RENO, Nev. — "We'll see you when you come home for Christmas," Willie Cox of California yelled to his son, running back Mario Cox, before the University of Hawai'i football team's buses rumbled out of darkened Mackay Stadium last night.

Unfortunately, that also about sums it up for all the Warriors who, for the first time in four years, will have their holiday calendars free after a numbing 38-28 loss to Nevada.

Turn out the lights on the postseason and lay in some egg nog to drown the disappointment.

The loss to the Wolf Pack not only sealed the Warriors' bowl fate, it underlined a season of sour endings to date.

Come Dec. 24, there should be no wonder about why somebody else — Nevada, for example? — will be playing in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl for the first time instead of the hometown Warriors.

At 3-6 (3-4 Western Athletic Conference) with three games remaining and no chance for a winning season, the Warriors' last chance at bowl eligibility slipped through their hands like, well, so many other things did yesterday.

A familiar refrain this season, to be sure, after Boise State and Fresno State losses. Just a different verse in a different place.

This time it was more than just two turnovers, a dropped pass at the Nevada 10-yard line and a costly special teams penalty. It was also the way Nevada broke big plays in situations where the UH defense had the upper hand. Or, should have.

Just when it seemed like the Warriors' defense had the Wolf Pack right where it wanted it, pinned back on third down — and even one fourth — and-long circumstances, it turned out to be quite the opposite.

Nevada made good on 10 of 18 third-down opportunities and its only fourth down try.

"We couldn't make a play when we needed to," mourned June Jones, UH head coach.

Nevada could — and did. Six times on third-and-7 or longer, Nevada hit bingo. Three times on third or fourth down and 10 yards or more Nevada rolled the right numbers.

Most galling was a fourth-and-11 at the UH 30-yard line where Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe found Anthony Pudewell for 27 yards to set up what became a 27-yard field goal cutting what had been a 14-7 UH lead to 14-10.

A third-and-8 conversion, a third-and-15, third-and-7 and third-and-10 and, poof, it was 38-21 Nevada halfway through the fourth quarter.

And the Wolf Pack, unlike UH, wasn't giving anything back. Rather, it proceeded to pound UH with its running game, staying on the ground for the last 18 plays and an exclamation point.

As Rowe would put it later, he was able to look in the eyes of the Wolf Pack's offensive line and know the issue was no longer in doubt when Nevada took over with 6 minutes, 46 seconds left.

That's a confident finality and a solid attention to detail this young offense in particular, and rebuilding team in general, hasn't been able to match.

Meanwhile, Nevada wide receiver and Kamehameha Schools graduate Caleb Spencer, who caught two touchdowns, said he's been "praying about" the Wolf Pack getting a chance to play in the Hawai'i Bowl.

"It would be great to have a Christmas (Eve) bowl game to play in at home," Spencer said.

Once upon a not-so-distant time, UH used to say the same thing.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.