University of Nevada, Las Vegas recently issued the following announcement.
An injury-riddled UNLV (0-8/0-4) football team lost 51-20 to in-state rival UNR (6-2/3-1) in a game played on the Nevada Day holiday in front of an announced crowd of 28,960 at Mackay Stadium Friday night.
The famed Fremont Cannon will stay blue another year after the Wolf Pack built a 20-0 halftime lead and bumped its advantage to 34-0 before the Rebels came to life offensively in the second half. UNR also earned three points in the Silver State Series presented by IBEW Local 401 and Nevada Donor Network.
UNLV's Phillip Hill intercepted UNR QB Carson Strong with just over a minute remaining before halftime and the Rebels were driving for a score when true freshman signal-caller Cameron Friel threw an interception in the end zone to end the threat. However, Friel engineered a 75-yard scoring drive late in the third quarter capped by a 23-yard strike to Kyle Williams, the first TD of the season for the receiver.
Charles Williams scored his team's second touchdown with a four-yard scamper on fourth down in the fourth quarter, marking the Chuck Wagon's 27th career score on the ground. After recovering a Pack fumble, Friel then found Steve Jenkins from 18 yards out for the Rebels' final points. Friel, who also threw two pick-sixes, gutted his way to 283 yards while completing 27 of 41 attempts on the night.
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Steve Jenkins shined at Mackay Stadium for the second straight trip, finishing with 12 receptions for 133 yards. It was his second 100-yard game of the season and second at UNR after a 140-yard, 2-TD performance here in 2019. The dozen catches on Friday tied for the third-most in school history and were the most by a Rebel since Phillip Payne had 13 vs. Southern Utah in 2011.
STAT OF THE GAME:
Game-planning to stop UNLV RB Williams, the UNR defense held the Rebels to 10 net yards rushing after five sacks for minus-28 yards were included in the total. It was the lowest mark for UNLV on the ground since gaining just five yards at TCU in 2005.
QUOTABLE:
"Obviously disappointed to come in here and play the way we played. They are an experienced group and we didn't play well enough or consistently enough to beat a team like that. We've got to go back and make sure we get some things cleaned up."
UNLV Head Coach Marcus Arroyo
REBEL NOTES:
UNR improved its record to 28-19 all-time in the Battle for the Fremont Cannon
UNLV came in having won three of its last four games at Mackay Stadium
Williams' 30 net yards rushing gave him 3,689 yards for his career, which is 44 yards short of school-record holder Tim Cornett (2010-13)
DB Phillip Hill now has three interceptions, which is one more than the entire UNLV team had during the 2020 shorted season
UNLV's defense rose up to turn in two goal-line stands in one series during the first half as UNR ran eight plays after reaching the Rebel two-yard line but ultimately had to settle for a field goal -- even after benefitting from a first down via a personal foul penalty on a failed third-down attempt
Austin Ajiake led UNLV with 10 total tackles
UNLV trailed after the first quarter for just the second time this season (trailed 7-0 to Iowa State in Game Three) and also was shut out in the first half for the first time since that matchup with the Cyclones
The 47 meetings with UNR are by far the most by UNLV vs. any opponent
UNLV was so low on healthy tight ends, freshman O-lineman Jeminai Leuta-Ulu played much of the game as a blocking H-back wearing jersey No. 99
Original source can be found here.
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