Tag: UNLV Rebels

Mountain West Championship Preview: UNLV-Boise State, The Trilogy

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mountain West Championship
UNLV (10-2, 6-2) at Boise State (8-4, 6-2)
Friday, 8 p.m. ET (Las Vegas)

UNLV and Boise State will meet for the Mountain West title for the third consecutive season, thanks to a composite average of four nationally recognized metrics used to settle a four-way, first-place tie with San Diego State and New Mexico.

The Broncos, who won this game last year, 21-7, in Boise and 44-20 in 2023 in Las Vegas, lead the series, 12-3. Boise State has won 10 in a row against the Rebels dating back to 1976. It’s the fifth time in 25 months the two teams have played. Boise State scored 28 consecutive points to start the second half en route to a 56-31 victory on Oct. 18 in their last matchup to improve to 7-0 all-time against the Rebels on their blue home turf.

After losing back-to-back games to the Broncos and visiting New Mexico, the Rebels and first-year head coach Dan Mullen rallied to close out the season with four straight wins over Colorado State, Utah State in double overtime, Hawaii and Nevada to hit 10 wins. It marked the first time in school history the Rebels registered double figures in victories in back-to-back seasons.

Boise State, meanwhile, rebounded from back-to-back losses to Fresno State and at San Diego State to close with wins over Colorado State and at Utah State, the latter by a 25-24 score when Dylan Riley scored on a six-yard touchdown run with 2:26 remaining. Redshirt sophomore Max Cutforth, filling in for injured starter Maddux Madsen, threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns in the win and garnered Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors.

–Players to Know:
UNLV
QB Anthony Colandrea — The junior dual-threat transfer from Virginia was named conference Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, the first Rebel to earn that honor since Hall of Famer Randall Cunningham did it in both 1983 and 1984 in the Big West Conference. Led the conference in passing yards (3,050), touchdown passes (22) and total offense (300.42 ypg).

RB Jai’Den Thomas — Explosive runner who led the nation in yards per carry (7.43) while rushing for 944 yards and 12 touchdowns.

DB Aamaris Brown — The transfer from South Florida set a school record with interceptions in four consecutive games, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

BOISE STATE
QB Maddux Madsen — Boise State coach Spencer Danielson announced Monday that Madsen would be back in the starting lineup after missing the final three games of the season with a lower-leg injury suffered in the first quarter of a 30-7 loss at Fresno State. Threw for 1,994 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games, including 253 yards and four TDs in the Oct. 18 win over UNLV.

RB Dylan Riley — Earned second team all-Mountain West honors after rushing for 1,016 yards on 164 carries (6.2 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. Rushed for a season-high 201 yards and one TD on 15 carries in the first meeting with UNLV.

OT Kage Casey — The 6-foot-5, 316-pound junior is a two-time first team all-Mountain West pick and anchors the top offensive line in the league. Has made 40 consecutive starts at left tackle and is considered a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

-Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Kansas Jayhawks defensive tackle Tommy Dunn Jr. (92) pursues Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Kansas bids to limit miscues in encounter in visit from high-octane UNLV

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After getting bounced from the AP Top 25 poll, Kansas aims to get back on the winning track Friday against UNLV in Kansas City, Kan.

The Jayhawks (1-1) and Rebels (2-0) find themselves in the “others receiving votes” category of the Associated Press poll this week. Kansas garnered 22 votes on the heels its 23-17 loss to Illinois, while UNLV picked up seven after its 72-14 thrashing of Utah Tech.

“They’re playing extremely confident and feel they should be a Top 25 team, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re ready and hitting on all cylinders as well,” Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said.

Kansas wasn’t hitting on all cylinders in last Saturday’s loss, turning the ball over four times, with three interceptions by quarterback Jalon Daniels. One of the interceptions was returned 30 yards for a touchdown by Xavier Scott just before halftime.

“We only punted twice but if you don’t win the turnover battle your chances of winning really go down,” Leipold said. “That was part of it.”

Kansas actually finished with a 327-271 edge in total yards and rushed for 186 yards. Devin Neal recorded his second 100-yard rushing game to open the season, finishing with 101 yards on 14 carries, while Luke Grimm highlighted his nine-catch performance with a 3-yard touchdown reception.

