GameDay Grades:UNLV at Northern Illinois

TURNING POINT

Northern Illinois created some momentum with a late first-half touchdown to cut UNLV's lead to 17-10 at intermission. But then the Huskies needed just four plays to open the second half to travel 63 yards in 1:12 to tie the game and grab all of it. NIU then outscored the Rebels 21-3 to take control of the game before UNLV added a touchdown with 5:26 remaining.

GRADES

OFFENSE: B-minus

The Rebels gained 493 yards and controlled the ball for over 35 minutes, with senior quarterback Blake Decker completing 21-of-39 for 319 yards and two scores. They also managed 164 yards rushing. But they missed opportunities in the red zone and had to settle for field goals when the opportunity arose to put some distance between themselves and the Huskies. Touchdowns win road games, not field goals.

DEFENSE: C

It's a 60-minute game, and as physical as the Rebels were against the run over the first half, they ultimately tired and allowed 545 yards, including 360 through the air. Kenny Golladay is a Northern Illinois junior who was playing his first game for the Huskies. He caught nine balls for 213 yards. UNLV couldn't consistently pressure Northern Illinois quarterback Drew Hare, and paid for it on the back end by allowing far too many big gains via the pass.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Junior place-kicker Nicolai Bornand had field goals of 21, 33 and 51 yards for the Rebels, the last one equaling the 14th best all-time in school history. Logan Yunker averaged 43 yards on four punts, but the coverage teams were spotty and senior Kenny Keys made a terrible decision to blast a Northern Illinois punt returner after he signaled for a fair catch, earning Keys a well-deserved personal foul.

COACHING: B

For a side that was a three-touchdown underdog since the game was posted, UNLV more than competed into the fourth quarter. Head coach Tony Sanchez needs players. He really needs some defensive backs. I liked how offensive coordinator Barney Cotton called plays — aggressive, imaginative at the right times. The Rebels played, for the most part, with the fanatical effort Sanchez preached about through camp. They were also penalized just three times for 30 yards.

NEXT OPPORTUNITY: D-minus

The Rebels play their season-opener on Saturday against UCLA at Sam Boyd Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The No. 13 Bruins beat Virginia 34-16, with true freshman quarterback Josh Rosen throwing for 351 yards and three touchdowns. UNLV might be able to keep it close, but that would likely have more to do with UCLA going vanilla so as not to show much for more highly regarded opponents down the line.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney.