New Mexico beats UNLV, 21-14, for first win of season

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Yes, UNLV didn't have its starting quarterback.

And, yes, the Rebels are a different team on the road.

But how do you explain what happened Saturday night at University Stadium?

The Rebels lost to perhaps the nation's worst major-college football team, falling 21-14 to New Mexico when Demarcus Rogers scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:15 left.

New Mexico's tiebreaking TD was set up when UNLV quarterback Taylor Barnhill had rushed for an apparent first down, but was stripped by Carmen Messina and recovered by Lobos teammate Jaymar Latchison.

UNLV (2-7, 1-3 Mountain West Conference) now has lost 14 consecutive road games, though this easily was the closest during the skid. New Mexico (1-9, 1-4) ended a 12-game losing streak.

This loss could go down with the Rebels' 41-16 defeat earlier this season to Southern Utah as one that is nearly impossible to explain.

"I never felt like we were in jeopardy of losing the game," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. "I wasn't nervous about it until we fumbled at the end."

The Lobos, who averaged just 294 yards per game before Saturday, gained 415 yards. B.R. Holbrook completed 15 of 23 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown, and Crusoe Gongbay rushed for 93 yards on 13 carries.

The Rebels appeared in trouble from the start, entering this game without starting quarterback Caleb Herring. He took a hard shot against Boise State last week, but Herring was listed as probable on the injury report and practiced during the week.

Hauck didn't specify Herring's injury and said backup Sean Reilly had "some nagging issues." The third option, Barnhill, could run (rushing for 77 yards on 17 carries) but not pass (7 of 10 for 54 yards).

"If you ask any coach in America, it's difficult when you can't throw it, that's for sure," Hauck said.

Even with a one-dimensional look, the Rebels figured to have a good chance to take control by sticking to the running game. New Mexico had allowed a 255.1-yard average, and the Rebels hit the Lobos with 268 yards on the ground, the first time since 2002 they strung together four consecutive 150-yard rushing games.

Freshman Dionza Bradford rushed for a career-high 152 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

New Mexico showed right away it wouldn't be pushed around when Holbrook went deep to Deon Long, who beat UNLV cornerback Will Chander for an 80-yard touchdown just 9 seconds into the game.

UNLV answered immediately with a 10-play, 80-yard drive to tie the game at 7 when Bradford busted through for a 45-yard touchdown run.

The Lobos topped that, using 14 plays and 8:18 to go 80 yards. Rogers ended the drive with a 1-yard run to give New Mexico a 14-7 lead with 32 seconds left in the first quarter. New Mexico had scored only 10 points in the first period all season.

But even though New Mexico threatened to, it couldn't add to that lead. The Lobos missed two excellent scoring opportunities in the second quarter when James Aho missed a 37-yard field goal and Holbrook was stopped on a fourth-and-goal run at the 1-yard line.

"We didn't play well enough in the first half on defense," Hauck said. "After that, we settled in to a degree, but we didn't play well enough in any phase to win."

UNLV's offense didn't do much until late in the third quarter when it moved 72 yards on nine plays. Tim Cornett's 4-yard run 38 seconds into the fourth quarter tied the game at 14.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.