UNLV, which opened the season with an impressive 27-7 win at Houston, followed that up with the blowout victory over FCS Utah Tech. The Rebels finished with a team-record 694 yards in total offense, including 503 on the ground, and their 72 points were the second most in a game in school history.

Quarterback Matthew Sluka, a transfer from Holy Cross, had nine carries for 70 yards and a score and also completed 8-of-17 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns, all of them to All-American wide receiver Ricky White. White also blocked a punt in the contest.

UNLV is 2-0 for the first time since 1999. The Rebels also will be out to avenge an 49-36 loss to the Jayhawks last December in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix.

“The whole country will get to watch us,” White said of the nationally televised contest on ESPN. “That’s going to be exciting being on the national stage.”

–Field Level Media

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

UNLV looking to spoil Willie Fritz’s Houston debut

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The Willie Fritz era kicks off Saturday night when Houston hosts Mountain West contender UNLV.

Fritz, 64, takes over for Dana Holgorsen, who was fired after going 4-8 in Houston’s first season in the Big 12. Fritz was a two-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (2022, 2023) at Tulane after leading the Green Wave to back-to-back AAC titles and a wild 46-45 victory over Caleb Williams-led Southern California in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.

“I’m very excited,” Fritz said. “I tell our guys, most of the players and most of the coaches probably work 350 days of the year for these 12 opportunities, and one of them is going to be Saturday. You want to take advantage of every single minute of preparation.”

Fritz inherits just six returning starters, including quarterback Donovan Smith. Fritz used the transfer portal to help repair a defense that ranked 112th nationally (allowing 423.9 yards per game) and brought defensive end Keith Cooper Jr. and safety Kentrell Webb along with him from Tulane.

Smith, who completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, had shoulder surgery in the offseason but practiced with no limitations in fall camp.

“He’s 100 percent,” Fritz said. “We tried to put him on a pitch-count. He’s a competitor. He didn’t want us to do that. We treated him like anybody else. His surgery was very successful and he’s doing everything we’re asking of him and more.”

UNLV was picked to finish second in the Mountain West preseason poll behind Boise State after a 9-5 season that ended with three straight defeats, including 49-36 to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Fourteen starters return, including preseason All-American receiver Ricky White III, but quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, transferred to USC.

Rebels coach Barry Odom was coy about his new starting QB, listing Hajj-Malik Williams, a sixth-year transfer from Campbell, Holy Cross transfer Matthew Sluka and returning senior Cameron Friel as co-starters on this week’s depth chart.

“We’ve talked very openly about it with all three of those guys, what the rotation will look like,” Odom, the reigning Mountain West Coach of the Year, said. “I’ve said a number of times in here and to our team: ‘Everyone on the roster, if you’re in a position to play winning ball, you’re a snap away from being quote, unquote, starter.’ So they all know where we’re at going in.”

This is the fourth meeting between the schools with Houston holding a 3-0 series edge.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Devin Neal (4) runs the ball against Kansas State Wildcats safety Marques Sigle (21) during the first half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas, UNLV seek elusive bowl win at Guaranteed Rate Bowl

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Two schools that aren’t frequently playing in late December will duel for their first bowl win in 15 or 23 years, respectively, when Kansas battles UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

The Jayhawks haven’t won a bowl game since routing Minnesota 42-21 in the 2008 Insight Bowl, while UNLV was last victorious when it soundly beat Arkansas 31-14 in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl.

This is the Rebels’ first bowl appearance since the 2013 season and just the fifth overall, while Kansas is playing in a bowl game in consecutive seasons for just the second time in program history.

Considering UNLV (9-4) was mired in nine straight losing campaigns before its breakout campaign this season, first-year coach Barry Odom is glad to see the dubious streak end.

“You need to celebrate it,” Odom said of making a bowl game. “There’s reasons that this team has earned these opportunities, and it will be a great experience for them.”

Kansas (8-4) also made consecutive bowl appearances in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The first of those was a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

The Jayhawks had aspirations of an upper-end bowl this season when they were 7-2, but back-to-back home losses to Big 12 opponents Texas Tech and Kansas State derailed that possibility. Kansas finished the regular season with a 49-16 romp at Cincinnati on Nov. 25.

