Rebels prove to be err force

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AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — With the exception of its game against a potent Hawaii squad, UNLV has been able to count on its defense to keep it in games this season.

But on Saturday night, when the Rebels needed to make key stops, the defense instead made Air Force’s Chad Hall look like LaDainian Tomlinson — the 2006 version.

Technically a wide receiver, Hall rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns and added 44 yards receiving to lead the Falcons past the defenseless Rebels 31-14 at Falcon Stadium.

Hall took over in the second half of a game that was tied 7-7 at halftime, scoring on runs of 52 and 8 yards and rushing for 122 yards on 13 carries.

That led an Air Force ground game that totaled 309 yards, 237 in the second half.

“They ran through us,” said UNLV linebacker Beau Bell, who made eight tackles. “It was us. Lack of discipline. We weren’t staying stout in the front seven. It wasn’t that they were a dominant run team. They’re a good run team, but we could’ve stopped them. We let them do that to us.”

Air Force, the Mountain West Conference leader entering this game with a 225.8-yard average, is known for its ground game. But UNLV had held three opponents around the 100-yard mark.

Now the Rebels (2-4, 1-1 Mountain West) find themselves at a critical point. Conference leader Brigham Young visits Saturday, and UNLV is in danger of letting the season get away.

“We lost a game tonight, but I’m not going to allow this team to be defeated,” UNLV coach Mike Sanford said. “Defeat means that you give up, and we’re not giving up. We’re going to fight back.”

If the Rebels are to have any hope, they need to begin to take advantage of opportunities far better than they have up until now.

UNLV dominated statistically in the first half against Air Force (4-2, 3-1). The Rebels had more first downs (15-5), more yards (249-151) and more plays (49-24). They also controlled the ball for 20:24.

Yet the score was tied.

The Rebels drove to the Falcons 26-yard line with about six minutes left in the first quarter but failed to pick up the fourth-and-1 after quarterback Travis Dixon was stopped cold on a sneak.

Tailback Frank Summers, who rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown, was given the ball on fourth-and-goal at the 1 about midway through the second quarter. He tried to dive over the goal line only to be stopped on an outstanding play by Air Force defenders Ben Garland and John Rabold.

If UNLV converts in both short-yardage situations, it’s probably a different game.

“Those were two big ones,” said Dixon, who played one of his better games. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 274 yards and ran for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Air Force made UNLV pay for its errors, leaving no doubt in the second half.

Even so, the Rebels still outgained the Falcons 471 yards to 432 and had 30 more snaps. UNLV wide receiver Ryan Wolfe caught 10 passes for 164 yards.

Those typically would be the numbers for a winning team.

“We just didn’t play well enough to win,” Sanford said. “We didn’t tackle well. We allowed big plays on defense. And we didn’t score in the red zone. We had too many times where stopped ourselves.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.