UNLV found a way to win without its offense ever reaching the end zone.
The Rebels leaned on three interceptions, two fourth-down stops and a second-half shutout to beat previously unbeaten North Dakota State 13-7 Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. UNLV improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in Mountain West play while extending its winning streak to three games.
North Dakota State outgained UNLV 300-255 and finished with three more first downs. The Bison still scored only once because UNLV repeatedly made the bigger play when the field tightened.
Head coach Dan Mullen called it a team win built on toughness after the game, while quarterback Jackson Arnold credited a defense that carried the Rebels through an uneven offensive afternoon.
Porter delivers the opening punch
Andre Porter gave UNLV its only touchdown before the offense had produced a first down.
With North Dakota State backed up at its own 25, Porter intercepted Nathan Hayes and returned the ball 23 yards for a touchdown. The play gave UNLV a 7-0 lead with 9:39 left in the first quarter.
The defensive lineman said afterward that UNLV had practiced a similar look during the week, allowing him to recognize the opportunity when it appeared.
The Bison threatened to answer immediately, driving across midfield on their next possession. Mumu Bin-Wahad intercepted Hayes at the UNLV 23, giving the Rebels takeaways on consecutive North Dakota State drives.
That early pressure forced a team that entered 5-0 to play from behind for the first time this season.
Jet moves the chains, but the end zone stays closed
UNLV never found much through the air.
Arnold completed 8 of 16 passes for 77 yards and threw his first interception as a Rebel. According to UNLV, the second-quarter pick ended his school-record streak of 142 pass attempts without an interception to begin his career.
Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas kept the offense functional with 112 yards on 22 carries, his 12th career 100-yard rushing game. UNLV finished with 178 rushing yards, narrowly edging North Dakota State’s 176.
The Rebels moved the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities, but finishing drives remained a problem. Ramon Villela missed from 45 yards in the first quarter before making field goals from 29 and 24 yards after halftime.
UNLV officially went 2-for-2 in the red zone, but both trips ended with field goals. Mullen acknowledged after the game that the Rebels left touchdowns available, particularly after Thomas helped move the ball near the goal line.
Fourth down becomes a brick wall
North Dakota State’s best chances repeatedly ran into UNLV’s defense.
After Arnold’s interception in the second quarter, the Bison drove to the UNLV 9 and faced fourth-and-1. Nyeoti Punni was stopped for no gain, keeping North Dakota State off the scoreboard.
The Bison eventually tied the game 7-7 on Hayes’ 21-yard touchdown pass to Chris Kiel with 6:10 left before halftime. That was their final score.
UNLV took a 10-7 lead on Villela’s 29-yard field goal in the third quarter before producing another critical fourth-down stop early in the fourth.
North Dakota State faced fourth-and-1 from its own 18. Cam Santee and Kamuela Ka’aihue stopped Myles Mitchell for no gain, handing UNLV possession deep in Bison territory.
Thomas carried twice for 14 yards to reach the 4, but UNLV again settled for Villela’s 24-yard field goal and a 13-7 lead.
Bin-Wahad slams the final door
North Dakota State still had one final push.
Starting at its own 20 with 3:53 remaining, the Bison drove to the UNLV 24 after Hayes broke a 28-yard run. A touchdown could have erased everything UNLV’s defense had built.
Instead, Dee Crayton sacked Hayes for a 7-yard loss. A holding penalty pushed North Dakota State back again, creating second-and-27 from the UNLV 41.
Bin-Wahad intercepted the next pass for his second pick of the game.
Hayes finished 12 of 22 for 124 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. UNLV also sacked him twice while holding North Dakota State scoreless over the final 30 minutes.
Jake Pope led the Rebels with 12 tackles, while Porter added a sack and forced fumble to his pick-six.
The performance gave UNLV its third straight win and kept the Rebels unbeaten in Mountain West play. More importantly, it showed they could win a game in which the offense never supplied a touchdown.
Up next
UNLV travels to Air Force on Saturday for another Mountain West matchup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