Jayhawks star running back Devin Neal topped 100 rushing yards in each of those three games while scoring six touchdowns. Overall, he rushed for 15 touchdowns and added a receiving score.

Neal’s 1,209 rushing yards are the fourth most in a season in Kansas history. He also ranks fifth on the career ledger with 3,006 yards.

Though Neal is positioned to become the school’s all-time leading rusher next season, the second-team All-Big 12 selection is deliberating about declaring for the NFL draft. As of Thursday, he hasn’t announced a decision or opted out of the bowl game.

“It’s definitely unique weighing all the options,” Neal said recently. “I haven’t made any decision either way, so just talking with different coaches, talking with my family, just praying about it. Honestly, it’s really hard.

“So, I have everything here, too. So, that’s one thing that’s really important to me. And I’m super excited about this month.”

The Jayhawks also feature a strong player on the other side of the ball in defensive tackle Austin Booker, who has eight sacks and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

The Kansas defense has certainly been alerted to the talents of UNLV receiver Ricky White, who has set the single-season school record with 1,386 receiving yards. White has seven scoring receptions among 81 catches.

Helping matters was the play of quarterback Jayden Maiava, who passed for 2,794 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions and was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year.

“Once they settled in with their young quarterback, who had an outstanding year, they’re a dangerous team and we’ve got to be ready,” Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said.

UNLV also is strong on special teams with Lou Groza Award finalist kicker Lou Pizano (25 of 27 field goals) — the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the year — and returner Jacob De Jesus (26.3 on kickoff returns, 16.1 on punt returns).

The Jayhawks were part of a thriller last season when they rallied from a 25-point deficit in the Liberty Bowl before eventually falling 55-53 in triple-overtime to Arkansas.

UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard, the team’s leading tackler with 113 stops, was a member of the Razorbacks last season before transferring to UNLV.

“It’s going to be a big game,” Woodard said of facing the Jayhawks. “It’s a big opponent. This team is ready. This is going to be a fun game. We’re looking forward to it.”

This is the third all-time meeting between Kansas and UNLV. The teams split a home-and-home in 2002-03 with the Rebels winning on their field the first year and the Jayhawks returning the favor the next season.

UNLV has a 3-1 bowl record, while Kansas is 6-7.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Kechaun Bennett (52) celebrates running back Blake Corum s (2) touchdown during the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 Michigan grabs big lead, cruises past UNLV

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Blake Corum rushed for three touchdowns and J.J. McCarthy tossed two touchdown passes to help No. 2 Michigan rout UNLV 35-7 on Saturday afternoon in a nonconference game at Ann Arbor, Mich.

McCarthy threw two touchdown passes to Roman Wilson, who has caught five in two games. McCarthy completed 22 of 25 passes for 278 yards while recording the second-highest completion percentage (88.0) in school history.

It was the second straight game in which McCarthy (86.7 percent versus East Carolina in the opener) threatened the school mark of 90.9 held by Elvis Grbac, who completed 20 of 22 passes against Notre Dame on Sept. 14, 1991.

Corum rushed for 80 yards on 15 carries before exiting. Wilson had 89 yards on four receptions and Cornelius Johnson had 82 yards on five catches for the Wolverines (2-0).

Doug Brumfield completed 10 of 19 passes for 100 yards for the Rebels (1-1). Jordan Younge-Humphrey scored on a 20-yard run for UNLV, which had just 61 rushing yards on 31 attempts.

The Wolverines outgained the Rebels 492 to 229.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh served the second of a three-game suspension for NCAA violations.

Special teams coach Jay Harbaugh, son of Jim, was the head coach for the first half. Running backs coach Mike Hart ran the team in the second half.

The Wolverines moved 80 yards on nine plays for their first score with Corum running the ball the final 3 yards with 7:06 left in the first quarter.

Corum tacked on a 2-yard scoring run on the first play of the second period to give Michigan a 14-0 lead. With 24 seconds left, McCarthy threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Wilson for a 21-point halftime lead.

McCarthy completed 17 of 18 passes for 188 yards in the half with the lone incompletion being a throwaway. The Wolverines had a 280-42 edge in total yardage and recorded five first-half sacks during Jay Harbaugh’s half in charge.

