SAN JOSE, Calif. -- For the first time since 1993, UNLV defeated San Jose State University on their home turf, with a gritty 27-16 win Friday night at CEFCU Stadium.
The Rebels leaned on their defense and their run game on a night that both teams struggled in the passing game in the face of pouring rain. With a late third-quarter push and rugged stops on the other end, the No. 24 Rebels came away with their first win as a ranked team in program history.
Sophomore running back Jai’Den Thomas accumulated 135 yards on the ground, more than both phases of SJSU’s offense combined (112). Thomas provided the pivotal moment late in the third quarter with a 25-yard touchdown run to put the Rebels ahead for good.
UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams was limited to his lowest statistical output of the season in the air and on the ground, as conditions and a strict SJSU defense kept him in check. He ran for a season-low 18 yards and threw for a season-low 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 11-for-20.
Williams only connected more than once with a single receiver, Ricky White III, who caught seven passes for 98 yards. Tight end Kaleo Ballungay found the end zone from five yards out on his only catch of the night for the Rebels’ first TD.
Despite having zero sacks and not forcing Spartans’ QB Walker Eget into any interceptions, the Rebels’ defense was as staunch as ever and held him to his worst performance of the season. He was a mere 4-of-22 through the air for 81 yards and a touchdown, after posting 446 yards and three touchdowns last week against No. 12 Boise State.
SJSU wide receiver Nick Nash, who leads all FBS players in both receiving yards (1,282) and receiving TDs (14), was shut down by the UNLV secondary as he caught just one pass for nine yards.
Freshman kicker Caden Chittenden capped off a slow first half with a 31-yard field goal through the storm to put UNLV up 3-0, but not for long.
Early in the second quarter, Williams’ pass was intercepted by Isiah Revis and returned 40 yards for a TD to give SJSU their first lead. After Ballungay’s TD on the other end to retake the lead, SJSU fired back with their only offensive TD on the night on a pass-and-catch from Eget to Matthew Coleman.
The Spartans ended the first half by extending their lead to 16-10 on a safety caused by an errant snap. All 16 of their points came in the second quarter.
Chittenden also kicked off the second-half scoring on a 52-yard field goal, the longest by a freshman in Mountain West history.
Thomas’ TD run late in the third gave UNLV the lead again before Kylin James punched in a TD run midway through the final quarter to solidify the win.
Despite the imperfect nature of the game among the stormy conditions, UNLV coach Barry Odom is proud of how his players stuck to the task and came together as a team.
“They showed good resolve and toughness,” Odom said. “It shows a lot about who we are, about our character, and how tough we are.”
With just one game left in the regular season, UNLV doesn’t fully control their own path to the Mountain West Championship. They host the University of Nevada, Reno next weekend and will need to beat them for any of the possible paths to the trophy.
In addition to taking home the Fremont Cannon against their instate rivals next Saturday, the Rebels will have to root for some other conference foes. While Boise State’s spot in the championship is solidified, Colorado State still has two matchups before they claim the second spot.
A CSU loss on Saturday against Fresno State or next weekend against Utah State would give UNLV a potential path to the MW Championship and, if they win, the College Football Playoff.
“We know what’s out there,” linebacker Jackson Woodard said. “We’ve earned some respect but not what we think we have worked for.
“We’re starving and can’t wait for the next opportunity.”