virt(UNLV): Rebels’ second half struggles continue in loss to ASU

The virtual Ryan Greene

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 | 6:30 a.m.

In Week No. 3 of the virtual 2008 season, the Rebels learned their lesson from the real life Week 2 - You've got to play a full four quarters to survive on the road.

While the Rebels went hard for all four in Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona State's talent pulled away with a 39-21 victory despite the virtual Mike Sanford's squad providing more than an early scare.

ASU went up 6-0 in the first quarter on a pair of Thomas Weber field goals, but it was the UNLV defense which broke the goal line seal.

First, after Dack Ishii's punt stuck the Sun Devils deep in their own territory, UNLV's Jason Beauchamp picked off a Rudy Carpenter play action pass and slipped in from eight yards out. The Kyle Watson extra point made it 7-6. Another defensive score came three minutes later, as sophomore corner Quinton Pointer recorded his first interception of the season, jumping a Carpenter sideline route and returning it 67 yards to help construct a 14-6 Rebels lead.

That apparently woke both offense up, as ASU backup tailback Dimitri Nance spun off a 61-yard touchdown run just 31 seconds after Pointer's score. The Sun Devils tried to tie it up with a two-point conversion try, but were unsuccessful.

Omar Clayton then led the Rebels on their first true offensive drive of the game, capping it with a four-yard TD toss to Ryan Wolfe with just over a minute to go in the first half, keeping UNLV up, 21-12.

ASU gave a preview of what was to come in the second half, though, as Keegan Herring ran the ensuing kickoff back 89 yards to answer right back. That made it a 21-19 game at the break, with the Rebels in front.

UNLV never scored again, but certainly didn't just allow the levee to break right off the bat. Weber tacked on two more field goals to squeeze ASU ahead 25-21 after three quarters.

The final nails in the coffin came in the fourth quarter, as Herring added a 62-yard touchdown run, and Carpenter threw his first touchdown pass of the game (a three-yarder with 1:27 to go) to Bryant Piva.

The story of the game for UNLV's offense was its inability to get the run game going, with Clayton and Frank Summers combining for just 33 yards on 20 carries.

On the other hand, with the exception of a few big plays, the Rebels defense held ASU somewhat in check. Carpenter finished with a modest 199 yards on 18-of-23 passing with a score and two picks.

The Rebels dropped to 1-2, but now have some home cookin' on the horizon with back-to-back home games coming up against Iowa State and Nevada-Reno.

This simulation occurred with EA SPORTS NCAA Football 09 running on computer versus computer settings.