UNLV football beats Kansas with late touchdown to bolster playoff push

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — And you thought last season was magical?

The UNLV football team pulled off a bone fide miracle on Friday, erasing an 11-point deficit and embarking on a most improbable game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter to defeat Kansas, 23-20.

The star of the dramatic, potentially program-altering victory? Previously anonymous running back Kylin James, who scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. But that wasn’t his most impactful play.

James saved the season earlier in the final drive, when quarterback Matthew Sluka was stripped during a scramble and it looked as though Kansas was a cinch to recover. The ball caromed directly to a pair of KU defenders with no UNLV players in the area; they were unable to reel it in, however, and two other Jayhawks failed to dive on it despite clear shots at the ball.

It finally bounced free at the Kansas 44-yard-line, and James, a senior transfer from Central Arkansas, fell on it to keep possession with the Scarlet and Gray. Fifteen plays later, UNLV was faced with a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and James got the call again.

James took a handoff from Sluka and burrowed into the end zone to give UNLV its first lead of the game with 1:51 remaining.

The defense held firm on Kansas’s final possession, with senior defensive end Antonio Doyle sacking quarterback Jalon Daniels on fourth down to seal the monumental win.

UNLV is now 3-0 on the season, with two road wins over Big 12 opponents. Barry Odom’s squad will likely find itself ranked in one or both of the Top 25 polls next week, which would be a first in program history, and the Scarlet and Gray have to be considered frontrunners for the Group of 5 playoff spot at this point in the season.

UNLV did not make James available for comment after the game, but the rest of the team had plenty to say about his fourth-quarter heroics.

Sluka was particularly thankful that James stayed with the play and ended up being in the right place at the right time.

“I saw one guy kick it, I think, and I saw another guy try and scoop it up, and the ball was still on the ground. And then I see (James) dive on it and grab it,” Sluka said with a laugh. “It was a little stressful.”

Center Jack Hasz trailed the play and did his best to keep up as the ball changed direction several times, before finally ending up in safe hands with James.

“I was tracking it — the initial fumble,” Hasz said. “Then I tracked the second fumble. So I was going back and forth. Us O-linemen aren’t the most agile. It was an odd play, so I’m just thankful that we fell on it.”

Like the extended fumble-recovery sequence, the drive itself was a study in white-knuckle perseverance.

UNLV took over possession at its 25-yard line with 11:22 on the clock. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s go-go offense then opted for slow motion, running the ball on 19 straight plays as the minutes and seconds melted away.

Sluka converted a 3rd-and-9 with his legs to keep it going, then picked up a 4th-and-1 via sneak that would have given UNLV a 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But Will Thomas was flagged for unnecessary roughness after the play, setting it back to 1st-and-10 from the 16. Sluka and James traded carries to move the chains again, setting up a goal-to-go from the 3.

A second-down handoff to Jacob De Jesus lost yardage, putting the ball at the 12. Sluka gained 11 on third down, and on fourth down James powered through the pile, setting off a celebration on the UNLV sideline.

The drive took 11:22 off the game clock; in real time, it went on for more than 25 minutes.

Watching it unfold from the sideline, senior linebacker Jackson Woodard had faith that the offense would come through in the deciding moments.

“It was wild,” Woodard said. “A little nervous, but I really trust in all those guys on the offense. We see it every single practice; we do a 2-minute drill and we see how good they are. We trust in coach Marion and his play calls. And they just went out and every play they kept their poise. We trust in them and they went out there and did it for us.”

Woodard played a key role in sparking the comeback after Kansas dominated play for most of the first half.

Kansas scored on its first three possessions, opening a 17-6 lead midway through the second quarter as UNLV appeared incapable of making a tackle. Daniels ran for a pair of touchdowns, including a 33-yarder that saw him skip into the end zone without any UNLV defender coming near him.

The Jayhawks averaged more than eight yards per play in the half, but the tide began to turn with a minute left in the second quarter when UNLV safety Jalen Catalon intercepted a deep pass and returned it 44 yards into Kansas territory.

On the final play of the half, Sluka took a snap with six seconds left and lofted a ball down the sideline into the hands of sophomore running back Jai’Den Thomas, who caught it at the 15 with two seconds on the clock. Thomas had nothing but open field in front of him and stepped across the goal line as the clock ticked to all zeroes, sending UNLV into the locker room with major momentum.

The Scarlet and Gray surge continued into the second half. Kansas received the opening kick, and on the second play from scrimmage Woodard stepped in front of a pass over the middle and picked it off. For a moment it looked like the senior linebacker might take it all the way, but he was chased down and tackled at the KU 4-yard line.

UNLV couldn’t get into the end zone from there and had to settle for a short Caden Chittenden field goal to pull within 17-16.

Kansas added another three points early in the fourth quarter to extend its lead to 20-16, and as UNLV’s offensive struggles continued, it looked like that might be enough for the Jayhawks to secure the win — until Sluka and James teamed up to deliver on the final epic drive.

UNLV now heads into a bye week, with the Mountain West opener at home against Fresno State set for Sept. 28.

College Football Playoff fever is bound to sweep through the fan base over the next two weeks, especially after Friday’s emotional triumph. But impossible as it may be, Woodard is intent on keeping his team grounded.

“We’re really just focusing on the next game,” Woodard said. “Playoffs are so far away. Obviously our goal is a championship, so with a championship we hope that means a spot in the playoffs, but really we’re focused on the next game.”

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