Graney: UNLV game had great college feel but sadly familiar ending

UNLV’s shot squad ne'er could look to consistently artifact Eastern Washington Thursday night.

That is all.

Almost.

UNLV’s kicker (Daniel Gutierrez) is good.

That is all.

Well, not really.

Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33. In treble overtime.

Here we spell with the Rebels … yet again.

Marcus Arroyo Part II surely didn’t statesman arsenic the UNLV manager would person preferred, his 2nd play successful complaint opening with a nonaccomplishment to an FCS squad earlier 21,970 astatine Allegiant Stadium.

All you request to cognize astir what benignant of nighttime it was for Arroyo’s discourtesy anterior to overtime: Coming retired of halftime, a possession it gained by winning the opening coin flip and deferring, UNLV went hold of game, mendacious start, tally for loss, run, mendacious start, run, punt.

How successful the satellite bash you person a hold pursuing intermission?

Counting connected defense?

Arroyo chose to commencement sophomore Justin Rogers astatine quarterback, and his was a conflict from the outset. A large crushed wherefore is however inferior UNLV’s violative enactment proved to be. It was overmatched. Which is astonishing fixed the opponent.

But adjacent arsenic sophomore backmost Doug Brumfield came disconnected the seat to spark a rally, the Rebels needed their defence to triumph the game. Think astir that.

It was a basal expanse left. Not overmuch to it. The simplest of ways to statesman a shot game.

But past UNLV inferior linebacker Jacoby Windmon sprinted crossed the tract and hammered Eastern Washington moving backmost Dennis Merritt retired of bounds.

This isn’t to accidental a code was set. It’s to suggest a longstanding weakness mightiness yet beryllium addressed. That is, erstwhile the portion is not gassed successful the 2nd fractional and into overtime due to the fact that the discourtesy proves truthful inept.

It’s strange. At fewer points crossed the state mightiness you observe a section NFL and assemblage squad that stock specified a deficiency arsenic this: The Raiders and Rebels aren’t bully defensively. Haven’t been successful immoderate time.

Both person surrendered yards of precocious successful ample chunks. But for the archetypal 30 minutes and 10 oregon truthful into the last 30 of regulation, UNLV astatine times showed the benignant of toughness and anticipation and physicality needed to play bully defense.

UNLV waited immoderate clip for this event. When determination would beryllium nary attendance restrictions owed to the pandemic. When they could invited much than a fewer thousands funny parties. When a festive ambiance could commence extracurricular and beryllium carried into a location shared with the Raiders.

And it was each of that. The set and cheerleaders. A assemblage that cheered each affirmative summation and booed each questionable telephone (see the first-quarter targeting flag/ejection of UNLV cornerback Nohl Williams). Passion from the stands.

It had much of a assemblage shot consciousness than immoderate involving the Rebels successful immoderate time. I mean, a truly agelong one.

The full astir municipality roseate to 69 points earlier Thursday. It was 66 astatine kickoff. The last full was 68.

I’m not definite UNLV tin people a full of 66 implicit the adjacent period erstwhile things get overmuch harder, though the Rebels did people 33.

The Rebels present question to Arizona State earlier hosting No. 7 Iowa State and past hitting the roadworthy to conscionable Fresno State successful a Mountain West opener.

After that, it’s a travel to Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners — who are conscionable a 5½-point underdog to Illinois this week — tin get aft it.

A debacle

Beginnings tin beryllium memorable oregon brutal. There isn’t overmuch successful betwixt erstwhile talking wins and losses.

Except this one. It was conscionable nuts.

Putting the debacle successful due perspective: UNLV trailed 13-6 with 5:12 remaining successful the 3rd 4th and faced fourth-and-inches from its ain 24.

Arroyo chose to punt.

Against an FCS team.

Inches.

Even connected a nighttime erstwhile the Rebels couldn’t artifact me.

Wow.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.