Reporters asked him what he thought about the travel plans that left his team 48 hours in Las Vegas before Saturday night's kickoff at Sam Boyd Stadium. His reply was short and to the point.

''No, I don't,'' vonAppen said when asked if he would like to talk about travel arrangements. ''I've done that a long time ago and I stand by what I've said before. Sure, coming to Las Vegas is a distraction, but we've got to learn to live through those types of things.

''This is a tough place to come to play. I think Hawaii also is a tough place to play in, but it's not as tough as this one. But so what? That's the way it is and you have to deal with it.''

Hawaii goes back on the road in two weeks to play an afternoon game at Colorado State, which also has a bye this week. The Rams are coming off a stunning loss to the Falcons of the Air Force Academy.

''They ought to be in a really good mood when we get there,'' vonAppen said, then briefly smiled. ''I'm sure they won't be looking past us.''

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Hawaii was held to fewer than 100 yards rushing for the third time in four games. UNLV limited Hawaii to 98 yards on the ground. The Rainbows came into the game ranked 101st in the nation, averaging 72.3 yards a game.

Through the first two games of the season, Hawaii's defense was first in the WAC in quarterback sacks with 13. The Rainbows have managed only two since.

Freshman running back Charles Tharp appeared to be the savior on the ground in the early going, but in the last two games, he has managed only 20 yards on nine carries.

Fullback Calvin Mims didn't receive his scholarship until a little more than a week ago, but he has made the most of it. In the last two games, Mims has rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries. He also has six receptions for 90 yards.

YOU MAKE THE CALL: For those wondering why Hawaii kicked off at the start of both halves, here is what happened.

UNLV won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. UH team captains Bob Piggot and Conrad Paulo were told if that happened, to make sure they elected to take the football. They didn't.

As a result, Hawaii had to kickoff to open the first and second halves. The two players looked like geniuses after UNLV fumbled on the 11, but that advantage was quickly lost on Quincy Jacobs' fumble going into the Rebels' end zone.

''I guess we're going to have to write it down for our guys the next time we play,'' vonAppen said. ''We told them what to do if UNLV won the toss and elected to defer. But they decided it was best if we kicked off twice. That right there let us know what kind of night it was going to be.''

ROAD WARRIORS --NOT! Hawaii's road woes continue. Dating back to Halloween of 1992, the Rainbows have lost 17 consecutive road league games. The last time they won a WAC encounter away from the island chain was at Texas-El Paso.

Hawaii also has lost seven straight road games. The last time the Rainbows won away from home was at UNLV in 1995.

SACKED UP AND BAGGED: It's little wonder Tim Carey headed back to Hawaii with his right arm in a sling. The Rebels sacked him four times and disrupted his rhythm several others before he left the game for good.In four games, Carey has been sacked 20 times. He has been intercepted five times and thrown one one touchdown pass. Teams have returned two picks for TDs.

INJURY UPDATE: Carey (shoulder) suffered the most serious injury and is out at least three weeks . . . Stephen Gonzales (shoulder) will try to play one more game before seeking medical hardship . . . Dan Robinson (shinsplints) could also seek medical hardship . . . Cornerback Robbie Robinson missed his third game with an ankle sprain

. . . Backup nose guard Tony Tuioti (knee) could be back for Colorado State as will Doug Rosevold (shoulder) . . . Jacobs (shoulder) and cornerback Al Hunter (shoulder) might not be as fortunate.