Rebels finally rule on road

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The head coach’s future and the fate of the football season hung in the balance.

And when the moment of truth came in the fourth quarter, UNLV responded as it seldom has in similar situations.

As winners.

The Rebels put together perhaps the best and most important drive of coach Bobby Hauck’s four-year tenure at the school, moving 80 yards on 15 plays and eating up nearly seven minutes of the clock. Caleb Herring finished the series with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Devante Davis to put the Rebels up seven points with 4:46 left.

Tim Cornett added a 75-yard touchdown run with 3:03 remaining to give UNLV a 56-42 victory over New Mexico on Saturday at University Stadium to end a 23-game road losing streak.

The skid was the second-longest in school history behind a 26-game streak from 1994 to 1998. The Rebels hadn’t won a road game since Oct. 24, 2009, in coach Mike Sanford’s final season, winning at New Mexico, 34-17.

The scoring output was UNLV’s highest since a 58-42 victory over New Mexico State on Nov. 15, 1986.

“The locker room was crazy,” Davis said. “We all understand moving forward that we can win away games. It’s not like a curse against us.”

The players doused Hauck — whose job status has been questioned — with water on the sideline with about 35 seconds left and later presented him with the game ball. This was the first time Hauck, who was tremendously successful in seven seasons at Montana, has won more than two games in a season at UNLV.

UNLV (3-2, 1-0 Mountain West) also recorded its first three-game winning streak since 2003. The Rebels, who are above .500 for the first time since beginning the 2009 season 2-1, have a week off before hosting Hawaii on Oct. 12.

“Our goal as a team was to be in contention coming out of September, and we are,” Hauck said. “It’s a big win for us. There are a lot of things we’ve done the last few weeks that haven’t been done for a while at UNLV.

“Obviously, good football teams continue to improve and correct as the year goes on. We have a lot to work on. I think the spirit of that work ethic will be what comes out of our locker room.”

UNLV’s offense came storming out of the locker room against New Mexico (1-3, 0-1), accounting for 568 yards. Herring completed 24 of 34 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns; Davis caught 10 passes for 164 yards and three TDs; and Cornett rushed for 179 yards and three scores on 25 attempts.

Wide receiver Marcus Sullivan also made plays in his return after sitting out the first four games because of personal reasons. He caught four passes for 48 yards, ran for a 69-yard touchdown, and completed a 27-yard pass to set up a touchdown.

New Mexico’s offense also was tough to stop, finishing with 581 yards, and three players broke 100-yard rushing.

Defense, however, helped win the game for UNLV. New Mexico rushed for 400 yards and scored 35 points in the first half, but was held to 97 yards rushing and seven points in the second 30 minutes.

“Once everyone started doing what they were supposed to do, it was much more difficult for New Mexico to move the ball,” said UNLV cornerback Kenneth Penny, who recovered a fumble and broke up a pass.

UNLV’s defense allowed its offense to be in position to mount that big-time drive in the fourth quarter.

That drive was in trouble, though, when a holding penalty on guard Ron Scoggins brought the ball back 10 yards. That call ended a nine-quarter streak without a penalty for the Rebels, making it third-and-11. But Herring found Sullivan for a 22-yard pass down the left sideline to New Mexico’s 45-yard line.

“It was a big third down,” Herring said. “We all knew it. Marcus knew it. We had a couple of other third downs we should’ve converted earlier in the game, and we knew that this one was probably going to be the one that put us over the hump.”

The Herring-Sullivan connection came through again on a third-and-7, the two hooking up for an 8-yard play to the 20.

Later on third-and-goal from the 7, Herring tossed to Davis in the back right corner of the end zone for the game-winner.

“We knew we had to put it in the end zone,” Herring said. “We knew we couldn’t leave it to another three-and-out and put the pressure on the defense. The whole offense knew. Nothing was really said about it before the drive. It’s something we practice all the time.

“Everybody was ready, and everybody was focused on getting the ball in the end zone.”

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