McCarthy and Wilson hooked up again early in Hart’s time at the helm. The duo teamed up on a 47-yard catch-and-run to make it 28-0 with 10:31 left in the third quarter. Corum tacked on a 5-yard scoring run with 3:16 left to make it a 35-point margin.

Younge-Humphrey’s scoring run with 2:43 left in the game prevented UNLV from being shut out.

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Logan Diggs (3) gestures after a first down in the second quarter against the UNLV Rebels at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Consecutive blocked punts help Notre Dame to easy win

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Defensive end Isaiah Foskey blocked two punts in a two-minute span of the first quarter to set up two scores and spark Notre Dame’s 44-21 victory over UNLV on a warm Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

Foskey also registered three sacks as the Fighting Irish (4-3) salved the sting of the previous week’s home loss to Stanford with a well-rounded victory.

Drew Pyne threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns, Logan Diggs rushed for a career-high 130 yards in his first 100-yard rushing game and tight end Michael Mayer caught six passes for 115 yards and a score.

For UNLV (4-4), which played without starting quarterback Doug Brumfield (concussion) and top running back Aidan Robbins (knee), senior Courtney Reese rushed for a career-high 142 yards and Jordan Younge-Humphrey plunged for two touchdowns as the Rebels rotated Cameron Friel and Harrison Bailey at quarterback.

UNLV went 0-for-12 on third-down conversions against Notre Dame’s defense, while the Irish offense was 9-for-17 on third downs.

After managing just 14 points against Stanford, Notre Dame produced 23 points in the first quarter to slow the rising stress levels in South Bend.

Audric Estime capped the game’s first drive with a blast through right tackle for a 12-yard score. Blake Grupe booted a 43-yard field goal to stake the Fighting Irish to a 10-0 lead at the 10:06 mark of the first quarter.

UNLV responded with Reese’s 74-yard slalom down the left side that set up Younge-Humphrey’s 2-yard touchdown run on the option to pull the Rebels within 10-7 at 9:10.

Notre Dame’s special teams set up the next score as Foskey rushed in untouched and swatted punter Marshall Nichols’ drop to the ground before Nichols could boot it away. That set up the Irish at UNLV’s 20-yard line and Pyne found Mayer for a 20-yard score to push the lead to 17-7 with 6:24 left in the first.

Mayer’s 15th career touchdown catch tied Ken MacAfee’s Notre Dame all-time record for a tight end.

The Irish forced UNLV into another 3-and-out, which led to another Foskey punt block that gave Notre Dame possession at UNLV’s 14. Grupe finished the brief drive with a 27-yard field goal to make it 20-7. Grupe added a 46-yarder to boost the margin to 23-7 at 1:18 of the first.

Tight end Mitchell Evans added a 1-yard touchdown sneak to give Notre Dame a 30-7 margin with 4:10 left in the half.

Blessed with a 23-point second-half lead, Notre Dame turned conservative and stuck to its ground attack. UNLV earned the only score of the third quarter on backup quarterback Bailey’s 5-yard bootleg at the 8:06 mark.

That pulled the Rebels within two scores at 30-14, but Notre Dame wore down the Rebels defense and regained a 37-14 lead on Chris Tyree’s 8-yard blast with 11:59 left in the game.

Younge-Humphrey answered with a 1-yard touchdown blast on fourth-and-goal to cut UNLV’s deficit to 37-21 with 8:02 to go. Cornerback Clarence Lewis recovered the Rebels’ ensuing onside kick to blunt the visitors’ momentum.

Notre Dame clinched matters with Pyne’s 4-yard shovel pass to man-in-motion Braden Lenzy with 2:55 to play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; UNLV Rebels linebacker Fred Thompkins (10) hits California Golden Bears wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter (3) as defensive back Davone Walden Jr. (37) tackles during the second quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Cal uses 4th-down stops to hold off UNLV

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Jack Plummer threw for 278 yards and California’s defense stopped visiting UNLV on three fourth-down conversion attempts in Golden Bear territory in the second half in a 20-14 victory Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.

Plummer, a transfer from Purdue, completed 28 of 39 pass attempts with one touchdown and one interception.

UNLV’s final failed attempt on fourth down occurred at the California 8 with 2:46 remaining. Doug Brumfield’s pass fell incomplete intended for Kyle Williams.

