LAS VEGAS -- Nobody ever said the Rainbows were road warriors. But their 25-15 loss to Nevada-Las Vegas Saturday night dashed whatever hopes that they might be. ’Bows are in trouble;
no relief in sightTake nothing away from the Rebels, who won rather easily. They played as though they wanted the must-win game for both teams far more than did the Rainbows.
The loss for the football 'Bows was a sobering one. More so that starting quarterback Tim Carey will be missing in action. He suffered a injury in the shoulder of his throwing arm at a most inopportune time -- with less than three minutes left in a game whose outcome had already been decided.
Also banged up were running back Quincy Jacobs and center Shane Oliveira. So the Rainbows had more than their egos bruised in losing their 17th straight WAC game on the road.
Fortunately, they have a bye this week to heal physically. Mentally, however, they brood over the defeat -- their second in a row after season-opening victories over Minnesota and Cal State Northridge.
Gophers' coach Glenn Mason must be wishing he had a mulligan. He'd probably like a crack at the 'Bows now.
SUDDENLY, after a promising start -- one that matched last year's entire victory output -- Rainbow coach Fred vonAppen finds himself groping for ways to jump-start an offense that has produced only two touchdowns in the last two games.
A football truism: You don't score; you don't win. And the Rainbows ain't scoring.
''One touchdown in two weeks is not going to get it done,'' vonAppen said. He meant two touchdowns in as many weeks. But who's counting?
There's no truth to the rumor that vonAppen had his team kick off to start both the game and the second half -- when is the last time anybody ever heard of that happening? -- in order to keep his offense off the field.
Actually, that Keystone Kops Kaper after the coin toss, which allowed the Rebels to receive both kickoffs, wasn't a factor in the outcome.
A fumble by Jacobs on the Vegas 1 after the Rebels had fumbled away the opening kickoff turned out to be the costliest gaffe. But the second-half kickoff kept the UH defense on the field a lot longer than necessary.
THE 'Bows had played 52 snaps on defense in the first half -- which vonAppen termed ridiculous. So what happens?
The Rebels get the second-half kickoff and run 13 more plays for a field goal and an 18-3 lead against a UH team that had trouble getting so much as a first down.
UNLV made it 25-9 with an 11-play TD drive after the Rainbows drove in for six of their own.
Game, set, match ... without a chance for rally scoring, much to the disappointment of the many Hawaii fans among the crowd of 27,117 -- seventh largest in UNLV history.
After the loss to a very beatable UNLV, a dreadful possibility of finishing 2-10 looms like a deja vu nightmare to UH fans.
An inconsistent offense isn't going to get it done for the rest of the season.
I know, I know. You did some quick math. A 2-10 season would mean that the 'Bows would have to lose 10 straight.
I can't think of anything worse. Maybe losing that many double-downs in black jack. I know that's possible, believe me.
But if the 'Bows continue to squander gimmie-touchdown opportunities as they did against UNLV -- they were on the Rebels' 1- and 2-yard lines and came away with only a field goal to show -- count on that worst-case scenario.
Who would have thought it after their 2-0 start?