Rebels come up a kick short against New Mexico

The UNLV kicker capable of making 55-yard field goals stood on the sideline on crutches.

The other doesn’t have the ability to convert from that distance.

So the Rebels turned to a junior walk-on from Arbor View High School who had never tried a field goal in a college football game.

And Brian McIntyre gave the potential tying field goal quite a ride.

His line drive kick as time expired kept going but ducked under the crossbar, allowing New Mexico to leave Sam Boyd Stadium with a 31-28 victory Saturday.

“I thought it went in, and I then I saw the guys in the zebra shirts waving no good,” said safety Mike Horsey, who led UNLV with 14 tackles, including 3½ for loss. “I took a dagger right to my heart.”

The loss mathematically ended any chance UNLV (2-7, 1-4 Mountain West) had of reaching a bowl, but the Rebels had been out of serious contention for a postseason game for some time.

They were hoping to at least put together a positive final month of the season, and losing to New Mexico doesn’t help. The Lobos (3-5, 1-3) were considered UNLV’s most winnable game, and the schedule doesn’t get easier with Air Force (6-2, 2-2) visiting Saturday.

New Mexico made no secret of what it intended to do, rushing for 301 yards and passing for just 5, but the Lobos took a 17-0 lead with 1:50 left in the second quarter.

“It’s obvious we start out slow as an offense,” said UNLV wide receiver Anthony Williams, who caught six passes for 76 yards. “We put our defense in bad situations.”

The Rebels finally got it going offensively, putting together a nine-play, 75-yard drive to get on the scoreboard on quarterback Blake Decker’s 2-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds left in the first half. That was the first of three successive touchdown drives for the Rebels, who took a 21-17 lead on Shaquille Murray-Lawrence’s 14-yard run with 5:49 left in the third quarter.

“Blake settled down and got comfortable,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. “He was just not comfortable the first two quarters up until that point.”

Decker, who completed 28 of 44 passes for 271 yards with two interceptions, wasn’t available to talk. He dressed and left before Hauck’s postgame news conference ended.

Decker also provided 76 yards rushing, and Murray-Lawrence had 125 yards and two touchdowns to become the first UNLV running back this season to rush for 100 yards. It also was Murray-Lawrence’s first 100-yard game since last year’s season opener at Minnesota.

UNLV had the opportunity to add to its lead early in the fourth quarter, but Decker’s pass went off the hands of wide receiver Devonte Boyd and into those of New Mexico cornerback Isaiah Brown, who returned the interceptiono to the 4-yard line. Jhurell Pressley, who rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns, scored on the next play.

The Rebels then went 85 yards on 12 plays to go back in front 28-24 with 8:28 left on Keith Whitely’s 3-yard touchdown run. UNLV converted three third downs on the drive.

But then UNLV couldn’t get New Mexico off the field. It didn’t help that linebacker Tau Lotulelei, who leads the Rebels in tackles, went out with an undisclosed injury late in the third quarter.

UNLV’s best chance to stop the Lobos came on fourth-and-2 from the Rebels’ 39, but Romell Jordan moved the chains with a 3-yard run. New Mexico worked the ball to the 3, where Teriyon Gipson scored with 1:22 left for a 31-28 lead. That capped a 15-play, 66-yard drive that ate up 6:57.

The Rebels then moved to New Mexico’s 37 with a second left. The clock briefly stopped because of a first down, and UNLV rushed McIntyre onto the field because the clock would restart on the official’s signal. Getting off the snap in time would have been difficult, and even if they had done that, they were sending out an inexperienced kicker.

But New Mexico coach Bob Davie called timeout, saying he “definitely” thought UNLV would get the play off in time.

“They were set up to go whistle-field goal,” Davie said.

He also said he wanted to make sure his players didn’t commit a penalty and give the Rebels a shorter try.

McIntyre was in the game because usual long-range kicker Nicolai Bornand was injured, and the distance was too far for Jonathan Leiva. McIntyre gave it a shot, but the kick fell just short.

As did the Rebels.

“It’s kind of been the story of almost there, but we just can’t find a way to finish it,” Horsey said. “Almost is not good enough. Our record speaks for that, so this is really frustrating.”

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