Live coverage: Wild finish as UNLV knocks off Vanderbilt, 40-37

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 | noon

Updated Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 | 7:51 p.m.

UNLV just pulled off a miraculous finish, driving the length of the field for a game-winning field goal to knock off Vanderbilt, 40-37.

Jayden Maiava went from goat to hero in a matter of minutes. First he threw an interception with a minute remaining to set up a potential go-ahead field goal for Vanderbilt, but the Commodores kicker pushed his attempt wide.

UNLV had 44 seconds remaining and no timeouts on the final drive, but after grinding out a first down, Maiava uncorked a beautiful pass down the left sideline for Ricky White, who caught it in stride and got out of bounds with nine seconds on the clock. The 48-yard gain set up Jose Pizano for a 35-yard game winner, which he nailed.

Maiava finished with 256 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. White had his biggest game of the season by far with 12 catches and 161 yards.

After the frenzied finish, UNLV is now 2-1 with a trip to UTEP coming next week.

Fireworks as UNLV, Vanderbilt tied late in fourth quarter

This is turning into a game of the year candidate, as UNLV and Vanderbilt have traded long touchdowns in the last two minutes and we're knotted at 37-37 with 1:07 remaining.

First Jayden Maiava hit a streaking Jacob De Jesus for a 48-yard touchdown to give UNLV the lead with four minutes to play, then Vandy answered right back with a 35-yard TD from A.J. Swann to Quincy Skinner. 

Now the Scarlet and Gray will have possession at the 25 with a chance to win the game at the buzzer, if Maiava can come through again.

UNLV clinging to slim 30-27 lead over Vanderbilt

UNLV is playing with fire.

After coming back to build an improbable 30-17 lead, UNLV has let Vanderbilt back into the game. The Commodores scored on two straight possessions to trim the deficit to 30-27, and they just forced UNLV to punt. Vanderbilt now has the ball at its 41, trailing by three points with 5:50 remaining.

The UNLV offense has stalled completely in the fourth quarter. The most recent possession was scuttled by penalties, as they picked up back-to-back false starts to set up a 1st-and-20 situation.

The defense may need to make one more big play in order to seal this one.

UNLV extends lead to 30-17 over Vanderbilt

Make it 30 unanswered points for UNLV, and now the Scarlet and Gray appear to be running away with this one.

Jayden Maiava just scored on a 25-yard QB keeper to give UNLV a 30-17 lead with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter. Maiava has played well since entering the game in the first quarter, completing several key passes while protecting the ball (zero turnovers).

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt continues to give away the ball at a rapid pace. The Commodores last drive ended when Fred Thompkins sacked backup QB Ken Seals, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Fisher Carmac. That set up a 60-yard drive for the UNLV offense, capped by Maiava's run.

UNLV storms back to take halftime lead over Vanderbilt

UNLV just keeps making game-changing plays on defense and special teams, and they've now got an improbable 20-17 lead over Vanderbilt heading into halftime.

Cornerback Johnathan Baldwin picked off Vanderbilt quarterback A.J. Swann in the closing seconds of the half, and Jose Pizano chipped in a short field goal to make it 20 straight points for the Scarlet and Gray.

It's been a stunning turnaround for UNLV, which fell behind 17-0 and lost starting quarterback Doug Brumfield to injury. Redshirt freshman Jayden Maiava has been good since coming on, completing 8-of-14 passes for 75 yards, and more importantly not committing any turnovers. For the game UNLV is winning the turnover battle, 3-1.

Defensively, UNLV has held Vandy to 4.0 yards per play, and the Scarlet and Gray will receive the kick to start the third quarter. 

UNLV scores 17 straight to tie Vanderbilt in second quarter

This game has taken a wild turn, as back-to-back Vanderbilt turnovers have led to 10 quick points for UNLV and a 17-17 tie on the scoreboard with 9:38 left in the first half.

Up 17-7, Vandy fumbled a long snap on a punt and UNLV took over possession inside the red zone. They weren't able to punch it in, but Jose Pizano knocked through a short field goal to make it 17-10.

Vanderbilt appeared to be righting the ship on its next possession, as they approached midfield while seeing UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard ejected for targeting. But on the next play after the ejection, the Commodores ran a complicated end-around toss, and E.J. Shelton knocked the ball loose. Cornerback Jerrae Williams scooped it up and weaved 53 yards for the tying touchdown.

All of a sudden, after a terrible start that included losing starting quarterback Doug Brumfield to injury, UNLV is right back in this game, and the Scarlet and Gray have all the momentum.

UNLV on the board, still trails Vanderbilt 17-7

UNLV has finally showed some signs of life on offense, with Jai'Den Thomas scoring on a 21-yard run to trim Vanderbilt's lead to 17-7 with 12:17 left in the first half.

Vandy went up 17-0 on a 56-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Swann to London Humphreys, but Jacob De Jesus gave UNLV a spark by returning the ensuing kickoff 36 yards. Freshman QB Jayden Maiava completed two passes to get UNLV to the brink of the red zone (with help from a facemask penalty on Vanderbilt), and Thomas, the freshman back, bounced a handoff around the right side for the touchdown.

