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Rushing Rebels roll up records in home-opening victory
Provided content from UNLV Athletics.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Improving to 2-0 for the first time in a quarter century, the UNLV football team set a record with 695 total offensive yards in a 72-14 victory over FCS visitor Utah Tech (0-2) Saturday afternoon.
Playing in front of the program’s biggest home-opener crowd since hosting UCLA in 2015, UNLV students showed up in record numbers at Allegiant Stadium to help make up the 24,512 in attendance. That crowd also included members of the 1974 UNLV team that was honored at halftime to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of that squad’s 12-1 season, which ended in the NCAA Division II semifinals.
Improving to 2-0 for the first time in a quarter century, the UNLV football team set a record with 695 total offensive yards in a 72-14 victory over FCS visitor Utah Tech (0-2) Saturday afternoon.(Courtesy: UNLV Athletics)
Ricky White III dominated the first quarter against the Trailblazers, who were facing the Rebels for the first time in football. The All-American senior receiver hauled in three touchdowns in the opening stanza and finished with 111 yards on five catches to go with a blocked punt on special teams.
Matthew Sluka was the first of a trio of quarterbacks to play and netted 70 yards on the ground, including a 30-yard touchdown scamper, to go with his three TD throws. Hajj-Malik Williams started the second half behind center and ran 10 times for 88 yards while not attempting a pass. Cameron Friel closed things at QB, including rushing for a score.
UNLV broke the 500-yard rushing mark for only the third time in school history (504) while six different players rushed for a touchdown. In fact, no less than a dozen different Rebels carried the ball at least once, led by true freshman Greg Burrell out of Las Vegas, whose 101 yards on 11 carries included a TD and marked the most rush yards by a UNLV player in a game under second-year head coach Barry Odom.
Another local product freshman, Caden Chittenden, added three field goals on the day as he scored 15 points.
With UNLV scoring its second-most points in a half (record is 52 in 2015 vs. Idaho State) in building a 44-7 halftime lead, an eye-popping 89 different Rebels saw action in the game with 27 of them being credited with at least one tackle on defense.
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Ricky White III didn’t play long – but made a huge impact – hauling in three touchdowns in a span of eight minutes (5, 55 and 7 yards) and was rewarded for his work on special teams with his first career punt block, which led to a Rebel field goal – all in the first quarter. White’s 111 yards moved him into 11th on UNLV’s career receiving yards list with 2,224, passing Hall of Famer Keenan McCardell (2,189 from 1987-90).
STAT OF THE GAME:
UNLV’s 695 total yards (504 rush, 191 pass) of offense bested the 671 racked up against Idaho in 1977.
QUOTABLE:
“Our kids were excited to play at home. 7,642 students at UNLV claimed their tickets for the first game and we are so thankful how outstanding that was – and that’s just a start. We are going to turn this place into a great home-field advantage. It will only grow. You could feel them today on the field and that was awesome.”
“We are excited offensively, defensively, on the progress that we made from week one to week two. It’s now a race to Friday night and we are certainly excited about being 1-0 at home and 2-0 on the season. It’s a short week – it’s a sprint with no finish line and our guys will get to work pretty quickly. We are excited about the progress that our team is making.”
-UNLV Head Coach Barry Odom
NOTABLE:
-These schools played each other for the first time despite being located just 120 miles apart
-The Rebels improved to 34-22 all-time in home-openers
-UNLV finished 8-of-8 in the red zone, including five touchdowns. Utah Tech finished 0-1 inside the Rebel 20-yard-line
-The Rebels won the turnover battle 2-1 as DB Johnathan Baldwin hauled in his fourth career interception and DL Waisale Muavesi picked up the team’s first fumble of the season
-Jet Thomas, who set the school record with 12 rushing touchdowns by a freshman last fall, started things off vs. Utah Tech with a 27-yard scoring burst
-Another true freshman, running back Devin Green, closed out the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown to give him 61 yards on just six carries
-WR Tim Conerly scored his first touchdown as a Rebel with an eight-yard rush
-Cooper Webb provided UNLV’s defense with its only sack
-The Rebels made all nine of their extra-point attempts, six by Chittenden and three by Andre Meono
UP NEXT: The Rebels head to another Big 12 Conference opponent, Kansas, for a Friday meeting on ESPN. Kickoff is set for 4 pm PT. Because of construction at the Jayhawks home stadium in Lawrence, the game will be played at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
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