Sep 16, 2007, 5:42 GMT
Las Vegas, NV - Colt Brennan completed 26-of-32 passes for 298 yards with two touchdowns through the air and three on the ground, as 24th-ranked Hawaii routed the UNLV Rebels, 49-14, at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Backup quarterback Tyler Graunke completed an 81-yard touchdown pass for the Warriors (3-0), who pounded Northern Colorado in their opener before squeezing out a 45-44 victory against Louisiana Tech last week.
Kealoha Pilares rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries for Hawaii. C.J. Hawthorne caught nine passes for 104 yards, Malcolm Lane notched an 81-yard touchdown reception, and Davone Bess put up 49 yards on five catches.
Travis Dixon completed 19-of-37 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Rebels (1-2), who fell to nationally-ranked Wisconsin at home last Saturday after topping Utah State in the season opener.
Dixon also rushed for 45 yards on eight carries, and Frank Summers had 47 yards on 12 rushes. Aaron Straiten caught five balls for 85 yards, while Ryan Wolfe notched seven catches for 47 yards.
UNLV took an early lead less than four minutes into the game on a six-yard touchdown pass from Dixon to Summers down the middle.
Hawaii went to work down the stretch, chewing up five minutes of clock, as Brennan punched the ball in from one yard out to tie the score heading into the second.
The Warriors took a 14-7 lead in the second as a 41-yard pass to Pilares set up another one-yard keeper for Brennan.
Brennan next hooked up with Ryan Grice-Mullins on the left side for a 13-yard touchdown with 11:21 remaining in the first half for a 21-7 lead.
UNLV answered with a 60-yard drive that took five minutes, but Sergio Aguayo missed on a 38-yard field goal, and its deficit remained at 21-7 heading into the locker room.
Brennan resumed command of the Hawaii offense in the third quarter, completing six straight passes for 71 yards before running in the remaining two yards for a touchdown with 12:22 left.
Brennan found Jason Rivers on the right side for a one-yard touchdown with 1:43 left in the third for a 35-7 lead heading into the fourth.
Ryan Mouton picked off a Dixon pass and returned it 33 yards into the end zone for a 42-7 advantage.
The Rebels got back on the scoreboard with just less than five minutes left in the fourth, as Omar Clayton rushed up the middle for a 31-yard touchdown.
But, the Warriors weren't finished. Graunke found Lane on the right side for an 81-yard touchdown to cap the rout.
Game Notes
Brennan set an NCAA record with 29 straight 200 passing-yard games...The Rebels have now faced ranked opponents at home in back-to- back games for the first time in program history...UNLV kicks off its Mountain West Conference next week against Utah...The only team in the WAC to start a perfect 3-0 in 2007, Hawaii hosts Charleston Southern next week...Hawaii has won 12 of the last 18 meetings, including a 42-13 thrashing in last year's contest.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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