LOS ANGELES (UNLVRebels.com) – Playing at the famed LA Memorial Coliseum for only the second time, the UNLV football team opened its 51st season Saturday afternoon by giving No. 15/15 USC all it could handle before the Trojans pulled away with 24 points in the fourth quarter for a 43-21 victory.
Competing in sunny and humid conditions, UNLV got off to a miserable start, fumbling away the football on the very first play of the season. The Rebel defense responded, however, holding the Trojans to a subsequent field goal – the first of four three-pointers for the home team in the first half alone.
UNLV twice quieted the crowd by taking the lead before halftime, first when Lexington Thomas raced for a 71-yard touchdown on a fake reverse to make it 7-6; and then when Armani Rogers found Kendal Keys for a 31-yard scoring strike to make it 14-9. The Trojans eventually led by five at the break and, after a scoreless third quarter, outscored UNLV 24-7.
THE TURNING POINT:
Leading 14-12, UNLV had all the momentum late in the second quarter while driving to the USC 20-yard line. That's when the Rebels missed a 39-yard field goal attempt and the Trojans responded with a 79-yard touchdown drive to take a 19-14 lead, which they never relinquished.
STAT OF THE GAME:
USC kicker Chase McGrath made all five of his field goals and four extra points for 19 total points. The five three-pointers tied the record by a UNLV opponent (BYU's Owen Pochman in 1999).
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Lightning struck at the Coliseum when Lexington Thomas ran for 136 yards on just 14 carries. It marked the senior's 13th career 100-yard effort, which ranks third in school history and moves him to within four of tying the Rebel record of 17 set by Mike Thomas in 1973-74.
QUOTABLE:
"I told the guys … we're really disappointed in the outcome but we're proud of how hard they played. If we continue to play with that passion and that energy and come with the same mindset and preparation, I think it bodes well going into the UTEP game."
REBEL NOTES:
-UNLV outrushed USC 308 to 219 on the day.
-Lexington Thomas' 71-yard scoring scamper marked the ninth touchdown of 55 yards or longer by the senior, including seven in just the last 13 games.
-Quarterback Armani Rogers, who graduated from Los Angeles Hamilton High School, rushed for 82 net yards despite being sacked five times, and threw for two touchdowns despite finishing with just 97 yards through the air.
-UNLV PK Evan Pantels' 39-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter marked the first time the senior missed an attempt of 39 or shorter as a Rebel, having come in 23 of 23 under 40.
-The Rebels pulled off a fake punt to set up a touchdown in the second quarter when Evan Austrie ran for 36 yards and the first down.
-Senior captain safety Dalton Baker turned in 11 total tackles while junior cornerback Jericho Flowers finished with 10 to go with two pass breakups.
-Opening on the road vs. a ranked opponent for the first time since 2011, the Rebels fell to 5-40 all-time vs. ranked opponents and 4-16 vs. Pac-12 opponents who were in the league at the time of the game.
NEXT FOR THE REBELS:
UNLV hosts UTEP next Saturday starting at 6 p.m. Individual tickets for all six of UNLV's 2018 home football games are on sale now, while season tickets and three-game plans for the Rebels are also still available. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit UNLVtickets.com or call 702-739-FANS (3267). Parking is free at Sam Boyd Stadium for Rebel football games.
