Air Force exposes UNLV’s defensive holes
If Mike Sanford is retained as UNLV’s football coach after this season, he might want to consider recruiting some defensive players.
Guys in the mold of Beau Bell, Ryan Claridge and Jamaal Brimmer.
The type of defensive players UNLV signed before Sanford arrived following the 2004 season. They are nowhere to be found on the current roster.
Once again, the Rebels were defenseless when it mattered most, surrendering a 91-yard drive to set up kicker Ryan Harrison’s 19-yard field goal with 2:36 left Saturday to give Air Force a 29-28 victory at Sam Boyd Stadium.
It was a crushing loss for the Rebels (3-4, 0-3 Mountain West Conference), who have lost three in a row and saw their once-promising bowl prospects virtually evaporate.
They figure to be major underdogs next weekend at Brigham Young and the following week at home against Texas Christian, and losses in both games would mean having to win the final three to have even an outside chance to get a bowl bid.
If the Rebels fizzle yet again down the stretch, the heat also will increase on Sanford, who is 9-33.
It would be difficult to find much backing for a defense that allowed more than 200 yards rushing and more than 500 total yards for the third straight game. The Falcons burned UNLV for 346 yards on the ground and 508 total.
Fullback Todd Newell rushed for 134 yards, and quarterback Tim Jefferson added 99 yards running and 162 passing on just six completions in seven attempts.
Worse for UNLV, its defense let down at the worst time for the second game in a row.
Two weeks ago at Colorado State, the Rebels gave up a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Gartrell Johnson’s 10-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left. Colorado State added another score on the ensuing kickoff in the 41-28 victory over UNLV.
Air Force (5-2, 3-1) faced a similar situation, starting at its 8-yard line with 9:39 left. The Falcons picked up six first downs before Jefferson was forced out of bounds at the 1, and Harrison was brought in for what turned out to be the game-winning field goal.
UNLV had a chance, especially considering its offense had some bright moments.
Quarterback Omar Clayton wound up completing 19 of 30 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Wide receiver Phillip Payne caught six passes for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Ryan Wolfe made eight receptions for 78 yards.
Tailbacks Frank Summers and C.J. Cox combined for 129 yards and two TDs rushing.
UNLV seemed to be in excellent shape when Clayton completed a 22-yard pass to Payne to the Falcons’ 47. Clayton then hooked up with wide receiver Casey Flair for 7 yards to the 40 with 1:15 left.
After an incomplete pass, though, Clayton was forced to scramble and instead of throwing the ball away ran out of bounds for a 7-yard loss. That gave Air Force the luxury of declining a holding call and forcing the Rebels to go for it on fourth-and-10.
Clayton went to wide receiver Jerriman Robinson over the middle, but Air Force linebacker Justin Moore and safety Chris Thomas arrived with the ball and broke up the pass with 57 seconds left.
All the Falcons’ Jefferson had to do was kneel down, and the Rebels only could watch helplessly as their season began to fade.
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.
AIR FORCE 29UNLV 28
KEY: Ryan Harrison kicked a 19-yard field goal with 2:36 left for the Falcons.
NEXT: UNLV at Brigham Young, 11 a.m. Saturday PDT
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST QUARTER
Air Force 7, UNLV 0, 5:48 — Todd Newell 52 run (Ryan Harrison kick). Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:22. Key play: Rebels linebacker Ronnie Paulo has Newell by the ankle near the line of scrimmage, and the fullback breaks loose for the big scoring run up the middle.
SECOND QUARTER
Air Force 14, UNLV 0, 13:36 — Josh Cousins 28 pass from Tim Jefferson (Harrison kick). Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 4:55. Key plays: The Falcons go for it on fourth down twice and make it both times.
Air Force 14, UNLV 7, 8:14 — C.J. Cox 5 run (Kyle Watson kick). Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:09. Key play: On third-and-11, UNLV quarterback Omar Clayton scrambles and finds wide receiver Casey Flair, who makes a high grab while keeping his feet inbounds for a 15-yard gain to Air Force’s 19.
Air Force 17, UNLV 7, 1:36 — FG Harrison 26. Drive: 16 plays, 79 yards, 6:31. Key play: Air Force converts a third-and-5 when Newell picks up 8 yards to the Rebels’ 36.
Air Force 17, UNLV 14, 0:14 — Phillip Payne 28 pass from Clayton (Watson kick). Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 1:15. Key play: Yet another fade pass for a touchdown to Payne. On this one, he makes a terrific catch falling back despite solid coverage from cornerback Reggie Rembert.
THIRD QUARTER
Air Force 20, UNLV 14, 7:22 — FG Harrison 23. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:32. Key play: Jefferson rolls right and completes a pass to tight end Travis Dekker, who hurdles UNLV cornerback Geoffery Howard and runs to the Rebels’ 4 to complete a 59-yard gain.
UNLV 21, Air Force 20, 3:09 — Flair 9 pass from Clayton (Watson kick). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:07. Key plays: Wide receiver Ryan Wolfe converts two third downs, one on a 19-yard reception and the other on a 5-yard option run.
FOURTH QUARTER
UNLV 28, Air Force 20,14:50 — Frank Summers 45 run (Watson kick). Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:11. Key play: Summers bursts up the middle on third-and-2 and runs into the open field for a long scoring run.
UNLV 28, Air Force 26, 13:47 — Kyle Halderman 44 pass from Jefferson (run failed). Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, :55. Key play: Halderson beats cornerback Lorenzo Bursey Jr., and safety Chris Jones can’t get over in time.
Air Force 29, UNLV 28, 2:36 — FG Harrison 19. Drive: 17 plays, 91 yards, 7:03. Key plays: The Falcons pick up six first downs on their lengthy drive.
A —•21,055.
TEAM STATISTICS
AIR FORCE UNLV
First downs 26 22
Rushes-yards 68-346 35-153
Passing 162 251
Comp-Att-Int 6-7-0 19-30-0
Return Yards 3 0
Punts-Avg. 1-40.0 3-44.3
Fumbles-Lost 3-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 8-67 4-40
Time of possession 31:47 28:13
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Air Force, Newell 22-134, Jefferson 13-99, Clark 20-65, Halderman 1-14, Hyder 3-13, Paffett 2-13, Warzeka 1-7, Lumpkin 3-5, Team 3-(minus 4) UNLV, Summers 11-69, Cox 13-60, Clayton 9-22, Wolfe 1-5, Johnson 1-(minus 3).
PASSING — Air Force, Jefferson 6-7-0 162. UNLV, Clayton 19-30-0 251.
RECEIVING — Air Force, Cousins 2-35, Dekker 1-59, Halderman 1-44, Quintana 1-18, Newell 1-6. UNLV, Wolfe 8-78, Payne 6-124, Flair 4-39, Summers 1-10.
MISSED FIELD GOALS — Air Force, none. UNLV 1-43.
