UNLV climbed back from an early 21-point deficit and briefly swung momentum its way, but the Rebels ran out of answers in the fourth quarter and fell 38-21 in Boise.
Early collapse puts UNLV in a deep hole
The night began in disaster for UNLV. Boise State punted on its opening drive but then scored touchdowns on its next three possessions, carving up the Rebels with explosive plays from Maddux Madsen, Chase Penry and Malik Sherrod.
Boise State entered the championship as winners of the last two Mountain West titles and looked every bit the league’s standard bearer, controlling the early tempo and the environment on a rainy night at Albertsons Stadium.
Rebels surge back behind Colandrea and the ground game
Momentum shifted midway through the second quarter. Anthony Colandrea connected with JoJo Earle for 22 yards, sparked a power march with Keyvone Lee and Jai’Den Thomas, and then capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown keeper. After a defensive stop, Colandrea found Troy Omeire for an 11-yard score that cut the deficit to 21-14.
Even after Boise State answered to make it 28-14, UNLV responded again in the third quarter. Thomas ripped a 23-yard run, Earle added another chunk play, and on fourth and six Colandrea delivered a 20-yard strike to Nick Elksnis. Earle finished the possession out of the Wildcat to pull UNLV within 28-21 and quiet the home crowd.
For nearly a full quarter, UNLV dictated pace. The defensive front compressed Madsen’s rhythm, Boise State stalled repeatedly, and the Rebels began to look like the more physical team.
Costly penalty and fourth-quarter push end the comeback
The game shifted late in the third quarter. Boise State came up short on third and four near midfield, but a dead-ball personal foul on UNLV on the same sequence gave the Broncos free yardage before the punt. The penalty did not extend the drive, but it changed field position and momentum, and Boise State used that field-position edge to begin flipping momentum back their way.
Boise State regrouped and opened the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 78-yard touchdown drive, finished by Sire Gaines from the one. UNLV’s next two possessions unraveled with a sack, a false start and negative runs, allowing the Broncos to bleed clock before adding a long field goal to extend the lead to 38-21 with just over three minutes left.
Rebels fall to 10-3 and await bowl assignment
The loss drops UNLV to 10-3 in Dan Mullen’s first season. The Rebels were seeking their first conference championship and their first win over Boise State in the program’s recent meetings, but instead ran into a Broncos team that claimed its third straight Mountain West title.
Mullen noted earlier in the week that UNLV’s rise came from focusing on steady improvement, not hype. The Rebels showed that growth by making the championship competitive, but the early 21-point hole and costly mistakes ultimately proved insurmountable.
The Rebels now await their bowl destination, with a 10-win season still positioning them for one of the program’s most meaningful postseason opportunities.
Mullen said earlier in the week that his team had already exceeded expectations simply by reaching the title game. “Our goal at the beginning of the year was to be a better team at the end of the year than we were at the beginning. If we were able to do that and focus on that, we’d have the opportunity to have really good things happen to us,” he said.
Stats Summary
UNLV finished with 409 total yards on 72 plays, averaging 5.7 yards per snap. Boise State totaled 461 yards on 68 plays and controlled possession 30:54 to 28:42. The Rebels went 4 of 14 on third down and 1 of 2 on fourth, while the Broncos converted 10 of 16 third downs.
Passing
Anthony Colandrea completed 18 of 38 passes for 225 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. Boise State’s Maddux Madsen went 17 of 31 for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
Rushing
UNLV ran for 184 yards. Colandrea led with 66 yards and a score. Keyvone Lee added 58 yards on seven carries, and Jai’Den Thomas ran for 41 yards. JoJo Earle added 19 yards and a touchdown.
Boise State rushed for 172 yards, led by Dylan Riley’s 75 yards on 21 carries. Sire Gaines added 64 yards and a touchdown.
Receiving
JoJo Earle led UNLV with 45 yards. Donovan Reynolds had 39. Troy Omeire caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Boise State’s Chase Penry had 96 yards, Cameron Bates posted 65 and a score, and Malik Sherrod added 60 yards and a touchdown.
Special Teams
Cam Brown punted six times for a 44.8-yard average. Boise State’s Oscar Doyle averaged 40.3 on four punts.
UNLV’s Jalen Bradley returned two kicks for 56 yards, including a long of 34. Boise State’s Malik Sherrod totaled 117 return yards.
Turnovers and Penalties
UNLV lost one fumble and committed nine penalties for 75 yards. Boise State finished turnover free with three penalties for 20 yards.
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