[NEVADA ATHLETICS/AP RELEASE]
HONOLULU (AP) — Quarterback Brayden Schager had four short touchdown runs and Hawaii breezed to a 34-13 victory over Nevada on Saturday night.
Hawaii (3-5, 1-2 Mountain West Conference) jumped out to a 14-0 lead after one quarter when Schager finished off a pair of nine-play drives with 1-yard touchdown runs.
Kansei Matsuzawa's 27-yard field goal was the lone score in the second quarter and the Rainbow Warriors took a 17-0 advantage into halftime.
Nevada (3-6, 0-3) made it 17-7 on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter when Chubba Purdy fired a 63-yard scoring strike to Marcus Bellon.
Schager answered with a 3-yard touchdown run late in the third and added a 6-yard scoring run 53 seconds into the fourth to put the game out of reach.
Schager completed 14 of 25 passes for 153 yards with one interception for the Rainbow Warriors. He carried 19 times for 120 yards. Landon Sims rushed nine times for 82 of Hawaii's 242 yards on the ground.
Purdy finished with 155 yards on 13-for-18 passing with one interception for the Wolf Pack. Backup AJ Bianco completed 13 of 21 for 131 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown toss to Bellon in the fourth quarter. Bellon totaled 111 yards on six receptions.
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Postgame Notes
• Nevada fell to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in Mountain West play with Saturday night’s 34-13 loss at Hawai’i.
The Wolf Pack has lost five of its last six to the Rainbow Warriors, including its past three in Honolulu.
• Nevada was held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season (Sept. 14 at Minnesota).
• Cornerback Michael Coats Jr. made his fourth interception of the season, and the Wolf Pack defense’s ninth.
• Chubba Purdy made the start at quarterback for Nevada Saturday night ... it was Purdy’s first start for the Wolf Pack, and sixth of his career (four at Nebraska from 2022-23, one at Florida State in 2022).
Purdy went 13-for-18 for 155 yards and a touchdown with an interception ... his 63-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Bellon was a career-long.
• A.J. Bianco threw a touchdown and went 13-for-21 for 131 yards.
• Wide receiver Marcus Bellon posted his first-career 100-yard receiving game and first two-score game, finishing with 111 yards on six catches with two touchdowns ... his 63-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was the longest of his career.
Bellon caught a touchdown from both Purdy and Bianco, becoming the first Wolf Pack player to catch a touchdown from two different passers in a game since Wyatt Demps on Oct. 8, 2016, vs. Fresno State (two TDs from Tyler Stewart, one from Andrew Celis).
• Hawai’i quarterback Brayden Schager rushed for four touchdowns Saturday, the first Wolf Pack opponent to post a four-TD game since San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny on Nov. 18, 2017.
• Hawai’i finished the game with 242 rushing yards, the second Wolf Pack opponent to hit the 200-yard mark in a game this season (Oregon State, 214, on Oct. 12).
• Nevada went 1-for-1 in the red zone Saturday, scoring a touchdown on the trip ... the Wolf Pack is now 27-for-28 on red-zone trips this season, with 23 touchdowns.
