The 2026 college football season continues Saturday night when UNLV travels to Honolulu to face Hawaii in an early Mountain West Conference matchup.
Both teams are looking to respond after disappointing Week 0 results. UNLV opened the season with a 27-21 home loss to Memphis, while Hawaii fell 37-27 to Stanford after allowing the Cardinal to pull away late.
UNLV will turn to Auburn transfer Jackson Arnold at quarterback after he threw for a career-best 291 yards and two touchdowns against Memphis. Hawaii, meanwhile, will lean on quarterback Micah Alejado, who entered the season as one of the Mountain West’s top offensive players.
How to Watch UNLV at Hawaii
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, Hawaii
- TV: The CW
- Live Stream: The CW app and website
The matchup will air nationally on The CW. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Hawaii time and 7 p.m. Pacific time.
UNLV Rebels Roster Outlook
Dan Mullen enters his second season as UNLV’s head coach after taking over the program with the Rebels carrying legitimate Mountain West title and College Football Playoff expectations.
Jackson Arnold is the centerpiece of the offense. The former Oklahoma quarterback transferred to UNLV and opened the season with 291 passing yards and two touchdowns against Memphis. He also brings significant Power Four experience to Mullen’s offense.
Running back Jai’Den Thomas is another key player for the Rebels. Thomas recorded 98 total yards in the Memphis loss and will be an important part of UNLV’s effort to establish a stronger ground game.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Roster Outlook
Timmy Chang enters his fifth season as Hawaii’s head coach. The Rainbow Warriors are trying to turn around their fortunes after dropping their Week 0 opener against Stanford.
Micah Alejado is the player to watch at quarterback. The Hawaii signal-caller entered 2026 with expectations of being one of the Mountain West’s top quarterbacks and will have an opportunity to lead the Warriors against a UNLV defense that struggled to slow Memphis.
Hawaii will also look for improvement from its wide receiver group, which has faced depth concerns entering the matchup. On defense, defensive tackles Luther McCoy and Geoffrey Speight Jr. will be important against a UNLV offensive line that surrendered six sacks in the opener.
The teams will meet for the 18th consecutive season, the longest active series streak for Hawaii against any opponent. Hawaii is 13-4 all-time against UNLV in the islands, although the Rebels have won four of the last five meetings overall.
College Football Conference Predictions
Athlon Sports predicts the finishing order for teams in the following conferences:
- ACC
- American
- Big 12
- Big Ten
- Conference USA
- MAC
- Mountain West
- Pac-12
- SEC
- Sun Belt
