UNLV lost its second straight game after being unable to complete a comeback victory as New Mexico held on late for a 40-35 victory on Saturday. The loss snapped UNLV’s five-game home win streak and dropped the record on the season to 6-2. New Mexico, on the other hand, gained bowl eligibility with this victory.
OFFENSE
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea had the flu, and he still performed exceptionally. He had 382 passing yards and three touchdowns, while also having the most rushing yards on the team
with 41. Colandrea’s 382 passing yards were the most he had thrown in his career and tied for the 16th-most in UNLV history.
UNLV was behind early, but thanks to Colandrea’s arm, the Rebels fought back. Colandrea found wide receiver DaeDae Reynolds for a 7-yard touchdown to break through in the second quarter. Then, running back Keyvone Lee’s 5-yard touchdown cut the deficit to 21-14.
The Rebels fell behind once again, but Colandrea kept UNLV alive. He threw two touchdown passes to tight ends Var’Keyes Gumms and Nick Elksnis to give UNLV the lead after being down by 13 points. That offensive effort wasn’t enough as the defense couldn’t hold on.
Running back Jai’den Thomas didn’t have the most excellent game out of the backfield. He had 34 rushing yards on 13 carries, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. He did have 11 receptions, which set the school record for most receptions in a game by a running back. Thomas also fumbled the football on a key drive.
The Rebels had 474 yards of total offense and went 3/3 in the red zone.
DEFENSE
Once again, the Rebels’ defense struggled to stop explosive plays. New Mexico had 532 yards and had two 80+ yard touchdowns in just the first half alone.
Quarterback Jack Layne had a remarkable performance. He threw for 342 yards, completing 17 of 22 passes, and had three touchdowns.
Running back Damon Bankston had himself a day, rushing for only eight yards, but had 122 receiving yards. He scored two touchdowns, one of which was for 84 yards, and he was a problem for UNLV’s defense. Wide receiver Keagan Johnson was also outstanding. He had 158 receiving yards on six receptions. He scored the other 80-yard touchdown.
The defense had its moments. Defensive back Quandarius Keyes came up with his second interception of the season, taking it 25 yards to the house and tying the game at 21-21. Linebacker Marsel McDuffie once again led the defense with 11 tackles.
UNLV was unable to come up with a stop when it mattered most. In the fourth quarter, after taking the lead, New Mexico marched 75 yards downfield and took the lead, capped off with a 13-yard game-winning rushing touchdown by running back D.J. McKinney.
WHAT’S NEXT?
After a rough loss, UNLV heads east to Fort Collins to take on the Colorado State Rams on Saturday, November 8, at 6:30 PM PST on FS1. The Rebels will look to bounce back and keep their Mountain West title hopes alive.
