ALBUQUERQUE—The UNLV Rebels might not have had the season expected of a Mountain West favorite, but they had zero issue playing the role of College Football Playoff spoiler.
On Saturday, UNLV put together one of their most inspired efforts of the season, surprising the current Mountain West leading New Mexico Lobos 21-14 to all but dash the conference’s hopes of landing the Group of 6 CFP berth.
It was far from smooth sailing for UNLV, however, as they had expected difficulties against one of the best defenses in the nation.
Quarterback Jackson Arnold only had 49 passing yards in the first half and was subbed out for Alex Orji on occasion. He was also responsible for two turnovers in New Mexico territory, as UNLV sputtered to only seven points through three quarters.
However, with the Rebels down 14 at the end of the third quarter, Arnold and the offense came alive at a crucial time.
After the defense forced New Mexico to punt on Arnold’s second turnover, he would lead an efficient drive downfield, ending with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Kayden McGee to cut the lead down to one possession. On the next drive, Arnold would secure another big play on a 44-yard touchdown run to give UNLV their first lead of the game with seven and a half minutes to go.
However, the Rebels would need their defense to come up large, and the maligned unit put together a quality effort.
While the Rebels did allow 203 rushing yards to continue the struggles against the run, they were able to take advantage of a Lobos team down on its luck at the quarterback position. Linebacker Cam Santee was responsible for one of three sacks, as well as leading the Rebels with 12 tackles (2.5 for loss). Andre Porter and Elias Rudolph recorded the other sacks.
However, UNLV’s biggest play would come on the final New Mexico drive, as cornerback Tony-Louis Nkuba was able to record the game-winning interception for their sole turnover of the game.
With their sixth victory on the season, the Rebels secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, which becomes a new program record.
UNLV now has a chance to secure some real momentum heading into their bowl game, finishing off their road schedule against San Jose State next Saturday.