Utah State escapes Las Vegas with 28-24 win
Exasperation is one word to describe the sentiment during Utah State’s game against UNLV on Saturday evening.
The Aggies trailed the Rebels 24-21 deep into the fourth quarter and were losing in the worst of ways. There were six times throughout the game they got within the UNLV 40-yard line and didn’t score. They missed three field goals. Despite averaging just three yards per carry, they continued to run the football — 46 times on the night — and struggled to come away with points against the 0-5 Rebels.
But somehow, someway, Blake Anderson and the Aggies managed to escape Las Vegas with a 28-24 victory.
The run game, which didn’t work all night long, ultimately is what won it for the Aggies. With 35 seconds remaining, Elelyon Noa rushed 11 yards down the middle for the game-winning touchdown.
“Where do you start, on that one,” said Head Coach Blake Anderson. “We clearly did not play our best ball in a lot of areas…we found a way to make some big plays down the stretch when we absolutely had to.”
Besides Noa’s run, most of the offensive production came primarily from the passing game.
Quarterback Logan Bonner finished the night with 21-of-32 passing for 298 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception. His main target was receiver Deven Thompkins, who finished with two touchdowns and 12 receptions for a career-high 180 yards.
Down the stretch, the Aggie defense held strong. After giving up a touchdown in the first drive of the second half, they held UNLV to a punt, punt, interception, punt, and interception in the final five drives. It was necassary, because following the first drive of the second half, when the Aggies went up 24-21, the offense failed to score.
With 4:58 left in the game, a field goal from Connor Coles was blocked. Exasperation turned into desperation.
But the defense stepped up, managing to bottle up UNLV running back Charles Williams, who ran wild most of the night — rushing for 226 yards and three touchdowns — and force a three and out.
Getting the ball back with 2:46 left, Bonner found Derek Wright for 16 and 14 yard completions, setting up Noa’s run. A interception by Shaq Bond would seal the game.
The game opened with history. In the first quarter, following a UNLV field goal, Las Vegas native Savon Scarver returned a kick-return 100 yards to the endzone. The score ties the NCAA record for kickoff return yards at 7.
“I told him all weekend, you’re gonna get home this week, you’re gonna get one this week,” Anderson said. “And we felt good, number one, with how they kick the ball and how they cover. I thought Nick [Paremski] and Bobby [Dodd] did a great job schematically of putting us in a position to get a big one. And then the kids executed. But at the end of the day, man that dude’s electric.”
The Aggies second touchdown of the half came from a 37-yard pass from Bonner to Thompkins. UNLV scored two touchdowns in the first half as well. The first play after Scarver’s kick return, Williams broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run. The following Aggie possesion, Bonner threw an intercpetion to Cameron Oliver, who took it down to the 10 yard line, setting up another Williams score. The Rebels would lead 17-14 going into the half.
The Aggies now turn their attention to Colorado State, who they take on at Maverik Stadium on Friday night.