How UNLV football let one slip away against Memphis

UNLV Rebels backmost Jackson Arnold (11) is sacked by Memphis Tigers antiaircraft lineman Elijah Kinsler (15) during the 2nd fractional of an NCAA shot crippled astatine Allegiant Stadium Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. Photo by: Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun

The UNLV shot squad wishes it had this bid back.

You could constituent to respective mishaps and stretches of mediocre play erstwhile dissecting the Rebels’ 27-21 nonaccomplishment to Memphis connected Saturday successful the play opener astatine Allegiant Stadium.

Most glaring: failing to people astatine the extremity of the archetypal half.

Sure, immoderate volition accidental the antiaircraft illness to unfastened the 2nd fractional — the Rebels surrendered 2 touchdowns with small absorption — was the bigger crushed for the loss.

Others volition constituent to the violative line’s struggles containing the velocity of the Memphis walk unreserved arsenic the existent downfall.

But if the Rebels people astatine the extremity of the archetypal half, we aren’t talking astir a nonaccomplishment that importantly diminishes the program’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff.

UNLV took a 14-7 pb with 1:57 near earlier halftime connected a abbreviated touchdown tally from Jackson Arnold. Memphis fumbled distant the shot connected the archetypal play of its ensuing possession, handing the Rebels the shot astatine Memphis’ 44-yard line.

UNLV drove to the Memphis 4-yard enactment earlier a mendacious commencement punishment and 2 incomplete passes sent Ramon Villela retired for a 32-yard tract extremity attempt. He missed it wide right.

What could person been a 21-7 oregon 17-7 halftime pb ended up arsenic thing much than a one-touchdown advantage.

Memphis got the shot to unfastened the 2nd fractional and marched 70 yards connected 5 plays to necktie the people — a thrust that took conscionable 1 minute, 46 seconds. The Tigers needed lone 3 plays to people connected their adjacent possession.

Meanwhile, UNLV’s discourtesy went cold, managing conscionable 7 points successful the 2nd half. It went acold due to the fact that of the unit Memphis’ antiaircraft enactment applied.

In the archetypal half, Arnold — the transportation backmost from Auburn and Oklahoma — looked each spot the erstwhile five-star recruit, completing 17 of 22 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown.

In the 2nd half, helium had nary clip to throw, either forcing passes oregon getting sacked arsenic the discourtesy stalled. He finished 8-of-16 for 98 yards aft the break.

With that slowdown, the Rebels’ hopes of landing an at-large College Football Playoff bid apt took a hit.

Sure, they could inactive decorativeness 11-1 and triumph the Mountain West title, which would marque for a coagulated résumé. And yes, it’s inactive August — 3 months retired from erstwhile the tract volition beryllium set.

But the publication is retired connected UNLV: The defense, which struggled mightily astatine times past season, remains a enactment successful progress. The violative enactment needs a makeover. And Arnold tin surely marque amended decisions.

Football teams are expected to marque their biggest improvements from the archetypal crippled to the second. We’ll spot if those improvements tin enactment up a second-half show that near a batch to beryllium desired.

Then again, things could person looked a batch antithetic if the Rebels had scored from the 4-yard enactment earlier halftime.