Sept. 5, 2005
Recap | Final Stats
UNLV at New Mexico Rebel Game Notes 9-5-05
-UNLV opened a season vs. a conference opponent for the second time in history and first since 1984.
-New UNLV punter Kip Facer, who walked on to the team this fall out of junior college, narrowly earned the starting job over Brian Pacheco during game week. Facer's first career I-A boot went for 55 yards and a touchback.
-New starting CB John Guice made a nice diving catch to pick off his first pass as a Rebel but the turnover was negated by a UNLV roughing-the-passer penalty. UNM went on to score a touchdown on the drive to take a 17-0 lead.
-Redshirt freshman WR Casey Flair made his first career catch, an 11-yarder that gave UNLV its first first down of the season.
-UNLV had a play reviewed for the first time in its history (there were no calls reviewed last year while playing at Wisconsin under the Big 10 system) when head coach Mike Sanford threw the flag to signal a coaching challenge. The call on the field of incomplete pass was overturned and the Rebels recorded a 29-yard reception for Donell Wheaton and first down. UNLV went on to score a touchdown to make it 17-6.
-QB Shane Steichen hit Erick Jackson from 16 yards out for the team's first touchdown of the season. After misfiring on his first three pass attempts, Steichen hit nine of his last 10 to finish the first half 9-13 for 85 yards and a TD. Steichen finished the game with a career-high 227 yards passing.
-UNLV PK Sergio Aguayo missed his first extra point attempt of the season, which marked the first of his career after he set a school freshman record by hitting all 27 of his PAT tries in 2004.
-Aguayo opened the second-half scoring with a 31-yard field goal. Counting last season, Aguayo has hit nine of his last 10 attempts.
-Erick Jackson also posted UNLV's first rushing TD of the year with a three-yard rush in the fourth quarter that brought the Rebels to within 24-16.
-Junior wide receiver Donell Wheaton caught a career-high nine balls for 137 yards and one touchdown. His TD catch came with 1:31 left in the game, bringing the Rebels to within two at 24-22.
-UNLV failed on the on the two-point conversion as Jackson was stopped a yard short of the goal line on a shovel pass from Steichen.
