Sept. 24, 2011
UNLV Game Notes
-Tani Maka not only picked off his first career interception in the first quarter. It marked the first interception of the year for the Rebels.
-UNLV faked a 41-yard field goal attempt that saw holder (and former QB) Mike Clausen instead throw a 23-yard touchdown to tight end Austin Harrington to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead.
-The successful fake meant UNLV scored first in two straight games after going 15 straight games seeing the opponent score first.
-USC transfer Daniel Harper (who became immediately eligible this fall as a graduate student at UNLV) got his first interception as a Rebel later in the first quarter.
-After committing zero turnovers in the first three games, UNLV QB Caleb Herring lost a fumble and threw three interceptions for a touchdown in the 41-16 loss.
-Senior Phillip Payne had a career night in the loss with 13 receptions for 175 yards and a TD (previous highs were 10 catches for 170 yards). The 13 grabs marked the second-most in UNLV single-game history (Randy Gatewood had an NCAA-record 23 vs. Idaho in 1994).
-Payne's 19-yard scoring reception late in the game gave the Las Vegas native four on the season and 23 in his career, which is just one behind all-time record holder Henry Bailey (24 from 1991-94). Payne also became the 10th Rebel in history to reach the 2,000-yard mark as he now has 2,091. He also moved up two places to rank ninth in program history with 152 catches as a Rebel.
-UNLV lost to an NCAA FCS team for the first time since falling 48-38 to Idaho on Sept. 17, 1994. The Rebels came into Saturday 3-0 since that game vs. the FCS.
-The Rebels faced one of the teams that currently make up the Great West Conference for the first time since downing North Dakota in 1977.
-UNLV won't return to Sam Boyd Stadium for 35 days. The Rebels have two bye weeks and two road games until taking on Colorado State at home on Oct. 29.
-UNLV lost to SUU for the first time in four all-time meetings. The two programs had not met since 1970.
-The Rebels came in having zero returned punts through three games but Michael Johnson returned five for 43 yards vs. the t-Birds, including a long of 21.
-Backup QB Sean Reilly saw his first significant action as a Rebel and completed five of six passes for 48 yards. In fact, four different Rebels attempted at least one pass vs. SUU (Herring, Reilly, holder Clausen and punter Chase Lansford -- who attempted a pass on a fake punt).
