Live blog: Rebels fall in final minute, SDSU wins 20-17

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 | 4:30 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 | 10:49 p.m.

Just when it looked like UNLV was going to pull off a miracle comeback, Daniel Gutierrez clanged a 42-yard field goal attempt off the upright with 37 seconds to play, and San Diego State will leave with a 20-17 win.

Everything appeared to be lining up for the Rebels on the final drive. Faced with a fourth-and-24 from deep in their own territory, the Rebels elected not to punt, and Kenyon Oblad threw a perfect 42-yard pass to Randal Grimes to keep the drive alive. A long run by Charles Williams then moved the ball into field goal range, and three plays later Gutierrez lined up for the potential game-tying kick.

The loss will be incredibly difficult to swallow for the Rebels, as the team falls to 2-6 on the season. One more loss will eliminate UNLV from bowl contention and throw the coaching situation into question for the remainder of the season.

Rebels mounting comeback, down 20-17 in fourth

With 5:57 to play, UNLV has just cut San Diego State's lead to 20-17.

The Rebels got a clutch interception from Jericho Flowers to cut short a potential scoring drive by SDSU, then freshman quarterback Kenyon Oblad took over. Oblad converted a fourth-and-1 with a QB sneak, then rolled right on the next play and hit tight end Giovanni Fauolo for a 2-yard touchdown to make this game very interesting.

Oblad has taken some big hits, battled through drops by his own receivers and still delivered. For the game, he is 19-of-33 for 204 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. If the UNLV defense can get a stop, Tony Sanchez will have to feel good about Oblad leading a potential tying or go-ahead drive in the final minutes.

Rebels down, 20-10 in fourth quarter

UNLV had the ball, down 7, midway through the third quarter, but three drops by the Rebels' receivers caused that drive to stall. San Diego State took over possession, drove into the red zone and kicked a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the quarter to take a 20-10 lead heading into the fourth.

Quarterback Kenyon Oblad continues to hit in the passing game, as he's 16-of-26 for 186 yards, but UNLV receivers have hurt the cause by dropping five balls so far tonight.

Look for the Rebels to put the game in Oblad's hands in the final quarter.

UNLV pulls within 17-7 at half against San Diego State

UNLV did not play a very good first half, but the Rebels did just enough in the closing moments to grab some momentum heading into the locker room.

It started with Kenyon Oblad hitting Randal Grimes down the sideline for a 58-yard touchdown to close the gap to 17-7, and ended with Gabe McCoy sacking SDSU quarterback Ryan Agnew to end the final drive of the half. The Rebels will receive the ball to start the second half, so this game is suddenly competitive with 30 minutes to play.

Kenyon Oblad has played a solid game so far, completing 8-of-12 passes for 124 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. On defense, UNLV has done a solid job of handling San Diego State's running game, limiting the Aztecs to 77 yards and 3.3 yards per carry.

San Diego State up 14-0 in second quarter

If this is how UNLV is going to play with the season on the line, you can probably go ahead and cancel the remainder of the 2019 schedule right now.

Shortly after giving up a 49-yard touchdown pass, the Rebels had a punt blocked in their own end zone, allowing San Diego State to recover and take a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Through 15 minutes, this game has been completely one-sided. SDSU is averaging 7.5 yards per play, while UNLV is at 2.3. The Rebels' first and only first down of the quarter came on the frame's final play, as Kenyon Oblad threaded a 19-yard pass to Darren Woods to convert a long third down. This is now a hugely important drive for the Rebels, who will have a first down at midfield to open the second quarter.

San Diego State takes early 7-0 lead over UNLV

One of UNLV's big keys heading into this game was to be prepared for San Diego State's deep passes, especially early in the game. That part of the game plan has already collapsed, as SDSU quarterback Ryan Agnew tossed a 49-yard touchdown pass on the Aztecs' second possession to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.

Cornerback Myles Plummer was in coverage, trailing Ethan Dedeaux deep over the middle, and Agnew's pass led Dedeaux into the end zone in stride.

The Rebels' ensuing possession ended with Kenyon Oblad taking a sack on third down, so San Diego State has taken possession again near midfield with 5:18 left in the first quarter.

Keys for UNLV football vs. San Diego State

In terms of importance, UNLV’s game against San Diego State couldn’t loom much larger. With a win, the Rebels (2-5) will position themselves for a realistic late-season bowl push and rejuvenate the program’s enthusiasm heading into the stretch run; with a loss, you can pretty much write off the rest of the year and start planning for 2020.

So which will it be? Let’s take a look at some keys for UNLV:

Be aggressive

San Diego State is going to play a very conservative game. They run the ball a ton (60.6 percent of snaps) despite not being very effective at it (3.5 yards per carry), and that approach will artificially keep UNLV in the game

The Rebels, then, should feel free to take some chances. Last week, Tony Sanchez chose to punt from Fresno State’s 40-yard line with less than 40 seconds left in the first half; it didn’t end up mattering because UNLV got obliterated in the second half, but today’s game could be close. San Diego State’s offense isn’t going to make you pay immediately for missing on a fourth down, so Sanchez should take every opportunity to put points on the board.

Stop deep shots

The Aztecs are a heavy run team, but when they do throw it they like to let quarterback Ryan Agnew test opposing defenses with deep shots. Sanchez believes SDSU will throw some deep balls early in the game, trying to catch UNLV napping. If the Rebels can knock down those passes—a key “if,” as that’s been a weak spot of the defense for years—it will go a long way toward keeping the game close.

Make San Diego State grind for every yard on the ground and don’t give up huge chunk plays on passes down the field.

Get multiple sacks

Coach Rocky Long is very cognizant of how important it is to keep his modest offense ahead of the chains, so when SDSU passes, it’s likely because they’re being forced to put the ball in the air. Any time their QB is dropped in the backfield, it disrupts the offensive script and makes punting almost inevitable.

Can UNLV’s defense take advantage of that? San Diego State allows sacks on 6.78 percent of pass plays, which ranks No. 81 in the country. The Rebels aren’t a great pressure team, but if they can find a way to get to the quarterback two or three times today, those drive-killing plays might keep them close enough to steal a crucial win.

TV: CBS Sports Network

Betting line: San Diego State minus-12.5; over/under: 44.5

UNLV (2-5, 0-3 Mountain West)

Coach: Tony Sanchez

Leading passer: Kenyon Oblad (51.3 percent, 996 yards, 8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions)

Leading rusher: Charles Williams (680 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, 7 touchdowns)

Leading receiver: Randal Grimes (26 receptions, 353 yards, 4 touchdowns)

Leading defender: Javin White (39 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions)

San Diego State (6-1, 3-1 Mountain West)

Coach: Rocky Long

Leading passer: Ryan Agnew (64.1 percent, 1,232 yards, 9 touchdowns, 2 interceptions)

Leading rusher: Juwan Washington (343 yards, 3.3 yards per carry, 2 touchdowns)

Leading receiver: Kobe Smith (34 receptions, 436 yards, 4 touchdowns)

Leading defender: Luqman Barcoo (29 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions)

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.