The Rebels (1-1) started their last possession at their own 44 with 1:06 left, but Brumfield was sacked twice and he threw an interception on a long desperation pass to end the game.

Brumfield finished with 206 yards passing with a touchdown and interception while completing 18 of 33 pass attempts.

California (2-0) took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter scoring two touchdowns, both by Jaydn Ott on a 2-yard run and 12-yard reception from a pass by Plummer.

UNLV was outgained 268-109 in total yards in the first half and the Rebels trailed 17-7 at halftime. California finished with 370 total yards while UNLV amassed 309.

After Brumfield’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Williams on the first play of the second quarter, California capped the scoring in the opening half on Dario Longhetto’s 21-yard field goal.

The Golden Bears increased their lead to 20-7 with 8:21 left in the third quarter on Longhetto’s 30-yard field goal.

UNLV answered on its next possession going 75 yards on four plays for a score. Brumfield completed a 33-yard pass to Williams and Aidan Robbins capped the drive with a 31-yard touchdown run with 7:04 left in the third quarter.

Robbins had 84 yards on 14 carries.

The Rebels were successful on an onside kick attempt following the touchdown, but failed to take advantage of the recovery turning the ball over on downs at the California 39.

UNLV’s next possession also stalled on fourth down at the Golden Bear 45.

California was in position for another field-goal attempt by Longhetto from 43 yards with 8:06 left but the attempt was wide right. Longhetto made a career-high seven consecutive field-goal attempts before that miss.

–Field Level Media

Sep 3, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott (6) carries the ball against the UC Davis Aggies during the third quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Cal striving for better start vs. improved UNLV

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After Cal got off to a slow start last week against UC Davis, the Golden Bears sorted out their opening-game issues and rolled over their lower-division rival for a three-touchdown victory.

Now Cal faces a team that won just two games last season but showed last week it might be vastly improved.

UNLV can equal its win total from the previous two seasons combined Saturday when it visits Cal at Berkeley, Calif.

The Rebels, who went 2-10 last year after going 0-6 during a COVID-19-impacted season, jumped out to a 45-7 lead at the half against visiting Idaho State en route to a 55-21 win.

UNLV quarterback Doug Brumfield went 21 of 25 for 356 yards and threw four first-half touchdowns.

Ricky White had two first-half receiving touchdowns for the Rebels and by halftime had 182 receiving yards. White had touchdown receptions of 72 and 19 yards in the second quarter before he and Brumfield and several other starters were able to root on their teammates from the sideline in the second half.

UNLV finished with 554 total yards, including 405 through the air. The Rebels’ 45 first-half points were the second-most in school history, trailing only the 52 points scored against Idaho State in an 80-8 triumph in 2015.

“It was big for an offense to have that confidence and momentum,” Brumfield said. “In a lot of games last year, we weren’t able to do that. So to come out this year in our first game and execute is very big.”

Cal wasn’t nearly as dominant in its season opener. After being held to minus-1 yard in the first quarter while trailing 7-0, the Golden Bears scored the game’s next 24 points and cruised to victory.

“It was like, ‘Guys, it probably couldn’t have gone too much worse,’ ” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “We got that out of us and then settled down and moved the ball down the field.”

Cal QB Jack Plummer went 23 for 35 for 268 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for the Bears and Jaydn Ott ran for 104 yards on 15 carries in becoming the first Cal freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in his first college game since 2008, when Shane Vereen ran for 101 yards against Michigan State.

In the first minute of the second half, Craig Woodson picked off a UC Davis pass and returned it interception 39 yards for a touchdown, turning a 17-7 edge into a 24-7 lead.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2021; San Jose, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs running back Greg Bell (22) warms up before the game against the San Jose State Spartans at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

No. 19 San Diego State can record win No. 10 with victory over UNLV

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San Diego State seeks to reach double digits in victories for the fifth time in the past seven seasons when it visits UNLV in Mountain West play on Friday night.

The No. 19 Aztecs (9-1, 5-1 Mountain West) can also move closer to the West division title if they defeat the Rebels for the 16th time in the past 20 meetings.

San Diego State put itself in control of its division fate when it notched a 23-21 win over visiting Nevada last Saturday.

UNLV (2-8, 2-4) has won its past two games, and Aztecs standout linebacker Cameron Thomas took notice.

