Game day: Records fall as UNLV routs Utah Tech, 72-14

Bring on Kansas.

UNLV took care of business here today, burying FCS opponent Utah Tech, 72-14, and setting some program records in the process. Now all attention turns to next week's showdown at No. 19 Kansas.

Matthew Sluka and Ricky White put this game out of reach early, connecting for three touchdowns in the first quarter to stake UNLV to a 21-7 lead. The advantage stretched to 44-7 at the half, and the Scarlet and Gray reserves took care of the finishing touches, with running back Greg Burrell, receiver Timothy Conerly and third-string quarterback Cameron Friel each scoring in the second half.

UNLV racked up 695 yards of total offense, besting the previous team record of 671 set in 1977. The 72 points tied the second-highest mark; UNLV scored 80 against Idaho State in 2015.

UNLV dominated the line of scrimmage, racking up 504 yards on the ground at a clip of 8.0 yards per carry (the 504 yards is third in the program's history). Burrell led the way with 101 yards on 11 attempts, while Sluka ran for 70 yards and a touchdown.

White finished with five catches for 111 yards and three touchdowns in less than two quarters of work.

The Scarlet and Gray improve to 2-0 in non-conference play, with one of the biggest games of the season looming on Friday. A win at Kansas would not only avenge the loss in last year's Guaranteed Rate Bowl, but also vault UNLV into serious playoff discussions.

Greg Burrell scores, UNLV leads 51-14

Welcome to Division I, Greg Burrell.

UNLV's freshman running back has enjoyed a breakout afternoon, topping 100 yards in his second career game and recording his first rushing touchdown to help UNLV to a 51-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Burrell, a Desert Pines product, was one of the headliners of the incoming recruiting class, and so far he has lived up to that billing. He recorded a 42-yard run in the second quarter, then found the end zone on a 4-yard burst midway through the third quarter. He currently has a team-high 101 rushing yards on 11 carries.

The Scarlet and Gray have 371 rushing yards on the day, as the Utah Tech defense has been powerless to stop them in the trenches. Burrell, Matthew Sluka, Jai'Den Thomas and Tim Conerly each have one rushing touchdown apiece.

UNLV leads Utah Tech at half, 44-7

This is the kind of offensive explosion we have come to expect from UNLV, as Matthew Sluka and Ricky White teamed up to give the home team a 44-7 halftime lead over visiting Utah Tech.

UNLV had nine offensive possessions in the half and scored on eight of them, putting up five touchdowns and three field goals against the overmatched Utah Tech defense. The only time the Scarlet and Gray failed to score was the final drive of the half, when they took over at their own 20 with a minute on the clock and went 3-and-out.

Sluka has generated a handful of big plays, passing for 161 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 70 yards and a score. White has been his preferred target; after catching just two passes for 11 yards in Week 1, White already has five receptions for 111 yards and three TDs today.

Freshman running back Greg Burrell got in on the action in the second quarter. The Desert Pines product broke a 42-yard run, then jumped on a Sluka fumble to retain possession on a drive that eventually led to a field goal.

Defensively, Jalen Catalon is leading the way with 4.0 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss. White chipped in on special teams with a punt block in the second quarter.

The only question now is how Barry Odom will decide to play the second half. Will he leave in the starters and try to run up the score for the sake of Top 25 voters, or will he cede some snaps to the reserves now that the outcome has been determined?

Ricky White making plays, UNLV routing Utah Tech

The rout is on, as the Scarlet and Gray have extended their lead to 31-7 early in the second quarter.

It's been the Ricky White show so far. The senior receiver has four catches for 69 yards and three touchdowns, with the his most recent scoring grab — a short slant on 4th-and-goal — giving UNLV a 28-7 advantage. White then made good on a preseason promise to block a punt, as he stuffed Utah Tech kick inside the 20 on the ensuing possession.

Despite the good field position, UNLV failed to get into the end zone for the first time this afternoon, settling for a 27-yard field goal from Caden Chittenden.

Matthew Sluka has hit on 7-of-11 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

UNLV scoring at will, leads Utah Tech 21-7

UNLV has scored on all three of its possessions so far, staking out an early 21-7 advantage over Utah Tech.

UNLV's second drive was almost as expeditious as the first. The Scarlet and Gray went 71 yards in five plays, capped by Matthew Sluka's roll-out touchdown pass to Ricky White from five yards out.

