Game day: UNLV football goes down in MWC championship game

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 | 3:26 p.m.

UNLV's miraculous quest for the Mountain West championship has come to an end, as Boise State blew out the upstart Scarlet and Gray, 44-20.

After UNLV tied the game, 14-14, on a Fred Thompkins interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter, Boise State took over and dominated in all three phases. The Broncos led 31-14 at the half and pushed their advantage to 41-20 at the end of the third quarter.

Boise State quarterback Taylen Green had his choice of open receivers to target on just about every play and ended up completing 12-of-15 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Boise averaged 8.0 yards per play and scored on nine of its 12 offensive possessions.

UNLV has now lost two games in a row for the first time under Barry Odom. The Scarlet and Gray are 9-4 on the season and will learn their bowl game placement on Sunday.

Boise State pulling away from UNLV in title game

This one is just about over, as Boise State tacked on another touchdown to increase its lead to 41-20 at the end of the third quarter.

UNLV was driving in Boise territory, trailing by 14, and went for it on a 4th-and-4. Jayden Maiava dropped back and scrambled up the middle, and it appeared he had a lane to pick up the first down. A head-first dive would have gotten him past the marker, but stayed upright and was dragged down short by a Boise defender for a turnover on downs.

After that miscue, Boise took over and drove 59 yards in six plays for its fifth touchdown of the afternoon.

UNLV has suffered breakdowns on offense, defense and special teams today, and that is reflected on the scoreboard, as this game has turned into a blowout.

UNLV trails Boise State, 34-20

UNLV and Boise State traded field goals to begin the second half, and the Broncos maintain a 34-20 lead with 5:03 left in the third quarter.

The Scarlet and Gray got aggressive on the opening drive, going for it on 4th-and-2 from deep in their own territory and converting via a short pass from Jayden Maiava to Jacob De Jesus. The drive eventually resulted in a 45-yard field goal by Jose Pizano.

It looked like UNLV caught a break on the ensuing possession, when a bad snap on the first play put Boise in a 2nd-and-26 situation. But Taylen Green hit open receivers on the next two plays to pick up the first down, and the Broncos ended up getting deep enough for a 50-yard field goal to restore their 14-point cushion.

It has been a really bad day for UNLV's pass coverage, which has now allowed Green to complete 10-of-13 passes for 207 yards (20.7 yards per completion).

Boise State leads UNLV at half, 31-17

Boise State's big-play offense has staked the visitors to a 31-17 lead halftime lead over UNLV in the Mountain West championship game.

It was a rough half for the UNLV defense, which allowed Boise State to score on five of its seven possessions. The Broncos averaged nearly 10 yards per play and scored two touchdowns longer than 50 yards. Quarterback Taylen Green had uncovered receivers to throw to on just about every play and has racked up 153 passing yards on just six completions.

At the other end of the spectrum, UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava has struggled, playing perhaps his worst half since taking over as starter. The freshman hit on 12-of-20 passes for 140 yards, but threw a costly interception and coughed up an even costlier fumble. He also missed receiver Corey Thompson deep over the middle on what should have been an easy touchdown throw; UNLV ended up settling for a field goal after that misthrow.

UNLV receiver Ricky White has five catches for 86 yards.

The Scarlet and Gray aren't dead and buried yet. They have come back from 17-point deficits to win twice this year, most recently in their landmark win at Air Force, and they do get the ball to start the second half. But it's going to take marked turnarounds on both sides of the ball in order to get back in this game.

Boise State takes 31-14 lead over UNLV

The second quarter has turned into an all-out disaster for UNLV, as a pair of turnovers have fueled Boise State to 17 unanswered points and a 35-14 lead with 7:23 left in the first half.

The Scarlet and Gray were driving in Boise territory, looking for a tying score, when Jayden Maiava fumbled after a nice gain on a first-down quarterback keeper. Boise recovered, and on the next play Taylen Green broke off a 70-yard touchdown run to make it 28-14.