UNLV had gained just nine yards on its first three offensive drives, so going 61 yards on four plays qualifies as a quantum leap forward. Can they keep the momentum going and get a little closer before halftime?

Brumfield out after big hit, Vanderbilt leads UNLV football

Things have gone from bad to worse for UNLV, and Vanderbilt has a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Doug Brumfield took a hard shot on the pick-6 that ended the Scarlet and Gray's first drive, but he stayed in the game. The offense couldn't move the ball on the ensuing possession, however, and Brumfield took another big hit on the third-down sack that ended that drive. He then went into the medical tent for evaluation while Vanderbilt fielded the punt and drove down for a field goal.

Redshirt freshman Jayden Maiava has taken over at quarterback, and his first drive didn't go much better. He tossed an incompletion on second down, then took a sack on third down, giving Vanderbilt possession at the end of the quarter.

UNLV's defense has been more than solid so far, with a pair of sacks and just a field goal allowed. The offensive line simply hasn't given the quarterback enough time to do anything.

Vanderbilt takes 7-0 lead over UNLV on interception return

Tough start for UNLV in this one, as Vanderbilt just scored a defensive touchdown to take a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

UNLV's defense forced a punt on the game's opening possession, but the offense made a crucial mistake on a 3rd-and-6 play when Doug Brumfield was intercepted by a Vanderbilt defensive back. With nothing but open field, the INT was returned for a touchdown and the Scarlet and Gray find themselves in a hole.

Maybe more important, Brumfield took a hit on the throw and stayed down after the play. He was attended to by trainers and eventually jogged off on his own power, but considering Brumfield's history of injuries we'll have to wait and see if he comes back out for the next drive.

UNLV football hosts Vanderbilt in crucial contest

Sometime in November, if UNLV is scratching and clawing its way toward six wins, it’s possible they’ll look back at today’s game against Vanderbilt (4 p.m., CBS Sports Network) as one of the pivotal points of the season — win or lose.

It’s a crucial contest between two equally matched opponents, and with the Scarlet and Gray coming off a 35-7 defeat at Michigan last week, a victory would serve an added purpose of putting them back on a bowl track.

Three keys to watch:

What pressure?

Through two weeks, UNLV’s opponents have attempted 59 passes. The defense has recorded just one sack, which came in Week 1 against Bryant of the FCS.

It’s going to be tough to win without pressuring the quarterback, and Barry Odom is doing everything he can to generate a pass rush. The lone sack came from cornerback Jerrae Williams on a blitz, showcasing the creativity Odom has had to conjure in order to breach the pocket.

Can the defensive line win its matchups against Vanderbilt? They’ll have plenty of opportunities; Vandy ranks 20th in the nation in pass percentage, as they’ve thrown the ball on 59.6% of their snaps this season, and quarterback A.J. Swann has been sacked on 6.8% of those plays.

Look for Odom to go deep in the playbook with the blitzes, but UNLV will have a better chance of success if linemen Darius Johnson, E.J. Shelton, Zavier Carter and Jalen Dixon can create some pressure on their own.

Brumfield breakout

This is supposed to be Doug Brumfield’s team, but through two weeks the passing game has been decidedly non-productive. In Week 1 the issue was timing, as Brumfield just barely missed on several long passes to receivers Ricky White and Jacob De Jesus. Last week the offensive line was the problem, as Brumfield got sacked five times in the first half.

UNLV should be better in both areas against Vanderbilt. Rhythm and timing is surely locked in by Week 3, and the offensive line is getting two starters back this week as Jalen St. John and Alani Makihele return to action.

Brumfield is talented enough to carry the offense, but we haven’t seen it yet this season — not even flashes. Let’s see if today is the day he breaks out in the go-go offense.

Where’s White?

Speaking of Ricky White, the junior receiver is even more due for a breakout game than Brumfield.

White was UNLV’s top receiving threat last year (or, at the very least, a co-No. 1 with Kyle Williams) with 51 catches for 619 yards, but so far this season he has managed just four catches for a paltry 36 yards. He is capable of much greater production, and once he’s integrated into the passing game it should have a positive ripple effect on the rest of the offense.

As opponents start to shift their coverage toward top target Jacob De Jesus (nine catches, 96 yards), White is going to have to come through with big plays to keep defenses honest.

What: UNLV (1-1) vs. Vanderbilt (2-1)

When: Saturday, 4 p.m.

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: 1100AM, 100.9FM

Line: Vanderbilt -5

UNLV leaders

Passing

Doug Brumfield: 56.8%, 186 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing

Vincent Davis: 96 yards, 10.7 yards per carry, 1 TD

Receiving

Jacob De Jesus: 9 receptions, 96 yards, 0 TDs

Defense

Jerrae Williams: 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1.0 sacks

Vanderbilt leaders

Passing

A.J. Swann: 61.2%, 766 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing

Patrick Smith: 157 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 1 TD

Receiving

Will Sheppard: 20 receptions, 217 yards, 6 TDs

Defense

C.J. Taylor: 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks 

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