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Hawaii had a remarkable 2007 campaign but couldn't duplicate that success in the two years since coach June Jones' departure.
While the No. 25 Warriors aren't heading to a BCS bowl this year, they are poised to accomplish another feat for the first time since that memorable season.
Already ranked for the first time since 2007 and having clinched a share of its first conference title in three years, Hawaii can reach 10 wins for the sixth time in school history by beating UNLV at home on Saturday night.
In the last of his nine seasons with the program, Jones led the Warriors to a school-record 12 wins and its first BCS bowl game. However, he left for SMU following a 41-10 loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and Hawaii went 13-14 in its first two seasons under Greg McMackin.
Last weekend, McMackin's Warriors (9-3) celebrated their fourth WAC title in school history and first since 2007 behind Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan.
While that team relied on the program's usual high-powered passing attack, Hawaii has a more balanced approach this season. The Warriors still have the nation's top passer in junior Bryant Moniz (4,249 yards) but also their first 1,000-yard rusher in 18 years.
Alex Green reached 1,032 yards thanks to a school-record 327 on 19 carries in last week's 59-24 rout of New Mexico State. That win, along with Boise State's 34-31 overtime loss at Nevada, gave the Warriors a share of the WAC title.
In Hawaii's previous home game Nov. 20, Moniz threw for a school-record 560 yards in a win over San Jose State.
"I think people are getting respect for us," McMackin said. "I think people are starting to realize we've done all this, and we traveled 35,000 miles. It's not like some schools that get on a bus ... These guys have really sacrificed."
McMackin's team enters this game having won five in a row at Aloha Stadium, where it will also play a bowl game Dec. 24, since a season-opening loss to Southern California.
The Rebels (2-10), meanwhile, have dropped eight straight on the road dating back to last October. They've lost their six away games this season by a combined 263-58, including last week's 48-14 loss to San Diego State.
Another road defeat Saturday would give them 11 losses for the third time in school history. UNLV finished 0-11 in 1998 and 1-11 in 1996.
The Rebels, though, beat Hawaii 34-33 last season when Omar Clayton threw a 15-yard pass to Phillip Payne with 36 seconds left.
Payne leads UNLV this season with 605 yards on 34 catches, while Hawaii receiver Greg Salas is closing in on a pair of single-season school records.
Salas needs eight receptions to top Davone Bess' 108 in 2007, and he's also 132 yards shy of matching Ashley Lelie's 1,713 yards from 2001.
Salas had six catches for 104 yards in last season's loss to the Rebels, while Kealoha Pilares made 13 receptions for 146 yards. Pilares has 1,149 yards this season and had a career-best 18 catches for 217 in a win over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 2.
Pilares will try to lead his team to its 13th win in 20 meetings with UNLV. The teams are set to play six more times over the next seven seasons.
