Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LIVE GAME BLOG: Kaepernick’s record night helps UNR bury UNLV, 49-27

UNLV football

Steve Marcus

UNR’s Mo Harvey, left, breaks up a pass intended for UNLV’s Ryan Wolfe during the Rebels’ game against the Wolf Pack.

UNR Knocks Off the Rebels

UNLV fans cheer as their team takes the field against UNR at Sam Boyd Stadium. Launch slideshow »

Rebels Fan Photos

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Final, UNR wins 49-27

Well, this one might sting the Rebels more than a little bit.

Entering beyond focused on taking back the Fremont Cannon for the first time since 2004, the Rebels (namely the defense) ran into a buzzsaw. A 6-foot-6 buzzsaw who was much better than advertised.

UNR sophomore quarterback Colin Kaepernick tore down school quarterback rushing records, and wasn't too shabby with his arm, either. Kaepernick picked up 240 yards rushing on 18 carries and crossed the goal line three times. He threw for 176 more on 11-of-16 efficiency. Oh yeah, and he had two TDs through the air.

UNR ran for 448 yards as a team, and the starters played deep into the fourth quarter with Wolf Pack coach Chris Ault obviously trying to send a message of some kind.

UNLV shot out to a 10-0 lead, but in the second quarter lost the lead for good when Kaepernick really got going.

Omar Clayton's consecutive pass streak without an interception came to a halt at 173 with a fourth-quarter UNR pick. He was 18-of-38 for 327 with three TD passes. Eight of those completions went to Ryan Wolfe, who racked up 167 yards on his own. UNLV's offensive bugaboo was the inability to run the ball, finishing with just 54 yards, including 20 on nine carries by Frank Summers.

UNLV (3-2) now has to try to rebound on the road at Colorado State next Saturday at 11 a.m., while UNR's season has new life at 2-2 with its toughest non-con tests in the rear view mirror.

Stay tuned to www.lasvegassun.com for full postgame coverage, including analysis, numbers, stories, video and photos.

8:41, fourth quarter, UNR leads 49-27

If you needed another sign that it's just not UNLV's night here at Sam Boyd Stadium, Omar Clayton's consecutive pass streak without an interception came to an end at 173 with an errant toss down the middle.

If you need something more concrete, Colin Kaepernick just pretty much cemented UNLV's fate with his third touchdown run of the game, this one coming from 28 yards out. He now has 231 yards on the ground, and UNR has 401 as a team.

By the way, Suge Knight's in the house. In fact, he's one of the few Rebel backers who has yet to leave Sam Boyd Stadium.

11:37, fourth quarter, UNR leads 42-27

Vai Taua capped the aforementioned drive with a four-yard touchdown off of an option pitch from Kaepernick.

But Kaepernick was the story of the drive (again - surprise, surprise). He now has 203 yards rushing on the night, making him both the first 100-yard rusher and 200-yard rusher allowed this season by the Rebels.

The 12-play, 82-yard drive ate up more than four minutes of game clock, and much more than that in real time. In other words, UNLV's offense, which was starting to again find some rhythm, has now had plenty of time to sit and wait. Who knows what'll happen when the unit gets back on the field.

True, this one isn't over yet, but with the way UNR has run the ball tonight, there's not too much of a reason to believe it isn't. UNR has 371 rushing yards, compared to 51 for UNLV.

One more Kaepernick note: He's the first quarterback in school history to post a 200-yard rushing performance.

End of third quarter, UNR leads 35-27

Colin Kaepernick is up to his old tricks, as UNLV's last drive stalled out right around midfield. A 22-yard gain just before the end of the third quarter gives the Wolf Pack sophomore QB 186 yards on 14 rushes.

The possession will continue with a second-and-one at the UNLV 47-yard line. It's not the first time UNLV has trailed heading into the game's final quarter. In fact, it's the third time so far in five games this season. But unlike the last time - at Arizona State - the defense is still struggling to establish much.

7:25, third quarter, UNR leads 35-27

Jason Beauchamp made his second huge defensive play of the game, sacking Colin Kaepernick on a third-and-13, and the offense quickly showed its appreciation.

