Sept. 22, 2012
AIR FORCE AT UNLV GAME NOTES
Sept. 22, 2012
UNLV opened conference play vs. Air Force for the sixth time, which is more than any other school.
The Rebels' 38-35 victory snapped an eight-game losing streak for the school as well as a five-game losing skid to the Falcons.
The winning team in this series averages 38 points - exactly what the Rebels scored Saturday - and has never scored less than 24.
UNLV won its first conference opener since shutting out Utah in 2007. The Rebels improved to just 9-22 all-time in league lid-lifters but 7-9 when they took place at home.
All four UNLV games in 2012 have been decided by single digits. That's after only two Rebel games were decided by single digits in the first two seasons (a win over CSU and a loss at UNM in 2011) under head coach Bobby Hauck.
Tonight closed the school's first four-game season-opening homestand since 1973.
On a night that UNLV's leading tackler - safety Peni Vea - did not play, fellow Hawaiian John Lotulelei picked up the slack with a team-season-high 14 total tackles.
UNLV did not allow a quarterback sack in a game for the first time since Nov. 12, 2011, at New Mexico.
Two Rebels made their first career starts vs. the Falcons: true freshman DB Kenny Keys and JC transfer defensive lineman Mark Garrick. Also, last year's starting quarterback Caleb Herring started his first game at WR.
RB Tim Cornett ran for a two-yard touchdown in the first quarter, which was the junior's fourth trip to the end zone of the season and 20th overall score of his career, which tied him for seventh in UNLV history.
Cornett's 114 yards on just 17 carries vs. AFA marked his third 100-yard game in the first four games of the season and his fifth in the last seven, dating back to 2011.
Marcus Sullivan fell just one yard short of becoming the first Rebel to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Earvin Johnson did it in 2002. Sullivan had 136 last week vs. Washington State and finished with 99 vs. Air Force.
UNLV forced the first turnover of the year by Air Force as DB Kenny Brown forced a fumble that was caught in the air by LB Tani Maka. The Rebels still have not lost a fumble in 2012.
UNLV won the time of possession battle over the Air Force, 32:14 to 27:46.
