Payne leaps, lands with thrilling Rebels victory

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Fade passes to sophomore receiver Phillip Payne are nearly automatic, and UNLV couldn’t have picked a better time to call one Saturday night.

Quarterback Omar Clayton’s 15-yard pass to a leaping Payne over Hawaii cornerback Tank Hopkins in the right corner of the end zone with 36 seconds remaining gave the Rebels a 34-33 victory at Sam Boyd Stadium before a crowd of 29,717.

Clayton said he was surprised to see Payne in single coverage, especially in that situation. Payne has made a habit of catching fade passes in the end zone.

“A lot of teams in the red zone like to have the safety over to double cover Phil,” Clayton said. “They didn’t, so it was an opportunity to get to the jump ball, and he did what he usually does.”

Payne also did that in the third quarter, his 8-yard catch of a fade giving the Rebels their first lead, 21-20.

He expected double coverage in the final minute with the Rebels trying to take the lead. “I was real surprised,” Payne said.

The play gave the Rebels (2-1) a big victory. Their fortitude was tested after losing a 23-21 decision the week before to Oregon State.

And that fortitude was challenged several times by Hawaii (2-1). The Warriors twice took the lead in the fourth quarter, and both times UNLV responded immediately with touchdown drives.

“I think the big thing that we talked about this week is people who are successful in the clutch love being in the clutch,” UNLV coach Mike Sanford said. “Instead of being afraid of it, look at it as a great opportunity, and our guys did.”

The Rebels, who will play at Wyoming on Saturday to open Mountain West Conference play, got some big performances in totaling 460 yards.

Clayton completed 28 of 43 passes for a career-high 340 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Ryan Wolfe caught nine passes for 130 yards — he also went over 3,000 career yards — and Payne had eight receptions for 94 yards.

But so many plays went against UNLV, in some ways it was amazing the Rebels were in the game.

Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander completed 31 of 48 passes for 477 yards and three touchdowns, and three Warriors receivers broke 100 yards. Plus, Clayton threw two interceptions, including one near Hawaii’s goal line.

UNLV had another drive stall in the red zone, and kicker Kyle Watson missed a 24-yard field goal.

That same drive, however, opened the second half by taking almost nine minutes off the clock. It not only kept Hawaii’s offense off the field, but gave the Rebels confidence they could move the ball.

And they did. Their next — and final — three drives ended with touchdowns.

The Rebels’ decisive series covered 67 yards on 14 plays, consuming 4:40 and ending with the fade to Payne. The Warriors took a chance leaving Payne in single coverage, and it cost them.

“Yeah, it was a mismatch,” Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said. “But we had a full-out blitz and hit (Clayton) the two times before he got that one off.”

Hawaii had one last shot, reaching midfield in the closing seconds, and a desperation pass by Alexander as time expired fell incomplete in the end zone after Wolfe and safety Chris Jones knocked it down.

“We just laid it out all on the line today,” Wolfe said.

INJURY UPDATE — UNLV wide receiver Rodelin Anthony suffered an apparent concussion and isn’t expected to play at Wyoming. Guard Sean Tesoro is out for the season with a broken right ankle.