Rebels start fast, outlast Bruins by 7 inside Allegiant Stadium

UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea directs traffic against UCLA inside Allegiant Stadium. Photo Credit: UNLV Football

UNLV football has its first statement win in the era of new head coach Dan Mullen.

In a packed Allegiant Stadium, UNLV beat UCLA for the first time in program history, 30-23, Saturday, Sept. 6 in a Week 2 matchup. With the marquee matchup on tap, the Rebels’ home stadium seated fans on all three levels.

“What a great team win,” head coach Dan Mullen said. “Offense really showed up, really efficient first half.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. Still, I think we still have – I think the players have higher expectations for this team of what we can be.”

It was a great home showing of more than 36,000 for the program ahead of back-to-back road games for UNLV. That stretch begins with a date against Miami (OH) Saturday, Sept. 20 but a bye week is set for this week.

It will enter its first bye week with a 3-0 overall record for the second straight season.

“That was a huge win,” Mullen said. “Not just for this team and for UNLV but it was a huge win for the city of Las Vegas. To get that win, especially a West Coast win.”

While Anthony Colandrea got the start at quarterback for the second straight game, backup Alex Orji entered on the team’s second drive. The stint was short-lived for the former Michigan signal caller as he took a helmet to the knee and did not return to the game.

Rebels tight end Nick Elksnis celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Bruins. Photo Credit: UNLV Football

On the other hand, Colandrea was more than prepared to take hold of the reigns.

“We’ve come together as a family, as an offense,” he said. “We’re also super close off the field so that’s also the biggest thing. If you’re a close football team off the field, you can win football games.”

Just before the end of the first quarter, Colandrea hurled his first of three touchdown passes on a 22-yard strike to redshirt senior tight end Nick Elksnis. Prior to that, kicker Ramon Villela booted a 50-yard field goal as part of a 10-0 lead for the home team.

In that first quarter, UCLA held the ball for just three minutes and 33 seconds.

Colandrea didn’t encounter his first incompletion until early in the second quarter but would soon make up for it on a 32-yard pitch-and-catch to senior DaeDae Reynolds. That reception helped set up a 21-yard touchdown reception by redshirt senior Troy Omeire.

At that point, Colandrea was 9-for-11 through the air for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’ve been playing together since January,” he said. “We were able to build a strong connection with everyone: receivers, running backs and offensive line.”

UNLV receiver DaeDae Reynolds hauls in his longest pass of the day during a win against UCLA. Photo Credit: UNLV Football

The third of Colandrea’s passing touchdowns came in the fourth quarter on a 17-yard dart to redshirt senior tight end Var’Keyes Gumms.

Colandrea went 15-for-21 with 203 passing yards and three touchdowns while adding 59 rushing yards on 11 carries. The aerial performance came despite just one catch for six yards for senior receiver Jaden Bradley, which came in the fourth quarter.

While it was a flawless performance by Colandrea in terms of the turnover department, he flirted with a pick-six after launching a pass right into the arms of a Bruins defensive lineman.

Opposing quarterback Nico Iamaleava faced pressure from the UNLV defensive front which resulted in multiple sacks in the first quarter. In total, the team tallied both of its sacks in the first half with them belonging to defensive linemen Lucas Conti and Landen Thomas as well as defensive back Jaheem Joseph.

“It’s just preparation Monday through Thursday,” senior defensive back Aamaris Brown said. “All week at practice we were working on the little details: the right fit, stay in your gap, doing your one 11.”

UCLA was held without a third down conversion through its first seven attempts. The visitor’s first conversion came late in the third quarter. Despite going 3-for-13 on third downs, the Bruins were 4-for-5 on fourth downs.

“Everybody’s a new face up here [on the podium],” Mullen said. “There’s so many new faces in the program. First time playing together, first time coaching together and everybody’s getting used to it.”

Rebel defenders Lucas Conti and Jaheem Joseph collaborate on a sack of Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Photo Credit: UNLV Football

Just before the end of the first half, UCLA put its first points of the day on the board with a 33-yard field goal. The team’s first touchdown of the night came on the team’s first drive of the second half.

On that opening drive of the third quarter, the Bruins held the ball for more than seven minutes after having just over 11 minutes of time of possession in the first half. Ultimately, the visitors held the ball for more than 30 minutes of the 60-minute ballgame.

“We were executing at a really high level in the first half,” Colandrea said. “In the second half, I was kind of getting out of the pocket too early and often and the guys were blocking their tails off.”

Brown put an end to the final UCLA drive of the night with the team’s second forced turnover of the game with the first being a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Brown’s forced turnover was his third interception of the season as he snagged one in each of the team’s first three contests.

Both teams combined for 258 penalty yards on 27 flags with 13 of those belonging to UNLV. Entering play, the team averaged 12 penalties per game.

“We took good steps,” Mullen said. “But silly penalties, silly mistakes.”