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Northern Arizona exacted some revenge on Vegas from a Week 2 loss in the most recent meeting between the two teams.
The Knight Hawks were beaten on the road by the Wranglers, 30-20, Saturday, April 16 from Prescott Valley, Arizona.
Through two games played against each other, Vegas holds the slight scoring advantage, 42-39.
The squads will meet one more time this season in early May from The Dollar Loan Center.
For now, Northern Arizona kept Vegas from taking over second place in the Western Conference.
In fact, the Knight Hawks have now lost back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history.
Furthermore, the team is under .500 for the first time in team history at 2-3.
As of now, Vegas has dropped to a tie with the Duke City Gladiators for third place in the West.
The three-game road trip for the Knight Hawks continues with a trip to Green Bay for a Sunday, April 24 matchup against the Blizzard.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Quarterback Jaylon Henderson had a second consecutive rough outing, resulting in being lifted in favor of backup quarterback Kare Lyles.
Henderson had miscommunication from the start of the game, fumbling the snap on the team’s first drive, though Vegas did retain possession.
That same drive he would be sacked on second down and would be stopped way short on a third and 13.
Being stopped on third down was a trend of sorts for Henderson and the Knight Hawks, as he was sacked a total of three times in the game. One of the sacks resulted in a second half fumble.
Even when he wasn’t being sacked, Henderson still had trouble moving the ball.
In the fourth quarter on his final drive, Henderson was hit as he attempted to throw, resulting in another turnover. This time an interception that was returned for a touchdown, for a 27-13 Northern Arizona lead.
Henderson threw for 64 yards on 9-of-16 throwing, with a touchdown and an interception.
Lyles entered the game and tossed a touchdown to wide receiver Jordan McCray to cut the deficit to seven with just under 11 minutes left in the game.
For the vast majority of the game, it was neck-and-neck.
Vegas held several leads in the first half, first going up 3-0 and then 10-3 on a touchdown pass from Henderson to running back Elad Covaliu.
Kicker Nolan Kohorst did miss two field goals, going 2-for-4 in that department but was perfect on his two point-after attempts.
Even with the Knight Hawks finding success early, the Wranglers had just as much.
On the first play of the team’s first drive, Northern Arizona needed just one play to put six points on the board.
There were several times that the home team made mistakes that gave Vegas a chance to capitalize.
On a fourth and three, the Wranglers fumbled, coughing the ball away to the visiting Knight Hawks.
On the ensuing drive, the Northern Arizona defense committed a 15-yard penalty on a third and four.
Covaliu’s touchdown catch ended the drive, giving Vegas the 10-7 lead going into halftime.
It was the team's defense that kept the game in reach, as the UNLV-product duo of defensive back Jericho Flowers and linebacker Gabe McCoy combined for 15 tackles, two and a half for losses and a fumble recovery.
Defensive back Dez Epps also snagged the team's only interception while defensive lineman Javahn Ferguson accounted for the only Vegas sack of the night.
However, an opening drive touchdown to start the third quarter gave Northern Arizona the lead for good despite a later tie at 13 apiece.
The go-ahead score came in the form of a rushing touchdown as the third quarter drew to a close. The score allowed the Wranglers to take a 20-13 lead into the fourth quarter.
Down a score late in the game, Lyles was stopped near the line of scrimmage on a third and goal before the offense committed back-to-back false start penalties to make it fourth and 15.
Lyles’ pass would fall incomplete to the carpet as Northern Arizona would add another field goal to go up 10 points.
On the final Vegas drive of the night, Lyles was intercepted; sealing the final tally on a night where he went 3-for-8 through the air for 42 yards with a touchdown and an interception.