LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV (4-3/2-2) football team fumbled on its opening two drives to allow Air Force (5-2/2-2) to build a quick 14-0 lead en route to a 42-7 win before a season-high Homecoming crowd of 23,847 at Allegiant Stadium Saturday night.
Playing without starting quarterback Doug Brumfield because of injury, the Rebels fell to the Falcons for the fifth straight time. Making his first start since last season, Cameron Friel accounted for two of UNLV's three first-half fumbles – all of which were converted into touchdowns as the Rebels fell to 3-1 at Allegiant Stadium this fall.
The Rebels, who also lost starting running back Aidan Robbins to injury in the opening quarter, got on the board before halftime with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Friel to Ricky White, who finished with four catches for a game-high 58 receiving yards.
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Super Senior LB Austin Ajiake, who came in leading the Mountain West in total tackles, finished with a career-high 20 takedowns vs. the Falcons, which was just two off the school single-game record posted by Quincy Sanders vs. Air Force in 1999.
STAT OF THE GAME:
With its back-to-back fumbles lost, UNLV allowed more points off turnovers (14) in the first 10 minutes of the game than the rest of the season combined (13 in six games).
QUOTABLE:
"Disappointed in the way we took care of the ball offensively and put ourselves behind the stakes, that's the bottom line. I'm disappointed in the way we started the game, moved the ball and didn't take care of it. We've done a good job this season, for the most part, but you can't put yourself behind the eight ball versus a team that is that effective."
-UNLV Head Coach Marcus Arroyo
REBEL NOTES:
-UNLV opened the game with a methodical, nine-play, 60-yard drive that was thwarted when quarterback Cameron Friel fumbled the ball away on the end of an option play
-Two Rebels made their first career starts on Saturday: freshman DL Ryan Keeler and redshirt freshman LB Marsel McDuffie
-UNLV lost more than two fumbles in a game for the first time since Sept. 15, 2018, vs. Prairie View A&M
-The Rebels came into the game plus-eight in turnovers on the season but lost the turnover battle 4-0 to the Falcons
-Friel's start in place of an injured Doug Brumfield meant UNLV has not seen the same quarterback start every game in a full season since Jon Denton in 1996
-DL Darius Johnson turned in a season-high 16 total tackles
NEXT FOR THE REBELS:
UNLV will close out its non-conference schedule by heading to a historic trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 22. The program's first-ever trip to the Hoosier State will be televised by Peacock starting at 11:30 am PT.
