Three players to watch for in Hawaii-UNLV’s Week 1 matchup

HONOLULU – It’s time for another edition of the Ninth Island Showdown.

The battle for the Golden Pineapple trophy will take a trip into the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Saturday as the University of Hawai’i hosts UNLV in a critical early-season tilt between Mountain West Conference contenders.

Week 0 was unkind to both squads, seeing the Rainbow Warriors sleepwalk through two-and-a-half quarters before a ferocious fourth quarter comeback fell just short at Stanford while the Rebels took a halftime lead at home over Memphis before giving up the final 13 points of the game.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how both teams will be looking at Week 1 in the islands.

That’s not to say “must-win” means the season will be over for the loser of Saturday’s game, but it certainly would put a dent into the conference championship aspirations for whichever can’t pull out a victory.

UNLV has won three of the four matchups against Hawai’i since Timmy Chang took over in 2022, only falling to the Rainbow Warriors in Chang’s first season at the helm. Last year, the Rebels put a damper on a dream-like season for UH with a momentum-stopping 38-10 thrashing at Allegiant Stadium in late November.

The teams have the earliest meeting in the rivalry’s history this time around. Saturday’s kickoff will be aired on national television with late-afternoon Hawai’i heat or another tropical storm hanging overhead as additional challenges for two dynamic offenses.

So, who will play the biggest roles on Saturday? Who writes their name in Ninth Island Showdown lore forever?

DB Kona Moore

Kona Moore celebrates during a career-best day at Stanford. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Moore made a massive impact in UH’s opener at Stanford, compiling a career-high 14 tackles (10 solo, four assisted) as he started at safety next to Matagi Thompson against the Cardinal. The junior became the first Hawai’i player since Darius Muasau in 2020 to have at least 10 solo tackles in a single game and ranked as PFF’s top run-stopping safety in Week 0.

That type of performance would go a long way again in Week 1 against UNLV, who employs one of the most dynamic running backs in the nation in Jaiden “Jet” Thomas and a dual-threat signal caller in Jackson Arnold. Last season, the Rebels ran for 217 yards while Anthony Colandrea completed 21-of-26 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns in the air, dominating the Rainbow Warrior defense.

After missing that matchup, Moore and a new-look Hawai’i defense will get another shot at Dan Mullen’s high-octane offense. The Rebels put up over 400 yards of offense in the opener against Memphis, getting a good mix of production from both the run and pass.

Hawai’i will be looking to put up a better fight defensively on Saturday, especially after giving up more than 480 yards of their own against Stanford. Look for Moore to be in the middle of the action once again – even if he doesn’t lead the team in tackles this time – as the Rainbow Warriors work to get back on track.

QB Micah Alejado

Hawai’i QB Micah Alejado tosses a pass during Week 0’s game at Stanford. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

By no means was Alejado bad against Stanford in the opening weekend. The sophomore signal caller completed 60% of his passes for 272 yards and a pair of scores, including an incredible cross-body throw to the middle of the field during the ferocious fourth quarter comeback.

But the former Bishop Gorman star has always held himself to a higher standard. He went 39-2 across his four-year high school career, tossing 125 touchdowns to just four interceptions before picking the Rainbow Warriors over the Rebels and many other programs.

That excellence has continued since coming to the islands for his collegiate career. In the four games that Alejado has started for Hawai’i after a loss, the southpaw gunslinger has totaled 1,471 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes and only two interceptions while completing 68.5% of his throws.

The Rainbow Warriors are 4-0 in those contests.

Hawai’i and Alejado hope both of those trends continue against a UNLV program that has controlled the rivalry over the past few seasons. The Rebels took the opportunity to chirp Alejado last year after the 38-10 win against UH, something that also should not go unmentioned heading into the weekend.

If Hawai’i is going to snap a three-game losing streak against UNLV, it’ll largely be because the left arm of Alejado has turned golden once again.

RB DeVon Rice

Hawai’i RB DeVon Rice delivers a stiff arm to a Stanford defender during his two-touchdown day. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Another Las Vegas product, Rice was nice in his Rainbow Warrior debut against Stanford as he led the team in rushing, turned in 60 total yards of offense and added a pair of touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving). A three-star recruit coming out of Bishop Gorman that originally committed to UH before spending his first two seasons in the Big 12 at Kansas State, the dynamic 5-foot-9 back reminded fans why his original commitment brought so much excitement.

Rice could see an even bigger offensive role this weekend after fellow running back Cam Barfield suffered a lower-body injury that held him out of the second half at Stanford. If that’s the case, an encore performance should absolutely be in the cards for the speedy sophomore.

Hawai’i did not get enough push up front in the run game against Stanford and struggled in 2025 against UNLV’s defense to get any rushing attack going. The chance to not play against a Power 4 defensive line should hopefully allow Rice to show off the breakaway speed in space that he displayed throughout training camp, which would bring a big change of pace from last year’s matchup against the Rebels.

His impact could also be felt in the return game if Barfield is unable to go. Either way, if Stanford was any indication – more Rice is a good thing for the Rainbow Warrior offense.

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