UNLV's ensuing drive was cut short again when Maiava was intercepted on a 3rd-and-2 pass at midfield. Six plays later, the Broncos kicked a 31-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17 points.

Maiava is having a rough day, as the freshman is 6-of-12 passing for 95 yards with an interception and a fumble.

UNLV, Boise State trade touchdowns in second quarter

UNLV made a huge play on defense, but Boise State answered right back, and the Broncos are up, 21-14, early in the second quarter.

On 3rd-and-9, UNLV linebacker Fred Thompkins jumped in front of a Taylen Green pass and intercepted it, running it back 48 yards for a tying touchdown. It was the first defensive stop of the day for the Scarlet and Gray, and the crowd response was massive.

UNLV couldn't hold onto the momentum, however. On the second play of Boise's ensuing drive, the Broncos ran a flea flicker, and Green hit an uncovered Austin Bolt 57 yards downfield for a go-ahead touchdown.

Green now has 137 yards passing on the day, and none of the completions have been particularly difficult. UNLV has to do a better job in pass defense, or it will be impossible to catch up.

Boise State leads UNLV in second quarter

If UNLV doesn't start playing some defense, the team's championship hopes could drift away, as Boise State holds a 14-7 lead heading into the second quarter.

Boise State scored touchdowns on each of its first two possessions, and the Broncos now have the ball at midfield again as the first quarter comes to a close. They have averaged 8.0 yards per play so far.

The UNLV defense has only forced two third-down situations, and Boise converted both; they'll now get a third chance for a stop, as Boise will be faced with a 3rd-and-9 when play resumes.

One issue is that UNLV has not been able to force quarterback Taylen Green to attempt a difficult throw yet. He is 3-of-3 for 80 yards, all to wide-open receivers. The Scarlet and Gray have an opportunity here to make a big play and give the ball back to the offense.

UNLV touchdown tied MWC championship, 7-7

UNLV answered Boise State's opening salvo with an impressive touchdown march of its own, and this game is tied, 7-7, with 6:45 left in the first quarter.

The Scarlet and Gray were backed up by a holding penalty on the kick return, but eventually covered 87 yards in 13 plays before Vincent Davis took a handoff on 3rd-and-goal and scored from five yards out. Jayden Maiava completed 4-of-7 passes on the drive, with three of them going to Ricky White for 52 yards.

That was enough to push White ahead of Jim Sandusky for UNLV's single-season receiving yards record. White now has 1,352 yards on the year, passing the previous record of 1,346.

Boise State takes 7-0 lead over UNLV in title game

Continuing a recent trend, UNLV has fallen behind early here in the Mountain West championship game, as Boise State scored on the opening possession to claim a 7-0 lead with 11:08 left in the first quarter.

UNLV won the toss and elected to kick, putting its defense on the field first. Boise State was not intimidated, driving the length of the field and scoring the game's first touchdown on a quarterback keeper that saw Taylen Green beat a pair of defenders to the right pylon.

The key play on the drive was a pass interference call on a deep pass on 2nd-and-10; instead of facing a long third down at midfield, Boise State got a new set of downs deep in UNLV territory and cashed in with the touchdown just a few plays later.

It hasn't been a great start for UNLV or the sizable crowd that was howling just a few minutes ago. The Scarlet and Gray will have to work to get momentum back on their side.

Big crowd as UNLV football kicks off against Boise State

Any concerns about attendance leading up to today's game may have been overblown. As the two teams take the field for the coin toss, it appears to be the biggest, loudest crowd for a UNLV game at Allegiant Stadium this season.

The lower bowl is about 90 percent filled, with scattered groups on the second level — the first time this year UNLV has had to open the upper deck due to attendance. The Scarlet and Gray drew more than 25,000 fans for each of the final two home games of the regular season, and this crowd looks bigger on first glance. Now let's see if they have an impact on the game.

UNLV won the toss and deferred to the second half; Boise State will receive to open the game.

