Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

UNLV

4 Phillip Payne

Phillip Payne
  • Wide receiver
  • Grade: Junior
  • Height: 6′3″
  • Weight: 205 lbs

2010 Season Statistics by Game

Game Receiving
Date Opp. W/L Score No. Yds Yds/Rec TDs
9/4 WISC L 21-41 4 71 17.8 1
9/11 at UTAH L 10-38 4 30 7.5
9/18 at IDAHO L 7-30 3 78 26 1
9/25 NM W 45-10 4 39 9.8
10/2 UNR L 26-44 8 170 21.2
10/30 TCU L 6-48 2 26 13
11/6 at BYU L 7-55 1 16 16
11/13 WYO W 42-16 1 21 21 1
11/18 AF L 20-35 2 61 30.5 2
11/27 at SDSU L 14-48 5 91 18.2
12/4 at HAW L 21-59 6 84 14 1
Totals    40 687 17.2 6
UNLV: The scoring machine from Las Vegas returns with an opportunity to break the UNLV record for receiving touchdowns as a senior ... The 2011 preseason First Team All-MW selection by Phil Steele's is listed No. 1 at one WR spot heading into fall ... Also garnered preseason first team honors from Lindy's, Athlon and Blue Ribbon ... Ranked the preseason No. 29 WR in the nation by Phil Steele's ... After 32 games played, has compiled 19 receiving touchdowns and needs just one more to move into the top three at the school and just five more would tie him with all-time record-holder Henry Bailey (24 from 1991-94) ... Heads into his final season with 127 receptions (12th all-time at UNLV) for 1,786 yards (12th) ... Possesses outstanding leaping ability and tremendous hands with a knack for hauling in tough catches, especially in the end zone ... Became one of the top freshman receivers in the nation in 2008 after being a PrepStar West Coast All-Region honoree that was ranked the No. 70 WR prospect in the nation by ESPN Insider out of high school ... Earned Academic All-MW honors in 2008.

2010: Led team in receiving yards with a career-high 689 ... Ranked third in the MW and 73rd in the nation with 62.6 yards per game ... Ranked seventh in the league with 3.64 catches per game ... Tied Michael Johnson for team lead in TD catches with five ... Played in 11 of 13 games, missing back-to-back trips to West Virginia and CSU because of a team suspension ... Posted his fourth career 100-yard game with a career-best 180 yards on seven catches vs.UNR ... His TDs came against Wisconsin, Idaho, Wyoming, AFA and Hawaii ... Named Preseason First Team All-MW by Phil Steele's and second team by Lindy's and Athlon ... Also ranked the No. 29 WR in the nation by Phil Steele's.

2009: Played in all 12 games and started nine ... Changed his jersey number from to 18 No. 4 before season ... Listed as having the MW's best hands by Sporting News ... Named Second Team All-MW by Phil Steele's after finishing second on the team behind only Ryan Wolfe with 58 receptions for 661 yards ... Led the team and ranked third in the MW with seven receiving touchdowns ... Ranked 62nd in the nation with 4.83 RPG and fifth in the league with 55.1 YPG ... Had two 100-yard efforts as a sophomore, hauling in 10 passes for 112 yards at UNR and five for 107 in a win over San Diego State ... Caught a 15-yard TD pass from Omar Clayton to give UNLV a 34-33 victory over Hawaii as part of an eight-catch, 94-yard night in Game Three ... Finished with 58 yards on seven receptions, including a score, vs. Utah ... His 17-yard scoring reception, also thrown by Clayton, helped the Rebels post a 28-24 season-ending win over the Aztecs.

2008: Named the No. 10 Newcomer of the Year in the MW by Athlon preview magazine and more than lived up to the hype, tying Sam "Disco Kid" Greene's 28-year-old school record for consecutive games catching a touchdown pass in his first five games as a collegian ... Despite missing a quarter of the season because of injury, his TD total through nine games was just one short of the school and MW freshman records of eight ... Led the nation in TD receptions among freshmen before suffering his first injury vs. BYU ... Played in nine games overall, starting five ... Finished third on the team with 436 yards on 29 grabs ... Served notice of his scoring ability in the season-opener when he went up high to bring down his first career TD vs. USU from seven yards out ... Finished with 53 yards on four catches in his debut ... Hauled in another fade pattern TD at Utah the following week to go with a season-long 45-yard catch and run vs. the future MW champs ... Made national news in Game Three at Arizona State on Sept. 13 when he caught the game-tying TD pass from Omar Clayton one handed above his head while falling backwards to propel the Rebels into overtime and toward a shocking upset win over the 13th-ranked Sun Devils ... The now-famous catch followed earlier heroics that included a TD catch just before halftime to get the Rebels back in the game and a fourth-down catch to keep the final drive alive in regulation ... Payne's legend grew just a week later when he came down with another fade pass to defeat Iowa State. That pass from Clayton came on UNLV's first offensive play of overtime from 25 yards out to make the final 34-31 ... Payne went up to get another TD vs. UNR the following week to give him six in his first five games ... Brought in a career-high six receptions for 124 yards and another score vs. Air Force on Oct. 18 ... Knocked out of the game vs. BYU the following week and returned for limited action before leaving vs. UNM and not playing in the final two games.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2008 graduate of Western HS ... Scored 30 touchdowns in his varsity career for the Warriors ... Grabbed 28 balls for 689 yards as a senior as his team finished 8-3 ... Also played at spot safety and held on kicks for coach Brian Murray ... Twice named first team All-Sunset Region ... Also a standout prep basketball player who lettered in track and volleyball as well.

PERSONAL: Phillip Anthony Payne was born on Feb. 6, 1990, in Las Vegas ... The son of Carolina de los Reyes and the late Joel Payne ... Has a younger brother, Patrick ... Majoring in communication studies.

--Courtesy of UNLVRebels.com