The UNLV Rebels lost to the Fresno State Bulldogs on the road 31-24 on Oct. 28. The Bulldogs handed the Rebels its first loss since they played against the No. 2 ranked University of Michigan in Week 2.
UNLV Football’s current record is 6-2, and are third place in the Mountain West Conference.
Rebels received the first half
The Rebels started off at a disadvantage when the Bulldogs received a 31-yard pass into the end zone and started the game with the first points on the board. However, the Rebels made up for the lacking start and fired back with a 41-yard touchdown received by wide receiver Ricky White. White led the team in receiving with 152 yards.
White put up the most points for UNLV after he received a 15-yard pass from Maiava and put the final points on the board for the game, leaving the score at 31-24 Bulldogs—a disappointing end to the Rebels time in Fresno.
White has received for 711 yards this season and has scored four touchdowns for the Rebels in the last five games played.
Fresno takes the 3rd quarter
The first half of the game left the Bulldogs in a tough spot, down by ten by the end of the second quarter. When the teams returned to the green, the momentum ultimately swayed in favor of Fresno, whose wide receiver, Mac Dalena, ran a 2-yard touchdown to start the third.
That play set off a scoring frenzy for Fresno in the last half; following Dalena’s lead, Erik Brooks received for 10 yards into the end zone, adding an additional six points to their bill.
UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava added fuel to Fresno’s fire when he threw an interception at the UNLV 36, giving the Bulldogs a quick turnaround and field goal opportunity to score back-to-back-to-back.
With three seconds left in the third quarter, Fresno’s quarterback, Mikey Keene, passed for three yards to Malik Sherrod for a TD, bringing the score to 24-17 before the fourth.
Fresno’s takeaway
UNLV Scarlett and Gray Free Press contacted The Collegian, Fresno State’s student-run newspaper, to see what they took from Fresno’s performance against UNLV.
Dylan Gonzales, a writer for The Collegian, talked to the S&G about some key Fresno highlights that secured the win for Fresno.
“I think the third quarter of the game was the best quarter Fresno State played all year. The defense forced two turnovers, special teams got a turnover too, and Mikey Keene threw 3 TD passes.” Gonzales said. “But I think if they are going to repeat as Mountain West champs, they need more consistency from their running backs. (Malik Sherrod and Elijah Gilliam).”
Sherrod has rushed for 488 and has scored five touchdowns for the Bulldogs over the past five games played. Alongside him is Gilliam, who has rushed for 325 yards and has four touchdowns so far this season.
Up Next
The Rebels head to New Mexico to play against the New Mexico Lobos at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The game will commence on Nov. 4, with kickoff at 3 p.m.
