Sept. 20, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes
IOWA STATE AT UNLV GAME NOTES
Sept. 20, 2008
UNLV improved to 3-1 to mark its most victories in a season since going 6-6 in 2003. The Rebels had won just two games in each of the last four seasons.
The Rebels notched their first-ever victory over Iowa State in five games to improve to 3-10 all-time vs. the Big 12 Conference.
UNLV defeated a team from a BCS automatic-bid conference in consecutive weeks for the first time ever (Pac-10 and Big 12).
After coming into 2008 with a 1-7 all-time record in overtime, the Rebels have won two such games in back-to-back weeks. The wining TD marked only the third time UNLV scored even a single touchdown in 10 OT games all-time (2002 and 2004 both vs. Wyoming at Sam Boyd Stadium). Head coach Mike Sanford improved to 2-1 in overtime games.
True freshman Phillip Payne hauled in his fifth touchdown reception of the season. The Las Vegas native already has exceeded UNLV's 2007 leader, RB Frank Summers, who had four.
UNLV sophomore QB Omar Clayton extended his school-record streak of pass attempts without an interception to 139. He came into Saturday with the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.
The Rebels notched three non-conference wins in a season for only the third time in the last 16 years (2000, '03).
UNLV went 3-3 in the red zone to improve them to a perfect 13-13 this season, including 10 touchdowns. The Rebels ranked last in the MWC a year ago with an average of 70 percent (26-37), including only 41 percent scoring TDs (15-37).
Senior DL Thor Pili's first-quarter sack was the first of his Rebel career.
Omar Clayton's 20-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter was his first of the season and the longest rushing score by a Rebel QB since Clayton's 52-yarder vs. Colorado State on Oct. 20, 2007.
Frank Summers' 48-yard catch and run for a touchdown was his first receiving score of the season. The big senior tailback led UNLV with four TD catches in 2007.
UNLV led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. It marked the program's biggest lead at the end of the opening period since the Rebels led 27-3 vs. Wyoming in Laramie in 2001. The Rebels' 21-0 halftime lead was their biggest advantage at the break since a 30-3 outburst vs. Idaho State on Sept. 2, 2006.
Casey Flair's first-quarter catch extended his streak to having at least one reception to 39 games (or every game of his career). That tied the senior for second place on UNLV's all-time list with Damon Williams (1995-98) and put him just two behind record-holder Earvin Johnson (2001-04). Flair's streak currently ranks second in the nation behind Jarett Dillard of Rice's 40.
Omar Clayton's three touchdown throws gave him nine for the year, exceeding the team's leader from last year, Travis Dixon who had eight.
Casey Flair's 92 yards receiving made him the eighth Rebel in history to reach the 2,000-yard receiving mark in a career with 2,019. Junior Ryan Wolfe's 61 yards made him the ninth to reach the mark at 2,002.
Ryan Wolfe's lost fumble in the third quarter marked UNLV's first turnover of the season. At kickoff, the Rebels and Florida were the only two teams in the nation who had not turned the ball over after playing three games this fall. That miscue, which came after Wolfe caught a pass from Omar Clayton, broke UNLV's school-record streak of 14 quarters during any point of the season without a turning the ball over.
Frank Summers reached the 100-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive week with 109 yards on 27 carries. He now has six career century-mark games.
UNLV set a season high for points (34), first downs (23), rushing yards (209), passing yards (245) and total yards (454) in the win over ISU.
UNLV scored over 30 points in a game for the first time since putting up 42 vs. Air Force the close out the 2006 season.
