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It was a homecoming trip thousands of miles away from Reno, Nev., for the Nevada Wolf Pack. With the late Marc Ma on their minds all game, Pack players played inspired for their former teammate and routed Hawaii 40-22 on Saturday night. Read more

It was a homecoming trip thousands of miles away from Reno, Nev., for the Nevada Wolf Pack.

With the late Marc Ma on their minds all game, Pack players played inspired for their former teammate and routed Hawaii 40-22 on Saturday night.

“We talked to him. We just told him, ‘Play through us,’ ” said defensive tackle Korey Rush, who sacked Cole McDonald three times in the first half. “And I think he did. And I think that’s why we were able to do what we did.”

Toa Taua, the 2018 Polynesian Bowl MVP, rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, Devonte Lee added two scores on the ground and quarterback Ty Gangi was efficient in the Air Raid offense with 21-for-29 accuracy for 247 yards.

But for the Pack, it was all about Ma, an ‘Iolani graduate who died in June 2016 when he went paddleboarding with friends on Lake Tahoe, and wind and waves picked up drastically and unexpectedly.

Coach Jay Norvell emerged from the Aloha Stadium visitors locker room postgame with a football tucked firmly under his arm. He announced that the team would present Ma’s family with the game ball in his honor and memory.

“This is something special that our team wanted to give to the Ma family. So we’ll make sure they get that,” he said.

“(That) means everything to me,” said senior offensive lineman Kalei Meyer, a Kamehameha graduate who came into the Pack program at the same time as Ma in 2015. “This game was for Marc. That’s how he would’ve wanted to go out, with that homecoming win. And I’m just glad to be able to bring that.”

Nevada (4-4, 2-2 Mountain West) was coming off consecutive home losses to Fresno State and Boise State, so this road win was crucial to their chances of making a bowl game. But that aspect of things seemed distant, secondary.

A moment of silence was held pregame for Ma, who would have been a senior this season had he remained with the Wolf Pack.

For teammates who knew him, there was little doubt in their minds that he would’ve been here — and made a considerable impact.

“Fantastic human being. Gritty,” Rush said. “Without a doubt he’d still be on our team and still contribute. And just everybody’s favorite teammate. Once again, it’s not lip service. He was one of our favorite guys on the team, and he was my brother.”

Meyer did not know Ma personally during their Hawaii high school battles, but the two bonded in Reno over a shared love of all-you-can-eat sushi and late-night Madden sessions.

“I stressed to the guys that Marc would have been here too and it was a really important game,” Meyer said. “He was a really big competitor. He competed in everything he did. He was a guy who would out-perform you. He just worked hard. He gave everything for his teammates, you know. So I just stressed … we had to come together and get this win.”

UH beat Nevada 38-17 when the Pack visited in 2016, a scant few months after Ma’s death. The contrast in outcome was punctuated by the singing of “The Pack Goes Marching In” echoing from the locker room.