“I’ve watched this team several times this season, and their record does not show who they are,” Thomas said. “I think they’re a really good team. We must keep our edge this weekend and go out there and execute.”

Thomas has recorded 16.5 tackles for loss, including 8.5 sacks, for a unit that has given up 14 or fewer points on six occasions.

The San Diego State passing game doesn’t scare anyone — it ranks 126th nationally at 136.9 yards per game — but Lucas Johnson was 21-of-34 passing for 176 yards and one touchdown against Nevada while making his fourth straight start.

The Aztecs are a rare Top 25 program whose best player is a punter.

Matt Araiza leads the nation with a 52.25 average and is on pace to break the single-season mark set by Braden Mann (50.98) of Texas A&M in 2018.

Araiza has boomed six punts of 70 or more yards this season, including boots of 86 and 81 yards. He also has had 29 of his punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

“You talk about field position and those kinds of things, what Matt has done, how he’s played, he’s the MVP,” Aztecs coach Brady Hoke said.

UNLV has its own star in Charles Williams, who became the fourth player in Mountain West history to top 4,000 career rushing yards with an epic performance in a 27-13 victory over visiting Hawaii.

Williams set a school record with 38 carries as he rushed for 266 yards, matching former NFL player Mike Thomas for the second-most rushing yards in school history. Williams has rushed for 1,089 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and is UNLV’s all-time leading rusher with 4,029.

“He was a machine,” Rebels coach Marcus Arroyo said of the player nicknamed “Chuck Wagon.” “We’re in the 10th game of the season, and you’re out here playing like that? Says a lot about Charles.”

Williams, who scored three touchdowns, did what many running backs do after a huge game — credit the offensive line.

“Shout out to the line, they did their job today,” Williams said. “I had a lot of big holes, big creases, set up for me. I helped them out by making the right cuts and not dancing too much.”

UNLV isn’t a strong defensive team and has allowed 35 or more points on five occasions. However, things have been different in the back-to-back wins over New Mexico and Hawaii as the Rebels gave up a combined 30 points.

The Aztecs rolled to a 34-6 victory in last season’s meeting when Greg Bell rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown. Bell leads San Diego State with 849 rushing yards this season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2021; Fresno, California, USA; UNLV Rebels outside linebacker Kylan Wilborn (8) runs the ball against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first quarter at Bulldog Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Haener tosses 5 TDs as No. 22 Fresno State nips UNLV

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Jake Haener threw for five touchdown passes, four to Jalen Cropper, as No. 22 Fresno State survived its Mountain West Conference opener with a fourth-quarter rally that allowed it to beat UNLV 38-30 Friday night in Fresno, Calif.

Haener and Cropper’s final scoring connection, a 26-yarder with 4:53 left in the game, gave the Bulldogs (4-1, 1-0 MWC) the lead for good at 35-30. Cesar Silva added insurance with a 31-yard field goal with 2:29 remaining.

The Rebels (0-4, 0-1) led 30-29 on Daniel Gutierrez’s 30-yard field goal with 6:38 left in the game, but their offense couldn’t produce a first down on either of their last two possessions. Cameron Friel’s 4th-and-14 pass with 1:19 left fell incomplete to seal the outcome.

UNLV used two quarterbacks to help them roll up 433 total yards, just 28 fewer than Fresno State. Friel was 9 of 15 for 138 yards, while starter Doug Brumfield completed 6 of 13 for 143 yards with two touchdowns. Charles Williams added 102 yards and a score on 19 carries.

Fresno State entered the game as a 30 1/2-point favorite, but it was UNLV that controlled most of the first half with a defense that was allowing an average of 40 points per game.

The Rebels kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone until the final minute of the first half and owned a 14-0 lead before the first quarter was over. Their offense marched 60 and 95 yards on their first two possessions for touchdowns.

Brumfield found Steve Jenkins for a 10-yard scoring strike five minutes into the game, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run by Williams with 1:16 left that finished a 14-play, 7:24 drive.

Fresno State finally got on the board with Silva’s 25-yard field goal at the 11:38 mark of the second quarter. Haener gave the Bulldogs some momentum with 32 seconds left in the half, hitting Erik Brooks for an 18-yard score that cut the UNLV advantage to 14-9 at intermission.

–Field Level Media