Nicolai Bornand surprised he’s asked to kick, then hits game winner for UNLV
Nicolai Bornand never expected to get into the game, but UNLV’s backup kicker ended up booting the winning 40-yard field goal in triple overtime to lift the Rebels to a wild 69-66 win over Wyoming on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Bornand replaced Evan Pantels early in the fourth quarter when the starting kicker and punter cramped up.
“He got a cramp. A full body cramp,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “How a kicker gets that I have no idea.”
Bornand, a senior who lost his starting kicking job to Pantels in camp, said he was surprised when he was told to get into the game.
“I never thought it could happen,” he said. “I was watching Evan out there, and next thing I know he’s down and I get called up. I didn’t even know what was going on, really.”
After booting his first kickoff out of bounds, Bornand settled down and dropped a 51-yard punt on Wyoming’s 3-yard line with 1:06 left.
In triple overtime, Bornand initially missed a 35-yard field-goal try wide left, but it was nullified by a false-start penalty on UNLV.
“We had the greatest false-start penalty in the history of football,” Sanchez said. “It’s crazy. We got that false start, and it kind of threw him off a little bit and he kind of pushes it left. For him to settle down, move it back and drill that thing down the middle, that’s a big, big deal.”
Bornand said the penalty helped him refocus.
“It kind of neutralized and got my thoughts right,” he said. “I focused in, and it really helped.”
BOYD BREAKS LOOSE
Devonte Boyd made a season-high 10 catches for 127 yards, giving him 16 receptions for 263 yards in his past two games. His late-season surge has moved him past Earvin Johnson (2,604) into third place in UNLV career receiving yards with 2,630. Boyd also tied Devante Davis for the second-most 100-yard receiving games with 11, one behind Ryan Wolfe.
Sanchez said Boyd was freed up Saturday by the team’s rushing attack (401 yards, sixth-most in school history) and the fact five other players caught passes — including converted defensive back Jericho Flowers, who had three catches for 65 yards and a 22-yard touchdown in overtime.
“It makes the defense more honest when other guys are stepping up and making plays,” Sanchez said. “That allowed Boyd to be more effective.”
WHERE’S LEX?
Lexington Thomas was pronounced the starting running back Tuesday, but sat out the game with a high ankle sprain suffered Oct. 29 at San Jose State.
“We were hoping he could go. He was carrying the ball a little Tuesday,” Sanchez said. “By the time we got to Thursday, we realized he wasn’t 100 percent.”
Thomas is questionable for Friday’s game at Boise State (9-1, 5-1), which beat Hawaii 52-16 on Saturday and is tied with Wyoming (7-3, 5-1) atop the Mountain Division.
Rebels nickel back Robert Jackson suffered a broken wrist against Wyoming, and defensive end Dominic Baldwin left with an undisclosed injury.
PICK IT
Torry McTyer’s fourth-quarter interception was the first by UNLV in 20 quarters. McTyer added his second interception of the game in triple overtime to set up Bornand’s winning kick. The Rebels entered tied for last in the nation in interceptions with three.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
