UNLV picks up fifth straight road win with clunking of Utah State

Coming off its first loss of the season, UNLV football bounced back as it returned to conference play with a win.

The Rebels thumped the Utah State Aggies, 50-34, Friday Oct. 11 from the Maverik Stadium for a fifth straight road win. Through six games this season, this year’s Go-Go offense has produced 45.3 points per game.

Last week’s loss to Syracuse not only knocked UNLV from the ranks of the unbeatens, it knocked the program from the AP Top-25 rankings.

Seven weeks into the season, Odom’s squad sports a 5-1 overall record with a 2-0 mark in the Mountain West. Entering play, the team sat as the third-best team in the conference standings behind San Jose State (4-1, 2-0) and Boise State (4-1, 1-0).

Friday night marked the first of back-to-back road games for the Rebels. Next, the club will take a break from Mountain West play for a date with the Oregon State Beavers.

That game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

Senior defensive captain Jackson Woodard’s great game last week was marred by an overtime touchdown that he allowed near the goal line. He responded with his best game of the season so far.

On a night where he racked up 12 tackles, which shared for the team-high, he’d power the UNLV defense to a big night. He’d help kill a drive early in the second quarter after recovering a fumble forced by teammate Charles Correa.

Soon after, Woodard would add his third interception of the season and his second in as many weeks. In the fourth quarter, he’d steal another one for two total on the night.

The Rebels scored 20 points off turnover in the win and now are tied for first in the nation with a +12 turnover margin. At one point, the Aggies went more than 19 minutes without scoring.

Utah State caught a rhythm and scored on three of four second half drives before Woodard’s second interception.

It was the first play, quick strike offense for UNLV that put the team in prime position. A shovel pass to All-American receiver Jacob De Jesus went for 37 yards on the game’s opening play. That’d be followed with a 37-yard run from senior running back Kylin James, who’d later cap the drive with a five-yard touchdown run.

James would score twice on the night as part of 313 rushing yards by the program.

Reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jai’Den Thomas had his first 100-yard game of the season and the second of his collegiate career with a game-high 139 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. James added 105 yards and a score on 13 touches.

Fifth-year quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams had another monster outing, going 13-for-20 with 233 passing yards and three touchdowns. He added 65 yards on 14 ground touches.

Through his first three starts as a Rebel, he’s accounted for 669 total yards (409 passing) with a 83% completion rate with eight total touchdowns versus one interception.

Williams was part of a 41-point first half which is the most first half points in program history against an FBS team.

All-American Ricky White III has been the biggest beneficiary of Williams moving into the starting quarterback role. White ended the night with a team-high 138 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.

That marks his fourth 100-yard game of the season with three coming in the last three weeks. Over that stretch, he has tallied 400 yards and five receiving touchdowns on 27 catches while adding two special team scores.