Two fumbles, a low snap on a punt and a punt-catch interference penalty led to 20 points for UNLV in its 33-22 win last night against the Warriors, who finished 0-2 during its nine-day road trip. In all, the Warriors turned over the ball six times against the Rebels, three by fumbles and three by interceptions.

A Sam Boyd Stadium crowd of 34,287 — the third-largest for a UNLV football game — saw the Rebels improve to 3-1 and watched UH fall to 1-2. It is the first time Hawai'i has been under .500 since Sept. 29, 2001, when it also was 1-2 to start that season.

"It's always frustrating with a loss, especially going home 1-2, 0-2 on the road," UH receiver Jeremiah Cockheran said. "We just have to bounce back. We're a strong team."

Hawai'i coach June Jones was upset at the turnovers and some of the 12 penalties totaling 129 yards, such as:

• Long snapper Tanuvasa Moe's punt-catch interference penalty when he crashed into returner Tremayne Kirkland. It gave UNLV possession at the UH 27. That play led to Dillon Pieffer's 43-yard field goal, his fourth of the game and a career-high.

• A personal-foul penalty against the offense after a 12-yard pass play from Tim Chang to Cockheran in the first quarter.

"I have no explanation why we're so undisciplined," Jones said. "We're not doing a good enough job and I'm not doing a good enough job and the players aren't either. If they want to keep losing, they just have to play stupid like that. We had three selfish penalties in the first half (that) are ridiculous. We gave 'em scores with the turnovers. We get what we deserve."

In the first quarter, Moe's low snap in punt formation from UH's 20 was fielded on one hop by punter Kurt Milne, who was downed at the UH 12. Four plays later, UNLV was up 7-0 on running back Dyante Perkins' 1-yard run off left tackle.

"I don't look back (after I snap the ball)," Moe said. "So I don't know what happened. It just wasn't there. The bottom line is I just gotta get it done."

The Warriors evened the score later in the quarter when they put together a nine-play, 86-yard drive that ended with Britton Komine hauling in a 38-yard pass from Chang. Komine got behind UNLV defensive backs Jamaal Brimmer and Will Tagoai, who collided on the play.

The Warriors then went ahead early in the second quarter when they went 92 yards on seven plays with Chang hitting Chad Owens in the back of the end zone to make it 14-7 with 9:53 before the half.

Then came the turnovers.

Midway through the second quarter, running back Michael Brewster was stripped of the ball by Brimmer, as cornerback Rushard Dodd-Masters returned the ball to the UH 16. Three plays later, Perkins scored his second TD on a 4-yard run to tie the game at 14.

The Warriors lost the ball again on their next series when Komine fumbled after he was hit by Dodd-Masters and linebacker John Andrews recovered at the UNLV 48. Although the Rebels didn't score, Gary Cook's 48-yard punt pinned UH at its 8. The Warriors punted from their 14, giving UNLV possession at its 43. After a 21-yard pass play, running back Dominique Dorsey scooted 36 yards with 1:46 left in the half to make it 21-7.

Dodd-Masters wasn't through as he forced West Keliikipi to fumble with Andrews recovering at the UH 27. Three plays later, Pieffer drilled a 20-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in the half to make it 24-14.

The second half was equally frustrating for the Warriors, whose defense stiffened, allowing three field goals in the third quarter, the only points the Rebels would get in the second half. The last field goal was on Moe's penalty.

"I just saw the guy running at me and I didn't want to get out of the way and he catches it and runs up the rest of the field," Moe said. "I thought he was going to get the ball, but he didn't."

Pieffer's 39-yard field goal on UNLV's opening drive of the half made it 27-14.

The Warriors pulled together an 11-play, 89-yard drive capped by Se'e Poumele's quarterback draw on first-and-goal at the UNLV 7.

The Warriors might have thought their luck had changed when Justin Ayat's PAT was blocked, only to have holder Jason Whieldon catch the deflection and run in for the two-point conversion to pull UH to 27-22.

But Pieffer added a career-best 49-yard field goal and a 43-yarder to make it 33-22.

"I thought the defense really played well in the second half," Jones said. "We gave 'em field position in bad areas and the defense was making 'em kick field goals. Our defense rallied up; we just didn't get the job done."

The defense came up with its only turnover of the game when Isaac Sopoaga deflected quarterback Kurt Nantkes' pass and Lui Fuga intercepted the ball at the UNLV 21. But after a 4-yard gain by Bass on first down, Chang had two incompletions to Komine. Then Ayat missed a 34-yard field goal attempt that went wide left.

"We get a touch right there, it could've changed everything," Jones said. "It could've changed the momentum. We didn't execute; it's something we do all the time, throw the ball, catch the ball and we didn't do either one."