UNLV takes on Boise State in program's first MWC title game

After decades in the wilderness, UNLV will cap its miracle turnaround season on Saturday with its first appearance in the Mountain West championship game (12 p.m., FOX).

The opponent? Perennial power Boise State, though the Broncos had to resurrect themselves after firing head coach Andy Avalos less than a month ago.

It's a game packed with high stakes, star players and dramatic storylines — in other words, the kind of contest in which UNLV fans could never imagine their team participating. And yet here they are, with an opportunity to claim the program's first conference title in Barry Odom's first year at the helm.

Can the Scarlet and Gray get it done and earn an historic victory? Three keys to watch:

Maiava’s moment

Jayden Maiava may technically still be a freshman, but UNLV is probably going to need him to come through in the clutch in order to beat Boise State. Fortunately for the Scarlet and Gray, the Liberty product has been doing that all season, racking up 2,628 yards and 17 total touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions.

Earlier in the week, Maiava was recognized for his breakout season by being named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and earning a second-team All-MWC nod.

On Friday, head coach Barry Odom commended him for stepping in as the starter early in the season and unlocking the potential of the go-go offense.

“Jayden has done a great job on really pushing this offense to another level,” Odom said.

While UNLV would prefer to run for 10 touchdowns and win in a blowout on Saturday, odds are Maiava will have to make some plays in high-leverage situations. His teammates and coaches trust him to do it.

Eyes on Jeanty

Boise State posted a pedestrian 7-5 overall record this season, but the Broncos are hot at the right time, and there is nothing pedestrian about sophomore running back Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty has posted at least 100 scrimmage yards in all but one game this season (excluding an Oct. 28 game against Wyoming in which he exited early due to an injury); for the year he has racked up 1,109 rushing yards, 537 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns.

He was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts, and he will certainly find himself atop the UNLV defensive game plan.

UNLV All-MWC linebacker Jackson Woodard will spend a lot of his time eyeing the dual-threat back, and he said it’s going to take a team effort to keep Jeanty from taking over.

“They’ve got a really good running back,” Woodard said. “We had a good week of practice, we’ve got a good game plan, so now it’s up to us to go execute and play our best.”

Big-game atmosphere

It’s almost impossible to know what kind of crowd will congregate inside Allegiant Stadium on Saturday simply because UNLV has never been in this situation before. As of Wednesday, the school reported only 15,000 tickets had been sold, but late efforts to attract more fans could up that number before kickoff.

No matter how many fans show up, there is going to be a heightened atmosphere. Woodard noted an increased intensity in practice this week, and there is a lot riding on this game for the Scarlet and Gray.

Odom believes his team is ready for the moment. At Friday’s press conference, he noted the veteran core has been showing leadership throughout the week, to the point where Odom doesn’t anticipate having to give a rah-rah pregame speech.

“This team will go down, for me, in the times I’ve had opportunities to lead teams, as one of the most mentally tough, resilient football teams that I’ve ever been around,” Odom said. “I’m so proud of them.”

What: UNLV (9-3, 6-2 MWC) vs. Boise State (7-5, 6-2 MWC)

When: Saturday, 12 p.m.

TV: FOX

Radio: 1100AM, 100.9FM

Line: Boise State -2

UNLV leaders

Passing

Jayden Maiava: 64.0%, 2,628 yards, 14 TDs, 6 INTs

Rushing

Jai’Den Thomas: 501 yards, 4.7 yards per carry, 12 TDs

Receiving

Ricky White: 75 receptions, 1,300 yards, 7 TDs

Defense

Jackson Woodard: 105 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT

Boise State leaders

Passing

Taylen Green: 55.3%, 1,526 yards, 9 TDs, 8 INTs

Rushing

Ashton Jeanty: 1,109 yards, 6.1 yards per carry, 13 TDs

Receiving

Ashton Jeanty: 37 receptions, 537 yards, 5 TDs

Defense

Ahmed Hassanein: 48 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 12.0 sacks

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