Rebels lose 3OT thriller

Nick Sherry was a redshirt freshman making his first college start.

He will probably learn.

But what a tough lesson, throwing an interception in the third overtime Thursday night.

That mistake led to Jordan Wettstein's 32-yard field goal for Minnesota to hand the Rebels a tough 30-27 season-opening loss at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Sherry showed some promising signs, but generally had a rough night in completing 16 of 35 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. He threw three interceptions, the most costly the last one that Minnesota cornerback Derrick Wells picked off in the end zone to set up the game winner for the Golden Gophers.

UNLV, which next hosts Northern Arizona on Sept. 8, got a big game by Tim Cornett, who rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

The Rebels' defense kept their struggling offense in the game for most of the night, limiting the Gophers to 13 points in regulation.

Minnesota took the opening kickoff and then drove to UNLV's 18-yard line, but Tani Maka tipped the ball in the air, and fellow Rebels linebacker Tim Hasson grabbed it for an interception. Hasson then returned the pick 44 yards to set up Nolan Kohorst's 39-yard field goal to give UNLV a 3-0 lead.

Both offenses struggled for most of the half, but Minnesota took a 7-3 lead with 9:26 left in the second quarter on James Gillum's 16-yard touchdown run.

That drive gave the Gophers momentum, and they drove to UNLV's 15 late in the half. But Wettstein missed a 32-yard field goal to the left, and the Rebels went into the locker room down only four points.

UNLV, however, struggled to move the ball and needed a break.

The Rebels got it when Minnesota's Troy Stoudermire muffed a punt and gave UNLV possession at the Gophers' 32. Minnesota continued to provide assistance with a pass-interference penalty on Stoudermire and a roughing the passer on D.L. Wilhite.

UNLV took advantage when Cornett scored from a yard out with 1:52 left in the third quarter to go in front 10-7.

Then the game became a field goal fest. Wettstein made kicks of 32 and 22 yards, and UNLV's Kohorst answered with a 35-yarder with 2:46 left in the game to make the score 13-13 and force overtime.

The Rebels got the ball in the first overtime, and Cornett gave them a 20-13 lead when he broke outside to the left to score from 18 yards.

But Minnesota came back, thanks largely to a 10-yard late hit penalty on UNLV's Parker Holloway. The Gophers capitalized on the following play with a scoring pass from Gray to John Rabe to force a second overtime.

The two hooked up again on a 25-yard pass to give the Gophers a 27-20 lead, but UNLV answered on fourth-and-5 with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Sherry to Devante Davis to send the game to a third overtime.

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