Road losing streak continues for Rebels in 45-17 loss to Air Force

Quarterback Caleb Herring looked like he was back in Reno, and the defense did little to hinder Air Force’s triple option offense.

Air Force ran all over UNLV, rushing for 394 yards and cruising to a 45-17 victory at Falcon Stadium.

"We didn’t get to the option very well, and obviously that’s the first thing you need to stop," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. "It was a pretty good game early. They’ve got answers for everything you do."

The Falcons (6-5, 2-4 Mountain West Conference) stayed alive for bowl eligibility. Air Force, which can count only one of its two wins over Football Championship Subdivision schools toward postseason eligibility, must beat Colorado State next weekend.

UNLV (2-8, 1-4) can only dream of the postseason — or even winning a road game. The Rebels have lost 15 in a row outside of Las Vegas, matching the 2004 to 2006 skid as the school’s second longest. UNLV lost 26 consecutive away games from 1994 to 1998.

The Rebels had little shot of ending the streak when they couldn’t stop Air Force’s outstanding running game. Asher Clark rushed for a career-high 169 yards — his previous best was 164 two years ago against UNLV — including a 67-yard touchdown.

Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson, whose pregame status was in question because of a concussion, rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 7 of 12 passes for 128 yards and a score.

Linebacker Nate Carter, who led UNLV with 11 tackles, said defending a four-year starting quarterback is "more difficult, someone who’s experienced and knows the offense really well. He knows where to go with the ball, so it makes it more challenging for us."

Herring, whose own status was uncertain after he suffered an undisclosed injury two weeks ago, didn’t come close to producing Jeffersonian numbers. He completed 6 of 14 for 41 yards with an interception, and was only 3 of 9 for 11 yards through the first three quarters.

His performance was reminiscent of the Oct. 8 game at UNR when Herring had only one completion for 8 yards.

"On a night like tonight when we can’t throw, we’re not going to put up enough points against them," Hauck said. "We’re not going to outrush them."

UNLV gave it a shot, gaining 227 yards. It was the fifth consecutive game the Rebels rushed for at least 150 yards, their longest streak since 2002.

Tim Cornett gained 104 yards on 19 carries, and Bradley Randle totaled 82 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts.

Starter Dionza Bradford, who had three 100-yard games in his past four outings, finished with 20 yards on six carries before departing in the third quarter with an arm injury. Hauck said he didn’t know the severity.

UNLV had a chance to make the game competitive, finishing a 16-play, 80-yard drive with 10 consecutive runs to cut Air Force’s lead to 14-10 midway through the second quarter.

Then after the Falcons’ Parker Herrington missed a 42-yard field goal, the Rebels got the ball back with 3:54 left and the chance to take a halftime lead. But they went three-and-out, and Air Force capitalized when Clark ran for a 67-yard touchdown. Herrington made a 27-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the half to make it 24-10.

"It could’ve just as easily been a momentum swing for us," Herring said. "That was definitely a pivotal point in the game."

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