RENO, NEV. >>

Worse came to worst for the Hawaii football team on a chilly Saturday night.

The Rainbow Warriors made numerous self-inflicted mistakes and self-produced penalties in a 35-21 loss to Nevada before 16,566 at Mackay Stadium.

Despite Diocemy Saint Juste’s 241 rushing yards, the Warriors, who lost their offensive line coach a few days earlier, could not match the Wolf Pack’s surprising 1-2 combo of quarterback Ty Gangi and running back Kelton Moore.

Gangi, who had won and lost the starting job twice this season, was 25-for-32 for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Gangi also scored on a 17-yard keeper. Moore, who did not start, ran for 219 yards, an average of 11.4 yards per carry. Moore’s 22-yard scoring catch gave Nevada a 28-14 cushion in the third quarter.

Nevada opened the season with five consecutive losses, its worst start since 1964. But when the final whistle sounded, it was the Warriors who were left searching for answers to a season now on the brink. The Warriors, who last won on Sept. 3, fell to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Mountain West Conference.

“It’s hard,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said. “We’ve learned how to lose again. I thought we kind of got that out of our system. We can’t take anybody lightly. We haven’t won a game in the Mountain West. We’re a two-win football team right now halfway through the season. Some things need to change.”

The Warriors committed 11 penalties for 114 yards, of which only one was for 5 yards. They were penalized three times for personal fouls, twice for hands-to-the-face blocks, and an unsportsmanlike behavior that resulted in an ejection. In the final 2:32 of the first half, the Warriors were assessed six penalties, including four on a drive in which Saint Juste’s 84-yard run was nullified. On that series, the Warriors went from scoring an apparent touchdown to facing third-and-28 from their 7. The offensive line committed six penalties on Saturday.

“So far this season, our (offensive line) group has a lot of penalties, from the first game until now,” right guard J.R. Hensley said of “We lose our cool sometimes. At the same time, there are things we can correct here and there. Absolutely. We’re trained better than that. Our coaches don’t teach us penalties. They don’t teach us to hold. They don’t teach us hands to the face. They don’t teach us personal fouls. It’s about the players. It’s about the heat of the moment. We have to adjust. It cost us in some areas. If we’re going to get better, we have to fix it.”

It was a challenging week leading to the game. On Monday, the Warriors learned tight end Metuisela ’Unga would miss the rest of the season because of an ankle injury. Offensive line coach Chris Naeole did not attend practices on Wednesday and Thursday. After not accompanying the team to Reno, Naeole announced on Friday, through his lawyer, that he was resigning from the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Brian Smith and graduate assistant John Estes coached the offensive line. Smith, who usually calls plays from the coaches’ booth, was on the sideline on Saturday.

“(Wednesday) was a little rough for the guys just because we didn’t know what was going on,” Hensley said. “We don’t really have any hard feelings toward Coach (Naeole). But at the same time, we respect Coach Estes and Coach Smitty so much to a point where it was easier to rally around them knowing they were the guys who would be coaching us. Things happen within the coaching world. Through many people’s careers, you’re going to have coaching changes. I think we did pretty well as far as putting that behind us and putting the goal in front of us.”

The line opened the way for Saint Juste, who found lanes in the middle and at the corners. “The O-line did a very good job, especially in the absence of our line coach,” Saint Juste said. “We did our best out there. … But at the end of the day, it’s about the wins.”

The Warriors squandered opportunities. After cornerback Rojesterman Farris II intercepted Gangi, the ensuing UH possession ended with a sack-fumble. On the Warriors’ final drive, Dru Brown could not connect with slotback Dylan Collie in the corner of the end zone.

In the meantime, Nevada made adjustments. The Wolf Pack’s best off-set blocker — Brandon Scott — was not available because of an injury. Nevada tweaked its offense, abandoning two-back alignments, and went straight at the heart of UH’s defense — with Moore’s bursts up the middle, and Gangi’s throws to receivers on crossing routes.

“Not hitting our gaps, missed tackles, missed assignments — they add up,” UH safety Daniel Lewis said. “Before you know it, we’re down and the momentum was missing.”

Hensley said: “We didn’t come here on the road to lose this ball game. It’s a shock to everybody. Coach Rolo said it best. We have to go back home, go back to the drawing board, and figure out the problem.”