Sept. 11, 2005
Recap | Box Score | Quotes
UNLV vs. IDAHO GAME NOTES
UNLV's 34-31 win broke a six-game losing streak and gave Mike Sanford his first career coaching victory. It also improved Rebel head coaches to 6-3 all-time in their first home openers. The Rebels improved to 24-14 all-time in home lid-lifters.
UNLV took a 3-2 lead in the all-time series vs. Idaho in the first meeting between the teams since 1994. The Rebels improved to 8-0 all-time vs. Western Athletic Conference teams since leaving the league after the 1998 season.
Sophomore Sergio Aguayo's game-winning 41-yard field goal was the first game-winning field goal by a UNLV kicker since Nick Garritano hit a 48-yarder with 27 seconds left to beat UTEP 19-17 on Sept. 12, 1992. Coupled with a 31-yarder in the first half, Aguayo has now made 13 of his last 14 attempts dating back to last season.
Shane Steichen's 51-yard touchdown run on UNLV's opening drive of the game was the longest of his career and first rushing touchdown in 2005 and the third of his career. It marked the longest run by a UNLV quarterback since Jason Thomas had a 53-yard scamper vs. Arkansas in the 2001 season opener.
Leon Moore recorded two sacks in the opening quarter and another in the fourth, giving him 14 for his career, moving him into seventh all-time in the UNLV record book.
Steichen finished the game with 104 yards rushing on 17 attempts, going over the century mark for the first time in his career. The last UNLV quarterback to gain at least 100 yards on the ground was Jason Thomas, who rushed for 103 yards against Arkansas in the 2001 opener.
Steichen set a career highs with 22 completions and 250 yards and tied a career high with 34 attempts.
Tight end Greg Estandia set a career high with six receptions, which went for 81 yards.
Erick Jackson set career highs with 77 yards on 19 carries, including an eight-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 31-31.
Idaho receivers Wendell Octave (6-146) and Daniel Smith (6-141), each had more than 100 yards receiving in the game. The last time that two receivers had 100 yards against UNLV was in 2001, when New Mexico receivers Dwight Counter (171) and Adrian Boyd (103) eclipsed the century mark in the 2003 season.
