Utah State fell to 5-5 (3-3) in the Mountain West after losing a thriller to UNLV on the road, 29-26. After hitting a 39-yard field goal in the 2nd overtime, Kayden McGee took UNLV into the endzone on a 25-yard
run for the victory. Bryson Barnes was able to pass the ball for 256 yards and a touchdown; however, he completed only 19 of his 38 passes. Once again, Barnes led the Aggies in rushing yards, too, with 124 yards rushing on 22 carries. Barnes had a 58-yard touchdown run in the middle of the 4th quarter to give Utah State the lead back. At halftime, Utah State led 13-10 and made things difficult for UNLV throughout the game. Braden Pegan has made a name for himself this season, once again leading the Aggies in total receiving yards with 109 yards on eight receptions. Linebacker John Miller was able to get two sacks against the Rebels and led the team with 11 total tackles.
For UNLV, Anthony Colandrea threw for 276 yards and a touchdown on 24 completions compared to 43 attempts. Running back Kevin McGee led the team in rushing yards with 54 yards and the game-winning touchdown on three carries. Troy Omeire led the Rebels in receptions with 83 yards on four catches. Defensive end Tunmise Adeleye led UNLV with two sacks, and linebacker Marsel McDuffie led the team with 10 tackles.
Statistics Comparison
1st Downs: UNLV: 27; USU: 23
3rd-Down Efficiency: UNLV: 7-15 (47%); USU: 9-17 (53%)
Total Yards:
Rushing Yards: USU: 178 yards; UNLV: 146 yards
Passing Yards: UNLV: 276 yards; USU: 256 yards
Penalties: UNLV: 4-20; USU: 5-60
Turnovers: USU: 0; UNLV: 1
Time of Possession: UNLV: 32:15; USU: 27:45
Final Thoughts
Statistically, this game was very close. Both teams were very even, and it showed with UNLV winning in two overtimes. It is hard to win a game when a team gives up over 400 yards of offense and commits penalties. UNLV led in the penalty and time of possession categories and had fewer third-down attempts than Utah State, despite the Aggies having a higher conversion percentage. This is an area that this game came down to. It is not easy to win a game when you face 17 3rd downs and convert just nine of them. It also isn’t easy to win a game when you lose both the 3rd down battle and the time-of-possession battle, and it truly feels like Utah State was outmatched in both categories, even if the Aggies held the advantage in the 3rd Down conversion percentage. Utah State gave up key plays on 3rd down and also allowed two fourth-down conversions, which did not help matters. Bryson Barnes made the play of the game with his 58-yard rushing touchdown with just over 6 minutes left in the game. Utah State’s defense was unable to make the stops it needed to win this game, and the Aggies now face a steep uphill battle for a chance to play in the conference championship. The Aggies face off against Fresno State on the road this coming Saturday. To win, the Aggies must be efficient on offense and make some adjustments on defense to make more stops.