Omar Clayton hit Ryan Wolfe thrice for a total of 49 yards (giving him 140 on the night), and the quarterback also picked up a fourth-and-inches by showing nice patience, spotting a gap and diving forward for three yards. The drive was capped by a Clayton lob over the middle for Wolfe from seven yards out, and it reminded the 33,708 in attendance that UNLV is still in this one.

But it'll only be as good as the Rebel defense allows it to be. If they can build off of the score, this again becomes a game. If not, Clayton's doing nothing but just padding his stellar season numbers (now 12 TD passes to 0 interceptions ... and no, I don't keep bringing that up in an attempt to jinx him).

14:42, third quarter, UNR leads 35-20

Well, so much for that much-needed defensive stand.

It took one play and 12 seconds for UNR to complete its first possession of the third quarter. Colin Kaepernick pulled off to the right and was like a shot out of a cannon (haha, get it?), jaunting 66 yards for a score, putting the Wolf Pack comfortably ahead 35-20.

He now has 150 yards on eight rushes, and four total touchdowns. Yeah, he's good.

Halftime, UNR leads 28-20

Some halftime numbers for your belly's delight ...

-Colin Kaepernick looks incredible. There's not much more you can say to enhance the facts. He's gained 84 yards on seven rushes (plus a score) and is 7-of-9 in the passing department for 140 yards and two TDs. Those are near-perfect numbers.

-Vai Taua, who began the season as UNR's No. 3 running back and now starts because of injuries to those ahead of him, has 79 yards on 11 carries. His backup, Courtney Randall, has 20 yards and a score on just three carries.

-Omar Clayton is doing his best to keep pace with Kaepernick. He's 11-of-20 for 198 yards and two TDs. Remember, he had a third one called back late in the half due to a hold on Johan Asiata. We'll see how key that proves to be. He's also rushed for 51 yards, and lost a fumble.

-Ryan Wolfe's diving grab to pick up a first down on third-and-20 on UNLV's final drive of the half capped a four-catch, 91-yard showing in the first half. Casey Flair has three catches for 51 yards and a TD, while Phillip Payne has two grabs for 28 yards and his sixth score of the season, giving him a TD catch in each of UNLV's first five games.

-There are 588 yards of total offense on the board already, with 333 belonging to UNR and UNLV responsible for the other 255. UNR has 13 first downs to UNLV's 10.

-Each team has one turnover, so you can't say that's really the story of this game. Though neither came at a very timely juncture for either team.

-Frank Summers has just 13 yards rushing, and what may be more surprising is that he has only six carries. The pace of this game hasn't really allowed him to get in a groove, but should UNLV regain control somehow, at least he'll be fresh and can be used as a force to slow it down late.

The biggest defensive possession for the UNLV defense is yet to come. Right out of the gates, when UNR takes the ball, the Rebel defense needs to establish itself in the worst way. It's really as simple as that. Otherwise, the second half could wind up looking a lot like the first.

:43, second quarter, UNR leads 28-20

Nothing hurts more than having a touchdown get taken off the board. But a 52-yard field goal isn't the world's worst consolation prize.

Ben Jaekle cracked the longest Rebel field goal since 2006 to cap a UNLV drive which stalled out when Michael Johnson was dropped for an eight-yard loss on a third-and-four run play.

But the possession had plenty of fireworks before that.

First, a 49-yard TD pass down the seam from Omar Clayton to Ryan Wolfe was called back due to a hold against Johan Asiata. But on third-and-20 a few snaps later, Wolfe made a gorgeous diving catch for 26 yards down the middle.

It's not much, but it's an answer to the offensive show UNR's put on this quarter. Plus, it kept the UNLV defense off the field, which with the way things have gone tonight, is a very good thing.

6:33, second quarter, UNR leads 28-17

Colin Kaepernick may be well on his way to smashing some UNR single-game quarterback rushing records. I'll try to scrounge some up out of the media guide at halftime, but at this point, the only way UNLV has stopped him and the Wolf Pack offense is with penalty flags.

