UNLV football erased a 14-7 halftime deficit to defeat No. 23 New Mexico 21-17 Saturday night before a packed University Stadium in Albuquerque. The victory snapped the Lobos' streaks of 11 consecutive conference wins and 11 straight home victories, while making the Rebels (6-4, 4-2 Mountain West) bowl eligible for a fourth straight season and keeping them in contention for a conference championship appearance.
The Rebels' defense, often criticized this season, dominated the final 30 minutes, holding New Mexico to just 88 total yards after intermission. UNLV has allowed only 17 second-half points across its last three games. The unit sealed the upset when Tony-Louis Nkuba intercepted a pass in the closing moments. Quarterback Jackson Arnold credited the defense, saying the team had confidence all week that they would only need three touchdowns to win.
Arnold provided the go-ahead score with a 44-yard touchdown run in the second half. He finished 11 of 26 for 201 yards with two passing touchdowns and one interception. New Mexico (8-2, 5-1) built its early lead behind a 3-yard run by Scottre Humphrey and a 9-yard touchdown catch by Cade Keith. UNLV struggled early, going three-and-out on its first three drives and losing a fumble on a strip sack deep in Lobos territory.
The Rebels finally scored before halftime when Arnold connected with Keyan Burnett on a 16-yard touchdown pass. Head coach Dan Mullen, who called the win the biggest of his two-year tenure, was doused with water and handed the game ball afterward. "Beating a ranked team is fun and all that but to still be in that championship hunt is the..." Arnold said, trailing off as the celebration continued.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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