The Nevada football team’s game at Hawaii on Saturday night started at 9 p.m. Pacific Time, and the Wolf Pack sleepwalked through the first half. The second half wasn’t much better.

Outgunned by offense, defense and special teams, Nevada trailed 17-0 at intermission and could not recover in Hawaii’s wire-to-wire 34-31 win, ending Timmy Chang’s dominance over the Wolf Pack was continued.

Chang, who was an assistant at Nevada from 2017 to 2021, moved to 3-0 against the Wolf Pack since becoming Hawaii’s head coach in 2022. He is just 4-23 against all other non-Nevada FBS programs during that tenure.

Nevada was dominated by a much more physical Hawaii team that had its way with the Wolf Pack, who got a big play early in the second half but never really threatened Hawaii before succumbing to penalties, injuries and ultimately a much better Rainbow Warriors- team. It was Nevada’s most discouraging game of the season, as Hawaii went 0-5 against FBS opponents this season while scoring just 13.4 points per game, never more than 24, in those games.

But Hawaii’s offense was nearly unstoppable against Nevada on Saturday night, allowing Rainbow Warriors quarterback Brayden Schager to run for four touchdowns, including two 1-yard tush pushes, a 3-yarder that led to an endzone melee and five unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and a 6-yarder that led to a melee in the end zone and five unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and a 6-yard touchdown. Schager had just four rushing touchdowns in his first 38 college games.

Schager completed 14 of 25 passes for 153 yards and one interception, a first-half pick from Michael Coats Jr., who had his fourth interception of the season. But Hawaii got its ground game going early, rushing for 132 yards before the break and 242 total, including a career-high 120 from Schager. The Rainbow Warriors came into the game averaging just 84 rushing yards per game, but for the third straight season, Hawaii defeated Nevada with its physical play, leading to numerous injuries.

Hawaii defeated Nevada 34-17 in 2022 for Chang’s first win over an FBS opponent, and added a 31-16 victory over the Wolf Pack in Reno in 2023, which remains Chang’s only road victory as Rainbow Warriors head coach. The dominance continued Saturday, with Hawaii jumping out to a 17-point halftime lead and Nevada imploding in the second half despite a rushing touchdown after the break.

Chubba Purdy got his first start at quarterback for Nevada after Brendon Lewis went undrafted after being unable to finish last week’s game. On the second play of the second half, Purdy took advantage of a blown coverage as he hit Marcus Bellon on a 63-yard touchdown pass to pull Nevada within 17-10. The Wolf Pack then forced a punt, but Nevada couldn’t capitalize. Hawaii answered with back-to-back touchdowns sandwiched around Nevada and failed to convert a fourth down at its own 28-yard line when Purdy was stopped for no gain on a quarterback keeper. Schager’s fourth rushing score came four plays later for a 31-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Maui native AJ Bianco, who played a pair of series while in and out for Purdy, sparked a touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter in his homecoming game in Hawaii, connecting on a 10-yard touchdown pass with Bellon. Nevada recovered the ensuing onside kick. But it was too little too late when Cortez Braham Jr. fumbled inside Hawaii’s 20-yard line on the next drive with less than six minutes left in the Rainbow Warriors’ decisive play.

Purdy completed 13 of 18 passes for 155 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He had eight carries for 41 yards in his first extended playing time for the Wolf Pack after two years each at Florida State and Nebraska. Bianco was 13 of 21 for 131 yards and a score, adding six carries over seven years. Nevada’s ground game was held under 100 yards for the second straight game with 29 carries for 94 yards.

Nevada moved into Hawaii territory on all three drives in the first half but could not score on any of them, failing two fourth-down conversions and Matthew Killam missing a 46-yard field goal. Hawaii didn’t have much of a problem finishing drives, going 6-for-6 on red zone opportunities with four touchdowns and a pair of short field goals. Hawaii had a 395-380 edge in total yards.

After improving on the penalty kill in recent games, Nevada returned to early season form in that area on Saturday. The Wolf Pack was called for several unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, marking 12 times for 108 yards, with many penalties waived or offset by Hawaiian flags.

Adding insult to injury, Nevada took a beating during the game. Already playing without Lewis, the Wolf Pack got just one carry ahead of Savion Red, who suffered a toe injury on Nevada’s second possession. DE Kaden Johnson also suffered a serious knee injury, while DL Kristopher Ross was checked for an ankle injury and TE Andrew Savaiinaea dislocated his shoulder. Bianco, Braham and DT Thomas Witte all left with ailments at points in the match. Additionally, Chad Brown was called for helmet-to-helmet targeting in the second half, forcing him out of the first half of Nevada’s game next Saturday at Colorado State.

The Wolf Pack fell to 3-6 overall, nearly ending its bowl aspirations. Nevada also fell to 0-3 in Mountain West play, making it one of two teams in the conference without a league win (Air Force is 0-4 in the MW). After suffering its second most lopsided loss of the season — Nevada lost to Minnesota 27-0 — the Wolf Pack looks to bounce back next Saturday against Colorado State and its former head coach Jay Norvell, whose Rams are 5-3 overall and 3-0 are. in the MW, one of three undefeated teams in the league. Colorado State is one win away from its first bowl berth since 2017.