UNR just executed another beauty of a drive, this time going 82 yards in no time at all, powered mostly by Kaepernick. He had 36 yards on three runs, including a pair of 16-yarders. Courtney Randall pushed in for the final seven yards, as UNR has any and all momentum out there right now.

13:16, second quarter, UNR leads 21-17

Well, it was worse than a three-and-out - It was the Rebels' second turnover of the season, and the first by quarterback Omar Clayton.

The Rebels went throw-throw-throw on their first three plays following the UNR touchdown run, and Clayton lost the ball in the face of a fierce blitz on third down. It gave the 'Pack possession at the UNLV 40.

Again, UNR exposed the UNLV defense. After incompletions on first and second down, Kaepernick scrambled around long enough to find Virgil Green on third-and-10 downfield about 25 yards. Thanks to some nice blocking, Green coasted to pay dirt.

UNLV's offense needs to find that spark again soon, because the defense just doesn't look comfortable tonight.

13:43, second quarter, UNLV leads 17-14

UNLV's run game couldn't get going after forcing UNR to punt for the first time, but the Wolf Pack run game is moving along just fine.

After forcing the Rebels into a three-and-out, the Wolf Pack showed that they'll pretty much lean on the triple option until the UNLV defense proves it can stop it. It couldn't on the last possession, as Colin Kaepernick topped a 58-yard, 2:12 drive with a four-yard bootleg TD run. He was untouched, and he really hasn't been roughed up too much so far tonight, and UNLV again leads by just three at 17-14.

Another three-and-out from the Rebels could put the defense in an even tighter spot.

5:12, first quarter, UNLV leads 17-7

No, don't adjust your computer screens. It's still the first quarter.

Omar Clayton's 11th touchdown pass of the season came just 1:46 after UNR's 70-yard quick strike to pull within three. After finding steadily-improving freshman Jerriman Robinson down the gut for a 25-yard gain, Clayton lobbed a long bomb down the right sideline for senior Casey Flair. UNR defensive back Doyle Miller backpedaled and extended to try to swipe it away at the last second, but Flair showed veteran concentration in hauling it in, setting the cannon off yet again.

It's just amazing to see how much more apparent Clayton's confidence is as the weeks go by and he continues to succeed. He's making tougher and tougher throws with less and less hesitation.

On top of all that, the Rebel defense subsequently forced UNR into its first punt of the game. On a third-and-four quarterback keep, the Wolf Pack drew a holding flag, then were also penalized for a false start moments later. Ultimately, UNR punted from its own 24.

Now UNLV has a golden opportunity to put the in-state rival in quite the early hole.

UNR's only saving grace from the drive was a booming 77-yard punt by Brad Langley that went for a touchback.

6:58, first quarter, UNLV leads 10-7

So much for a second straight first-half shutout.

UNR took next to no time to answer Phillip Payne's acrobatic end zone doings, with Colin Kaepernick hitting Chris Wellington deep down the seam for a 70-yard score in which the receiver went untouched.

That 60-plus point prediction is looking pretty good right now, huh?

9:56, first quarter, UNLV leads 10-0

At what point will an opponent concoct a way to stop Phillip Payne in the red zone? The answer, it appears, is at no point in the month of September.

The freshman sensation out of Western High just caught his sixth TD of the season on a - surprise, surprise - fade toss from Omar Clayton. The seven-yard strike, coupled with a Kyle Watson point after, makes it 10-0, Rebels.

The drive got going at the UNR 49-yard line after Colin Kaepernick lost the ball while being tackled by Terrance Lee. Jason Beauchamp recovered it.

Clayton was the spark plug on the drive, with back-to-back runs of 16 and 21 yards, setting UNLV up inside the UNR 10.

Of course, Rebel fans, don't get too excited just yet. Remember, it was only a week ago when UNLV lead 21-0 at the half before having to sweat one out in overtime. But again, if there's any part of last week's game UNLV needed to duplicate, it's the first half. So far, Sanford's ball club is doing just that.