The defense forced a three-and-out, and Sluka went to work again, tossing a 55-yard strike down the left sideline to White. The senior receiver snagged the ball in stride, stiff-armed the trailing defender and raced into the end zone to make it 21-7.

Sluka is 4-of-5 passing for 107 yards and two touchdowns, already rivaling his production from Week 1 (six completions, 71 yards, two touchdowns).

The only slip-up on UNLV's part was a 64-yard touchdown allowed by the defense, which failed to locate tight end Alec Burton deep down the middle. Utah Tech quarterback Deacon Hill cashed in on that play, but has struggled otherwise, completing 1-of-3 passes for seven yards. He has also been sacked once.

UNLV strikes fast, takes 7-0 lead over Utah Tech

It took exactly three plays for UNLV to find the end zone, and just like that the Scarlet and Gray have a 7-0 lead over Utah Tech.

After fielding a short kick to open the game, Ricky White picked up two yards on an end-around, then Matthew Sluka fired a 36-yard pass to Jacob De Jesus. The next snap was a handoff to Jai'Den Thomas, who broke through a huge hole and galloped 27 yards for the score.

The quick-strike drive is a good sign for the UNLV offense, which managed a modest 20 points in last week's 27-7 win at Houston (the other seven points came on a defensive touchdown).

UNLV hosts Utah Tech in home opener

The hype around the 2024 UNLV football team reached a fever pitch following the Week 1 win at Houston, and it’s probably going to intensify on Saturday when the Scarlet and Gray host Utah Tech in the home opener at Allegiant Stadium (12 p.m., Mountain West Network/Silver State Sports).

UNLV, of course, enters the game as a massive favorite, and if all goes according to plan, the outcome won’t be in doubt for very long.

Three keys to watch as UNLV looks to improve to 2-0 on the season:

Offense on track

For the UNLV offense, this is a get-well game. They only managed two touchdowns and a pair of field goals against Houston (the other touchdown came courtesy of the defense, via a Jalen Catalon interception return), so you know Brennan Marion and the players want to be more explosive this week. And the lowly Utah Tech defense should offer plenty of opportunities, as they gave up 31 points in a loss to Montana State last week.

All eyes will once again be on senior quarterback Matthew Sluka, who was okay in his debut at Houston (6-of-13, 71 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). Can he up his accuracy while also getting stud receiver Ricky White more involved? White only had two catches for 11 yards in Week 1, so look for Sluka to target him plenty on Saturday as they go about building chemistry.

Special teams hitter

Is this the game we finally see UNLV break its punt return curse?

The program hasn’t had a punt return for a touchdown since 2001, but special teams ace Jacob De Jesus has promised he’ll snap the streak this season; that goes for kick returns as well, as UNLV hasn’t taken a kickoff to the house since 2011.

Utah Tech was very, very shaky on coverage in Week 1, allowing 116 return yards on five punts (an average of 23.2 yards). De Jesus will likely have a handful of chances to break through for a game-changing, drought-ending return.

Top 25?

There was some talk this week of UNLV making a case for the Top 25 — some of it coming from Odom himself, who urged voters to cast their ballots for the Scarlet and Gray — but that chatter is a bit premature.

Though Odom’s squad did receive votes in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Top 25 following the Week 1 dismantling of Houston, they’re still far enough below the cut that a blowout of an FCS opponent isn’t going to move the needle. UNLV was behind nine other teams in the Others Receiving Votes category in the Coaches Poll, placing them an unofficial 35^th in the nation; in the AP Poll, they’re 45^th.

If the Scarlet and Gray take care of business on Saturday, all eyes will turn to next week’s showdown at Kansas. The Jayhawks are ranked in both polls (AP No. 19, Coaches No. 20), so if Odom can score a road upset in the rematch of last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, we could see some serious traction for UNLV in the Top 25.

UNLV leaders

Passing

Matthew Sluka: 46.2%, 71 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing

Michael Allen: 65 yards, 6.5 yards per carry, 0 TDs

Receiving

Jacob De Jesus: 2 receptions, 42 yards, 2 TDs

Defense

Jackson Woodard: 11 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 4.0 TFLs

Montana State leaders

Passing

Deacon Hill: 47.8%, 104 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing

Deacon Hill: 25 yards, 12.5 yards per carry, 1 TD

Receiving

Eni Falayi: 4 receptions, 48 yards, 0 TDs

Defense

Jagger Williams: 10 tackles, 0.5 TFLs

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