The UNLV Rebels spent the weekend out of town to battle against the Spartans in San Jose for their second away game of the season on November 14th, 2020. The Rebels fell short once again, with a final score of 17-34.
Tanner Brown kicked off the game with 52-yards, followed by Shamar Garret’s return for 37-yards back to the 50-yard line. Seven minutes into the game, Daniel Gutierrez kicked a field goal, giving the Rebels the lead of 3-0.
The Spartans were quick to react, with a complete 41-yard pass from Nick Starkel to Bailey Gaither for a touchdown, putting San Jose State on top 7-3. Late in the first quarter, they added to their lead with a Matt Mercurio field goal, ending the quarter with a score of 3-10.
Four minutes into the second quarter, Tyler Nevens ran in a two-yard touchdown for the Spartans, adding even more to their lead. The Rebels were quick to close in the gap to 17-10, when Justin Rogers completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to freshman Kyle Williams. It was the first touchdown of Williams’ college career.
“[Scoring my first collegiate touchdown] is a great feeling. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since a little boy, but at the same time, it’s something I expected. I’ve been putting the work in since the offseason... I feel like the sky’s the limit with me so keep pushing,” Williams said in the post-game press conference regarding his touchdown.
The Spartans weren’t giving up their lead that easily, adding another touchdown and seven points shortly thereafter. Starkel made another complete pass to Gaither to end the first half of the game.
UNLV spent the majority of the third quarter with a strong offensive drive, with fourteen plays to earn another touchdown on a four-yard run from Charles Williams. The score cut the San Jose lead to 17-24.
With the remaining four minutes of the quarter, the Spartans returned the favor and earned their seven points back in five plays. Kairee Robinson ran 12-yards for a touchdown and a new score of 17-31.
In the fourth quarter, San Jose State was the only one to add to the score, with a 27-yard field goal from Matt Mercurio. The Rebels could not get any offense going in the final quarter of the game. They remain scoreless in fourth quarters this season.
“We talk about not letting UNLV beat UNLV but you can’t make those kinds of mistakes we did tonight and beat a good football team, which is what San Jose State is. We saw some growth in some areas and these guys will respond and come back and get ready for next week,” Head Coach Marcus Arroyo said.
UNLV will stay on the road next weekend, as they travel to Colorado State for their next away game against the Rams. Kickoff is at 2:30 pm PT on Saturday, November 21st. You can watch it on FS2.
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