FRESNO, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) – Facing a ranked opponent for the third straight week for the first time in school history, UNLV (0-4/0-1) put a big scare in No. 22 Fresno State (4-1/1-0) before falling 38-30 in a thriller at Bulldog Stadium Friday night.
 
UNLV led for much of the game, jumping out to a 14-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter, 14-9 at halftime, and was up 30-29 with under seven minutes left before the Bulldogs scored the final nine points in front of a crowd of 35,093.
 
The Rebels, who were opening Mountain West play, were forced to play two different quarterbacks again as starter Doug Brumfield left the game with an injury. True freshman Cameron Friel spelled Brumfield, who actually returned in the third quarter to engineer an 80-yard catch-and-run for a score by Tyleek Collins that built the visitor's lead to 21-9. Brumfield threw his first two career touchdowns in finishing with 143 yards while Friel 9-of-15 attempts for 138 yards.
 
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Playing in front of his hometown for the final time, including 50 family and friends in the UNLV section, Super Senior Charles Williams led his team in both rushing and receiving yards. He ran for 102 yards and one touchdown and caught three passes for a career-high 96 yards, including a 50-yard sprint. The Chuck Wagon averaged nearly 110 yards rushing per game in five career matchups with the Bulldogs.
 
STAT OF THE GAME:
PK Daniel Gutierrez improved to 7-for-7 on field goals this season and 28-of-34 in his career, which raised his career percentage to 82.4 -- the highest in school history
 
QUOTABLE:
"I didn't want to disappoint them. I put it all on the line. It may be the last time they get to see me play in person because the next level is not guaranteed. So I wanted to give them all I could."
-UNLV Running Back Charles Williams about playing in front of his extended family
 
REBEL NOTES:
-The Rebels fell to 13-27 in conference openers
-UNLV dropped to 8-9-1 in games played on Friday
-UNLV has now trailed after the first quarter in just one game this season – 7-0 last week vs. Iowa State
-This marked the third time FS was ranked while facing UNLV (2013, 2018)
-Jacoby Windmon led the way defensively, finishing with eight total tackles, including one TFL
-Las Vegas native Adam Plant had UNLV's lone QB sack for a loss of seven yards
-Phillip Hill hauled in his second interception of the season and the fourth by UNLV this season, which doubles the total the Rebels had in all six games in 2020
-The game featured two of the nation's top four running backs in career FBS rushing yards. Williams came in ranked No. 1 in the nation while FS standout Ronnie Rivers was fourth and finished with 48 yards on 14 carries
-UNLV outrushed the home team 152-83
-The Rebels remained perfect in the red zone in 2021 by scoring all four times vs. the Bulldogs
-UNLV's defense held the Bulldogs to just 3-of-11 on third downs
 
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS:
UNLV will travel stay on the road and make its first-ever trip to play UTSA of Conference USA at the famed Alamodome. The game will be shown by ESPN+ and kick off at 3 p.m. PT.