The Nine Islands (UH & UNLV) CFB 26

[Soapy]

Go Canes.

[djp73]

MICHIGAN

[YaBoyRobRoy]

Hawai‘i Rallies Late to Edge Bowling Green in Arizona Bowl

TUCSON, AZ -- The No. 14 Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors capped their season with a dramatic comeback victory, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat Bowling Green 24–20 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium.

Bowling Green came out swinging early. After Hawai‘i’s Kansei Matsuzawa opened the scoring with a 51-yard field goal, the Falcons answered with a pair of big plays — a 75-yard touchdown strike from Drew Pyne to RJ Garcia II and a 43-yard field goal by Travis Kenner — to grab a 10–3 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter brought more fireworks. Garcia struck again, hauling in a 69-yard bomb from Pyne to push Bowling Green ahead 17–3. Just when momentum seemed to be slipping away, Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado engineered a crucial drive before halftime, punching in a 1-yard touchdown run with no time left on the clock to make it 17–10 at the break.

Both teams traded scores in the third quarter. Kenner’s 22-yard field goal extended the Falcons’ lead, but Alejado responded with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Karsyn Pupunu, cutting the deficit to 20–17 entering the fourth.

The decisive moment came early in the final frame. Alejado connected with Oakie Salave‘a on a 45-yard touchdown pass, giving Hawai‘i its first lead of the night at 24–20 with 11:44 to play. From there, the Rainbow Warriors’ defense took over, sacking Pyne multiple times and forcing a turnover on downs in the closing minutes to seal the win.

Alejado finished with two touchdown passes and a rushing score, while Matsuzawa’s long field goal set the tone in the first quarter. Garcia was electric for Bowling Green with two long touchdown receptions, but the Falcons’ offense stalled late under relentless pressure from Hawai‘i’s front seven.

With the victory, Hawai‘i improves to 12–2 on the season, closing out 2025 with a statement win and plenty of momentum heading into the offseason.

[redsox907]

closer than I thought it would be but still a solid 1st season on the island

[The JZA]

Definitely a close game for a top 15 team, but dub's a dub, good shit

[YaBoyRobRoy]

closer than I thought it would be but still a solid 1st season on the island

Definitely a close game for a top 15 team, but dub's a dub, good shit

thanks fellas, we will come back in full force next season, but i'm not excited for that portal lol.

[YaBoyRobRoy]

No. 23 UNLV Holds Off Wake Forest to Capture LA Bowl

INGLEWOOD, CA -- UNLV capped off its successful season in fitting fashion, building an early lead and holding on late to secure a 21–14 victory over Wake Forest in the LA Bowl on Saturday night at SoFi Stadium.

Despite not having quarterback Alex Orji, who opted out of the bowl game, the 23rd-ranked Rebels wasted no time striking first. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea connected with tight end Var’keyes Gumms for a 6-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, putting UNLV up 7–0.

Wake Forest answered early in the second, as Robby Ashford found Carlos Hernandez on a 33-yard strike to even the score. But the Rebels controlled the rest of the half. Running back Keyvone Lee powered in from 2 yards out midway through the quarter, and Colandrea tossed his second touchdown of the half — a 4-yard pass to Troy Omeire with just five seconds left before halftime. That late score pushed UNLV’s lead to 21–7 at the break.

The Rebel defense made sure it held. Despite several second-half drives stalling, UNLV’s defense repeatedly turned Wake Forest away until the fourth quarter, when Demond Claiborne punched in a 1-yard run to trim the deficit to 21–14 with 11:58 remaining.

From there, the game turned into a grind. Wake Forest’s defense forced stops, but the Rebels’ secondary and front seven responded with key plays and turnovers to preserve the lead. A potential game-tying drive for the Demon Deacons came up short in the red zone when cornerback Denver Harris knocked away a pass on 4th down, sealing the win for UNLV.

With the victory, UNLV closes its season at 10–3 and adds a statement bowl win to its résumé. For a program that only a few years ago was fighting for relevance, Saturday night in Los Angeles was another reminder of how far the Rebels have come — and how BIG things are on the horizon.

[redsox907]

two close bowls wins caps a solid 1st season. May lose some guys to the portal - but hopefully you can replace them pretty quickly

[Soapy]

dub for both programs to end the season, can't be mad at it

[RoyalTy]

Nice ways to end the season, Hawaii with the rebound and UNLV with the momentum going into next season.

I've seen this playoffs produce crazy results, I'll go Oklahoma over Michigan in the Natty