UNLV fought in a back-and-forth affair to take down Air Force 51-48 on Saturday. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea’s incredible 19-yard rushing touchdown with 36 seconds left sealed the win, before Air Force missed
a 40-yard field goal as time expired. With this win, the Rebels remained undefeated.
OFFENSE
The UNLV offense had one of the most explosive days of the season. The Rebels had 597 yards and 51 points. Colandrea was electric once again, throwing for 361 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 62 yards and scoring twice on the ground, including the game-winner.
Wide Receiver Daejon Reynolds was Colandrea’s top target. He had four receptions for 139 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that gave UNLV the lead to start the third quarter in a much-needed play. Wide Receiver Jaden Bradley had another solid performance with three receptions for 73 yards. Bradley also had a 16-yard passing touchdown to tight end Var’Keyes Gumms to start the second half.
On the ground, running backs Jai’den Thomas and Keyvone Lee were both dominant. Thomas ran for 88 yards and had 146 all-purpose yards, averaging eight yards per carry with a 51-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter that gave UNLV the lead. Lee also had touchdowns with 59 rushing yards, averaging about ten yards per carry.
The team was strong in the red zone, going 4-for-6, and also showed incredible resilience. Down by eleven at half, the offense fought back. The Rebels fought so hard that on the final drive of the game, UNLV drove 75 yards down the field to take the lead on an incredible rushing touchdown from Colandrea.
DEFENSE
Despite giving up 603 yards, UNLV’s defense came through with timely turnovers that ultimately helped in the victory effort.
Quarterback Liam Szarka had a phenomenal game with 175 passing yards and 136 rushing yards. He showed his dual-threat ability and scored a crucial touchdown with a minute to go in the fourth quarter to give the Falcons the lead. Szarka’s favorite target was wide receiver Cade Harris, who had four receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
The true star for the Air Force offense was running back Owen Allen. He had 192 rushing yards, averaging 11.3 yards per carry, and scored twice. He was literally unstoppable. It was his first 100+ rushing yard performance of the season, and his first since defeating Nevada last year.
The Air Force was able to find weaknesses within UNLV’s defense. The defense allowed 428 rushing yards, so much for being called the Air Force when the team runs the ball so well.
Linebacker Marsel McDuffie made the biggest play of the game, which gave UNLV a chance to win. He recovered a fumble to start the second half, and it resulted in the touchdown pass Bradley threw to Gumms. Defensive backs Andrew Powdrell and Jaheem Joseph each recorded ten tackles, making key stops on big Air Force plays.
Despite the Air Force’s success, UNLV made the stops when they mattered the most. In the final 36 seconds of the game, Air Force drove down the field with ease and got to UNLV’s 23-yard line. This set up a field goal try that would’ve tied the game. Air Force kicker Jacob Medina lined up and missed it wide left, sealing UNLV’s 51-48 victory.
WHAT’S NEXT
UNLV takes the winning streak back onto the road, this time to Boise, ID, to take on Boise State.
