After a 28-6 win over the Sacramento State Hornets last Thursday, the Vandals could not keep a six-game winning streak alive. Idaho lost 44-16 to the Rebels at the Kibbie Dome in Idaho.
Idaho head coach Paul Petrino said he took full blame for the loss in the press conference after the game.
“It’s my fault,” Petrino said. “I didn’t get this team ready enough to play”.
In the first quarter of the game the Rebels were quick to get on the score board thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by UNLV quarterback Armani Rodgers. Rodgers later found himself face in the turf towards the end of the quarter on account of a sack from Idaho junior linebacker Tony Lashley.
As the second quarter rolled around the Vandals offense struggled going three and out. The kickers ended up running this quarter. UNLV’s Evan Panteles and Idaho’s redshirt freshman kicker Cade Coffey both scored the extra three points for their teams with 40-yard made field goals. Idaho headed into the half the losing team, down 10-3.
The third quarter was a high scoring one for the Rebels. Right off the bat UNLV’s Thomas Lexington scored a touchdown from a long 60-yard run following a good kick by Panteles to put the opponents up 17-3. The Rebels found themselves in the end zone once again after a 1-yard run by Lexington to extend the lead 24-3. UNLV managed to score again in the third quarter on another field goal.
The Vandals ended up scoring their first touchdown of the game with a 1-yard run by senior quarterback Matt Linehan with a good kick by a good kick from Coffey to bring the score to 27-10. Shortly after
UNLV managed to score for the fourth time in the quarter on a 62-yard run by Lexington resulting in yet another Rebels touchdown, once again widening the score gap to 34-10.
In the fourth quarter Idaho looked for a comeback with an immediate touchdown from senior wide receiver Reuben Mwehla, with a failed extra point attempt from Coffey to set the score at 34-16.
Shortly after, UNLV scored again with a 94-yard pass to Devonte Boyd who ran the ball into the end zone. The last scoring drive of the game came from the Rebels with a 27-yard field goal by Pentels to cap the game off 44-16.
The Vandals may have lost a brutal fight but Petrino said he has plans to find and fix the obvious problems on the field.
“We got to come back next week,” he said. “Go to work and find whatever it is”
The next game is the first away game of the season for the Vandals at Western Michigan 7 p.m. Sep. 6th.
Marisa Lloyd can be reached at [email protected]