LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Hosting
Cal (2-3/1-1) for the first time ever,
UNLV (3-2/1-0) got five total touchdowns from quarterback
Jackson Arnold (three passing and two rushing) to fight off the Golden Bears, 39-31, in front of a crowd of 30,632 at Allegiant Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Rebels improved to 7-2 vs. their last nine opponents from power conferences dating back to 2023.
After the Golden Bears took a 7-0 lead,
Kayden "Big Play" McGee lived up to his name with a 70-yard catch-and-run to even things. Arnold later sprinted 55 yards for the go-ahead score as the hosts built a 24-7 halftime lead.
Cal would rally in the second half, ultimately taking a 25-24 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining. Arnold would find TE
Keyan Burnett from 10 yards out to give his team the lead back before finding the end zone himself from two yards out to push the advantage back to two touchdowns.
Safety
Tre Fulton led all players with 10 total tackles, including sharing one of four sacks on the day while DB
Quandarius Keyes hauled in his second interception of the season to give UNLV five picks on the year.
REBEL OF THE GAME:
Arnold only completed half of his 22 pass attempts but filled up a basket of big plays. His 177 yards passing included the trio of scores while he became the first Rebel QB since 2024 to post a 100-yard rushing game with 110 on 15 attempts, including the pair that ended in the end zone. He now has eight TD passes to go with zero interceptions and leads the team with five rushing scores. The former Auburn transfer also ran in for a successful two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
QUOTABLE:
"It was a tremendous win by our guys who showed tremendous toughness as a football team. To go out and play that type of game, that had so many ups and downs for both sides -- to just battle. We come out and are struggling a little bit, the first half our defense plays unbelievable, with the exception of the one missed tackle that goes for 90 yards. The offense kind of sputtered until we got rolling and a lot of momentum. To come out in the second half and they come all the way back to take the lead and then (we showed) the grit it took for our guys to buckle down and come from behind. That just shows how much character all these guys have, everybody in that locker room has. That was a great football game between two teams that are battling. We've both got a ton of injuries. It came down right to the final play of the game between two teams battling. Huge job by our guys to finish that game and find a way to get the win. I'm so proud of us, to get a win over a Power 4 team from the ACC."
-UNLV Head Coach Dan Mullen
STAT OF THE GAME:
With the 2026 non-conference schedule now complete, UNLV improved to 13-4 vs. teams outside of the Mountain West since the start of 2023.
NOTABLE:
--The previous two meetings between these programs were split decisions with Cal winning in Berkeley, 20-14, in 2022, and UNLV winning 24-13 in the 2024 LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium
-This matchup was originally supposed to be UNLV's opening game at Allegiant Stadium in 2020 but was postponed six years because of the pandemic
-Cal did play once before in the city, downing BYU 35-28 in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl at UNLV's former home, Sam Boyd Stadium
-UNLV moved to 6-2 at home under second-year head coach Dan Mullen
-The Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown in 31 of their last 32 games
-UNLV improved to 29-1 since the start of 2023 when leading after the third quarter
-
Kayden McGee finished with 85 receiving yards on three catches, including the one score
-WR
Taz Reddicks caught a touchdown for the second week in a row
-Since missing his first attempt of the season
Ramon Villela has made his last four, including a 31-yarder vs. the Golden Bears
-Cal opened the scoring with the second-longest pass ever thrown by a UNLV opponent on a 91-yard touchdown play off a missed tackle
UP NEXT: UNLV will play its first Mountain West home game of the season by hosting undefeated North Dakota State in the first-ever meeting between the programs. Kickoff next Saturday is 4 p.m. and the game will be shown nationally by The CW.
