Marcus Arroyo, UNLV look for first win in season finale

UNLV has traveled a bumpy road but has arrived at the final stop.

The Rebels are 0-5 in Marcus Arroyo’s first season as coach and have had two of their past three games canceled because of COVID-19 concerns within the program.

That has taken an already shortened season from eight games to six. But assuming the program avoids any more coronavirus issues, Arroyo will get one more chance for his first victory when the Rebels play at Hawaii on Saturday in the Ninth Island Showdown. UNLV is getting more players back, and Hawaii has yet to have a game canceled.

“Just being out there having an opportunity to practice with my teammates and my brothers, I’m grateful for it,” UNLV senior running back Charles Williams said. “It’s difficult to say this is the last game. Usually you get 12, but you’ve got to go out there and enjoy the last game, have fun and try to win.”

UNLV and Hawaii have played for the Island Showdown Trophy since 2017. The Rebels won it the first year, but the Rainbow Warriors took it away in 2018 and kept it last year with a 21-7 victory.

The trophy includes a pineapple and variation of the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. Las Vegas has been called the ninth island for its popularity with Hawaiian visitors and transplants.

“It’s just another trophy you can try to collect,” Williams said. “But we’ve got to earn that. It’s not going to be given to us.”

Arroyo said several players who haven’t played since the San Jose State game Nov. 14, including offensive lineman Clayton Bradley and some defensive backs, should return for the game.

That figures to bolster a roster that has been thin for most of the season, and Arroyo said it has paid off in practice.

“The difference of the two (cancellations) is the first time we had a bunch of guys out so we could barely even get together and do individual drills and walk-throughs,” Arroyo said. “We had most of our guys back for this one, so we could do a little more. They were two different weekends for us in that we could get more done this week.”

As if following COVID-19 protocols isn’t enough to consume a team’s attention, players also have finals this week, and Arroyo calls academic integrity “the first pillar of our program.”

UNLV also faces what Arroyo referred to as “the Hawaii thing.” He said he has made the trip as a player and coach, and that it brings distractions that other places don’t. He added that he has asked other coaches for advice on how to handle the trip.

“Many teams struggle over there,” Arroyo said. “So we embrace that challenge. Our guys have worked their tails off during the pandemic, and our goal is to give them another good plan and an opportunity to finish strong.”

The Rebels won’t be in Hawaii for long. They will get there Friday afternoon, play Saturday night and leave after the game. They hope that will limit any distractions.

“We look at it like a business trip,” UNLV sophomore defensive end Jacoby Windmon said. “That’s how we look at every game. In football, you have times when you can have fun and times when you need to grind. (This week), you have to grind.”

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2936. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.