The Wolf Pack (3-9, 2-6) could not keep up with the explosive UNLV (10-2, 6-2) offense as they lost 17-42 on Nov. 29 in their final game of the season.
The contest started well for the Pack as they won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. UNLV started their opening drive on their own 25-yard line following a touchback. On their first play from scrimmage, Rebel quarterback Anthony Colandrea completed a pass to tight end Nick Elksnis for 9 yards. UNLV secured the game’s first down on the following play with a 9-yard rush from running back Jai’Den Thomas.
From there, the Rebel offense continued their drive with ease before Thomas took a 17-yard counter run for a touchdown, putting his team up 7-0 and silencing the lively Wolf Pack crowd.
Following a touchback, the Pack started their first drive from their 25-yard line. On their first offensive play of the game, running back Caleb Ramseur took a rush for 5 yards up the middle. On second down, quarterback Carter Jones notched his first completion of the contest with a 4-yard pass to receiver Dakota Thomas. Nevada was given a first down on the following play after drawing the UNLV defense offsides. The Rebel defense jumped offsides eight times over the course of the game.
Then, two short rushes and another offsides penalty on the Rebels set up a manageable third down for the Pack, but the Pack was unable to capitalize on the opportunity since Jones failed to complete his pass to receiver Marshaun Brown. Then, punter Bailey Ettridge pinned the Rebels on their own 2-yard line with a 52-yard punt.
The Wolf Pack’s defense handled their second drive much differently than their first, stuffing UNLV’s first two rushes to bring up a third-and-long, where Colandrea’s third-down pass was broken up, forcing the Rebels’ first punt of the contest.
The Pack’s next drive started well, as Jones rolled out of the pocket and completed an 8-yard pass to receiver Jett Carpenter. On the next play, running back Ky Woods broke two tackles en-route to a first down.
From there, the Wolf Pack drove all the way to UNLV’s 17-yard line, aided by two more offsides penalties from the Rebel defense. Then on second down, safety Jaheem Joseph was able to sack Jones, pushing the Pack back 9 yards and ending their drive. Though the Pack did not leave scoreless; kicker Joe McFadden nailed a 40-yard field goal to bring the score to 3-7. McFadden made 19 of his 25 attempts this season, good for 76%.
UNLV struck back quickly, though, as a 37-yard completion to receiver JoJo Earle set the Rebel offense up deep in Wolf Pack territory. The next play resulted in a touchdown for UNLV as receiver Troy Ameire took a slant 17 yards to put his team up 14-3.
The Pack started their next drive with a bang as Ramseur took a rush 20 yards up the Rebel sideline. A few more positive plays brought the Pack across midfield and into UNLV territory, then an inside rush with Ramseur went haywire when he fumbled the ball and the Rebel defense recovered it.
“When we turned the ball over when we had that drive going, I thought that was a tough one,” Head Coach Jeff Choate said. “Our best defense was our offense staying on the field tonight.”
From there, UNLV started to gain momentum as Thomas took a run to the left 33 yards until he was chased down on the Wolf Pack’s 32-yard line. A defensive pass interference penalty put the Wolf Pack defense on their heels before Colandrea took a keeper 17 yards for a touchdown to put the score at 21-3.
The Pack failed to make any noise on their next drive as they went three-and-out before punting the ball away.
The Rebels kept their foot on the gas as they scored yet another touchdown off an 18-yard rush from Thomas to extend their lead 28-3.
The Pack’s following drive started well as a first-down pass from Jones to Carpenter went 21 yards. From there, the Pack was able to climb all the way to UNLV’s 38-yard line before McFadden’s second attempt of the night sailed wide to the left.
However, the Rebels were unable to score again before halftime, as Wolf Pack cornerback Murvin Kenion III intercepted Colandrea’s deep shot.
The Wolf Pack kicked off the second half with their largest play of the game as quarterback Chubba Purdy took a draw play 58 yards all the way to the UNLV 17-yard line. Ramseur then ripped a rush 17 yards for the Pack’s first touchdown of the match to cut their deficit to 10-28.
“I thought we were a bit streaky,” Choate said. “When we were able to run the ball, that opened up the throw game. Really, what we needed to do probably was throw more on first down.”
The Pack’s momentum quickly faded, though, as Colandrea threaded a 48-yard pass to receiver Jaden Bradley to put his offense inside the five. Then, Thomas took a wildcat snap into the endzone on the next play to put his team back up 35-10.
The Wolf Pack’s ensuing drive went nowhere as they failed to gain a first down and punted the ball back to the Rebels.
UNLV’s following drive looked as if it would extend their 25-point lead; until Colandrea threw an interception in the end-zone to Kenion III. Kenion III led the team this season with five interceptions.
The Pack’s rushing attack continued to succeed as running back Herschel Turner took his first carry of the contest 13 yards, good for a first down. The Pack’s drive quickly faltered though, as an incompletion and a short rush forced fourth down. Then, on fourth down, the Pack lined up seemingly ready to run a play, but ended up drawing the Rebel defense offsides for the sixth time.
The Wolf Pack continued their drive all the way to UNLV’s 28-yard line before Joseph strip-sacked Jones to give the Rebels the ball back.
UNLV capitalized on the turnover as their offense concluded a nine-play drive with a rushing touchdown from Thomas, marking his fourth of the day.
The Wolf Pack followed up the Rebel score with a touchdown of their own, making the score 17-42; A 3-yard run from Ramseur marked his second touchdown of the contest.
From there, neither team scored again as the clock ran out to conclude the contest. Though the Pack ended with the same amount of wins as last year, their conference record much improved, from 0-7 to 2-6.
