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A rematch of last year’s Mountain West Championship presented itself this season with potential huge implications for this year’s College Football Playoff.
In a battle for first place in the Mountain West UNLV lost to No. 17 Boise State, 29-24, Friday, Oct. 25 from Allegiant Stadium. The game took place on the Rebels’ Homecoming night in front of a record crowd of 42, 228.
“That was a big time game,” head coach Barry Odom said. “It was created not only because Boise is a really good team but so is UNLV.
”I am devastated for our team that we couldn’t find a way to win that one […] There is no consolation, we lost the game.”
UNLV hasn’t won at home since Sept. 28 and have now lost two straight inside Allegiant Stadium. Now, the team is 6-2 on the year with a 2-1 conference mark as it drops to the second spot in the Mountain West.
The program is idle next week.
“I think our bye week comes at a perfect time for what our team needs,” Odom said. “We’re going to get back to work and we’ve got to find a way to win in November. We’ve talked about that since I got here as a program about how to finish. And those who win in November will be remembered.”
Three of the seven Rebels penalties came in the fourth quarter with two of them extending Bronco drives. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a late hit near the sideline drew an unnecessary roughness flag. Shortly after, Boise State would score the game-winning touchdown to cap that drive.
On the ensuing possession, UNLV suffered an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to set the team back into a 2nd and 24. Earlier on the drive, the team converted a 4th and 1 near midfield to keep the possession alive. However, it would later end on a punt two plays after the costly penalty.
Perhaps the most deflating of the three pricey penalties came on a defensive holding in the secondary on a 3rd and 4 following an incomplete. That mistake allowed the Broncos to begin salting the game away.
“We’ve got a mature group that cares,” Odom said. “We’re built the right way too. I just want to make it right for them in the next month to get them back to where they need to be.”
At one point early in the second quarter, the Rebels led 10-3. From there, the visitors would rattle off 17 straight points to take momentum and energy out of the building temporarily.
A field goal would cut the deficit to four just before UNLV punted for the first time more than midway through the second quarter. Boise State would capture its first lead of the game on the heels of that change of possession.
Things began to snowball when quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw an interception on the next Rebels possession. That marked the first turnover of the game.
“There’s always reasons why you win a game or you lose one,” Odom said. “The takeaway that they created and then turned into points right at the end of the first half, we didn’t play real well as a team — complimentary ball.”
Just before halftime, the Broncos would run their lead to double-digits with a conversion on 4th and goal from the two yard line.
UNLV was outscored 17-0 in the second quarter after entering play with the most second quarter points in the country with 101. Boise State ranked just behind with 100 points on the year in the second 15-minute session.
Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty was stood up on the first play from scrimmage and would have a total of -5 yards on his first two carries of the game. Through the first three quarters, he had 85 yards on 21 ground touches.
Jeanty finished the game with a career-high 33 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s a terrific player,” Odom said. “One of the best ones in college football, if not, the best. I thought for the most part we contained him, he obviously made some good runs — he’s a really tough runner.”
UNLV had a fast start to the game but had to avert danger on the first play from scrimmage when Williams was nearly intercepted. On the next play, he’d spring loose from the backfield for a 71-yard run down the sideline.
The drive would end with a made field goal to tie the game at three apiece.
Three plays into the second drive, Williams would strike deep again, this time through the air. Receiver Casey Cain hauled in a 50-yard reception to set up a touchdown catch from tight end Kaleo Ballungay.
That would go down as Williams’ ninth red zone touchdown of the year in his fifth start. He’d leave the game with 179 passing yards on 12-of-21 passing with two touchdowns and an interception.
“We’re not going to back down,” Odom said. “That’s the makeup of our team. We’ve earned that opportunity. I think last year in the championship game, I don’t know that we were quite ready for that honestly. I thought we were ready tonight.”
Williams was sacked six times including a couple in third down scenarios which led to punts. Three of the five UNLV second half possessions ended in punts.
“The sacks are not anywhere close to where we need to be,” Odom said. “We’ve really got to take a deep dive into how that happened.”
Williams began to revert back to his legs as a quick resort as the pocket collapsed and would rack up 105 rushing yards on 19 carries. He also scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the year in the third quarter.
With Williams running wild, receiver Ricky White III was limited to 57 yards on five catches. Fellow All-American receiver Jacob De Jesus left the game early in the contest after recording just one reception for six yards.
“They’re a good team,” Odom said. “They’re built the right way and they’re good in the front seven. They’re long on the backend, they’ve got [a] great scheme, they’ve got really good coaches and they’ve got great players.”
The Rebels briefly regained the lead late in the third quarter on a 34-yard touchdown catch by receiver Jaden Bradley to give his team a 24-23 lead. It was the team’s first lead since being on top 10-3 early in the second quarter.
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