per game. Moreover, despite missing the second half vs. Vanderbilt after a targeting infraction, Arkansas transfer LB Jackson Woodard is fifth in the MW with 32 total tackles.