UNLV routs Sam Houston State in Week 1, 38-21

UNLV went on the road for a Friday night matchup with the Sam Houston Bearkats in Week 1. With both teams coming out of Week 0, UNLV was eager to show some improvement from last week’s win. 

It was a tale of two halves. Anthony Colandrea found Jaden Bradley again in this outing, the Rebels’ defense found a pick-six, and UNLV scored a big 38-21 victory in Week 1.

UNLV vs. Sam Houston Week 1 Recap

Fast Starts

UNLV was looking to get off to a much better start in the first half against Sam Houston than in Week 0 versus Idaho State. The Rebels did just that.

Anthony Colandrea and Jaden Bradley picked up right where they left off last week. On the opening drive, Colandrea hit Bradley for a 43-yard touchdown to strike first.

Sam Houston answered right away. Hunter Watson led the Bearkats down the field and capped the drive with an option keeper off the right side to tie it at seven.

For a moment, it felt like the game might turn into a shootout. UNLV would respond with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ate up eight minutes and 10 seconds, ending in a Colandrea lob to the back corner of the end zone for DeAnglo Irvin. Taking some wind out of Sam Houston’s sails. 

Up 14-7, the Rebels forced a punt but ran into a drive wrecked by penalties. Jai’Den Thomas broke multiple tackles for what looked like a touchdown, only to see it erased by a JoJo Earle holding call. On the next play, Colandrea connected with Daejon Reynolds at the 1-yard line, but it was wiped out by offensive pass interference.

To the frustration of head coach Dan Mullen, UNLV had to settle for a field goal.

Leading 17-7, Sam Houston head coach Phil Longo made a switch at quarterback. Midway through the quarter, he pulled Watson and went with Mabrey Mettaure.

On a third-and-long, Mettaure scrambled past the line of scrimmage and forced a throw straight to Aamis Brown, who took it back for a pick-six. The illegal forward pass was declined, and Brown picked up his second season interception.

Rebels Offense & Defense Still Growing

After the UNLV defense forced a three-and-out on Sam Houston’s first drive of the second half, Colandrea and Bradley connected again on a deep ball that set up Jai’Den Thomas for a touchdown to push the lead to 31-7. The Rebels looked firmly in control, with the Colandrea-to-Bradley connection leading the way.

Bradley finished with six catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. Colandrea turned in another efficient outing, going 19-of-23 for 249 yards with two passing scores and a rushing touchdown. He did throw one interception, but it stands as his only mistake through two games.

While UNLV stayed in control throughout, the offense is still a work in progress and could have stretched the game even further. After the touchdown to start the half, the Rebels stalled on their next two drives and were forced to punt.

That kept Sam Houston alive. Early in the fourth quarter, UNLV’s defensive line gave up a 53-yard burst to Landan Brown for a touchdown. It was one of the few breakdowns up the middle all night, as the Rebel front had otherwise been solid.

As Sam Houston kept trying to work on trimming the UNLV lead. A key fourth-and-eight stop from, Tunmise Adeleye gave the Rebels a jolt to their sluggish second half offense. Adeleye exploded off the line of scrimmage using a chop move and sacked Watson forcing the turnover-on-downs. 

A Small Scare

Colandrea helped the Rebels snap out of a sluggish third quarter, and after a defensive pass interference on the Bearkats, he showed his elusiveness with a 13-yard scramble for a touchdown. That would be UNLV’s final score of the night, as the defense ended up spending most of the fourth quarter on the field.

On a fourth-and-one, Sam Houston kept their offense on the field. Tim Burns Jr. broke a tackle and tiptoed the sideline for a 59-yard touchdown, then the Bearkats went for two and converted on a corner route to Qua’Vez Humphreys.

Rebel fans felt a jolt when Sam Houston tried an onside kick with five minutes to play and came up with the recovery. UNLV would escape the scare as Aamis Brown would crash down on Mettuear for a sack on fourth-and-five, giving the offense the ball to go close this game out. 

Who else but Jai’Den Thomas to put the seal on a Rebels victory? He broke off a 27-yard run for a first down, and even on a night with just nine touches, he still managed 65 yards and a touchdown.

I think we can all expect Thomas to get a lot more carries as this season prolongs. No doubt about that. 

What’s Next for UNLV?

A tale of two halves for UNLV. What’s clear is that Colandrea is building real chemistry with Jaden Bradley, and that connection looks like it could be a theme all season.

The Rebels were sharper in the red zone this week, but the second half will still leave Dan Mullen wondering how much more his offense could have put up, as things turned into a humid grind.

Defensively, UNLV showed progress from last week, which is encouraging, but penalties remain an issue. The discipline on that side of the ball has to improve.

Still, UNLV sits at 2-0. They now head back to Las Vegas with a chance to put the nation on notice when UCLA and Nico Iamaleava come into Allegiant Stadium next Saturday.