13:01, first quarter, UNLV leads 3-0

Ben Jaekle owes Ramsey Feagai a beer. Sort of.

The Rebels took the ball to start the game, and the big gainer came on a 46-yard completion from Omar Clayton to Ryan Wolfe on a streak play down the left sideline. After things stalled out for the Rebels at the UNR 25, Ben Jaekle had his 42-yard field goal try blocked at the line. Though a flag made it moot.

Feagai was whistled for a false start, and on his mulligan, Jaekle made up for his late first half miss a week ago and struck the 47-yard attempt right on.

So yeah, he may get him a beer. But he also might pour some pepper in it when Feagai gets up to go to the restroom.

Pregame ... again

Think this game doesn't mean much to the UNLV senior class? Following the Rebel captains out to midfield for the coin toss were all of the seniors, holding hands and staying about 20 feet behind the captains.

Also, major props to UNLV fan Mike Wintermute, who hooked me and Ron Kantowski up with Frank Summers T-Shirts. Each year, Wintermute prints up 35 T-shirts dedicated to one Rebel player. This one reads 'Rebel Football: How tough is Frank Summers?' on the front. On the back? 'Chuck Norris won't even tackle him.'

I'll wear it with pride, Mike. I know Frank already is. He was see rocking his under his practice gear on Wednesday out at Rebel Park.

Kickoff time.

Pregame

Having analyzed and discussed this game as much as humanly possible over the last several days, I figured, being new on this beat and all, it was worth risking heat stroke to head out to the tailgate area just outside of Sam Boyd Stadium. In one word? Nuts. 'F*UNLV' and F*UNR' shirts everywhere, beers, brats ... here's some of the sights not soon to be forgotten ...

-Two guys walking around in the middle of a game of Edward Fortyhands.

-Three legitimate D.J. booths in the middle of huge frat and sorority tailgates.

-Lots of, um, droppings from the horses being used by the police to help patrol the area.

-People taking pulls off of bags of Franzia.

-Surprisingly, no donnybrooks. Though I'm sure that'll change as gametime approaches.

All of the scenery out there, and backed-up traffic (which I hear is miserable in the surrounding area), brought one thought to mind. That's the notion that, while UNLV's 3-1 start is nice, the buzz in Las Vegas on the heels of it is not what you would get in other, more quaint college towns if the program histories were the same. Because, lets face it, Vegas is no true college town. But the buzz was loud enough to get all these people out to Sam Boyd tonight. It's going to be as big of a home crowd as this stadium will have ever had for a Rebel football game, probably.

That said, now is the time for this program to capitalize. The Rebs aren't home again for three weeks. That's a loooong time in Vegas terms. Interest can be lost quickly. But a victory over UNR could do just that. It could keep the students coming back and it could keep the casual fans handing money over at the ticket window.

Of course, Mike Sanford & Co. have plenty more to worry about than that. Again, just a thought.

How about a couple of pregame notes ...

-As for bowl game representatives in the press box, the Las Vegas Bowl is all by its lonesome. Also up behind the glass are scouts from seven NFL teams.

-UNLV freshman receiver Michael Johnson, who's proved pivotal for the Rebels in recent weeks in the run game, is warming up with a tape wrap around his lower right leg. He appears fine, though. We'll keep an eye on it.

And, of course, that brings us to this week's Three Big Predictions, sponsored by ... well ... no one.

1) For some reason, I don't think we're going to see too much of a defensive battle tonight. The one area where each of these teams have been truly consistent this season is on the offensive side of the ball. Using that loose analysis, I'm predicting there will be more than 60 points scored in this game. And I'm still taking UNLV by a touchdown.

2) More personal fouls will be committed in the stands than on the field. Following last week's shenanigans, the Rebels are well-trained in avoiding the mental game within the game. Reno is needing a win badly enough that Chris Ault probably won't let his players pull out cheap shots like that.

3) The winning team will have 'Jaekle' on the roster. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

Talk to you around kickoff in an hour or so.

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