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GAME DAY BLOG: Hawaii rallies over UNLV to clinch bowl berth

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hawaii running back Fred Holly III carries the ball during the first quarter against UNLV.

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.

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