UNLV falls to No. 22 Boise State, 42-25

BOISE, Idaho — After 11 games that included an unexpected loss to Idaho, a thrilling win at Hawaii and an epic upset victory over Wyoming, UNLV’s football team is exactly where Las Vegas sports books expected it would be in its second season under coach Tony Sanchez.

The season win total for the Rebels was 4½, and they’ll carry a 4-7 record (3-4 Mountain West) into their Nov. 26 season finale against UNR after losing 42-25 to No. 22 Boise State on Friday night before an announced crowd of 32,989 at Albertsons Stadium.

With the woeful Wolf Pack (3-7, 1-5) dead last in the nation in rushing defense (299.3 ypg), UNLV will be favored to top its predicted win total and keep the Fremont Cannon for a second consecutive year for the first time since 2004.

“We’re excited about this game. It’s a big, big deal to get your fifth win and to keep the Cannon,” Sanchez said. “Our guys are getting better. There’s high expectations now, which is a good thing. We’re sitting here in Week 11 and we’re disappointed we just came out of bowl eligibility. It’s disappointing and positive all at the same time.

“We’re going to fight our tails off and get that fifth win.”

The Rebels despise UNR’s school color more than ever after getting run over by the blue-clad Broncos (10-1, 6-1) on their signature blue turf, where they’re 102-6 since 2000 for the nation’s highest home winning percentage.

Jeremy McNichols rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns — increasing his nation-leading total to 26 — and Boise State finished with six rushing touchdowns to hold off the Rebels, who dropped to 5-38 all time against nationally ranked teams, losing their 18th straight.

Kurt Palandech finished 10-for-20 for 113 yards, including a late 45-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andrew Price. UNLV struggled in the passing game after losing their fourth starting receiver to a season-ending injury in Devonte Boyd, who broke his arm in Saturday’s 69-66 triple-overtime win over Wyoming.

“We’re just limited in certain areas, in some of the things we do in the passing game, and it shows,” Sanchez said. “We were kind of feast or famine on offense.

“We’re disappointed in the outcome but a lot of positive things happened. They never quit. They never stop fighting.”

The Rebels had some momentum going into halftime after cutting their deficit to 21-10 on a 7-yard run by Palandech with 1:43 left and then forcing the Broncos to settle for a 28-yard field-goal attempt that Tyler Rausa missed wide left.

But UNLV went 3-and-out on its first two second-half possessions and Boise State answered with a touchdown each time to extend its lead to 35-10.

Palandech, who rushed for 64 yards and two scores, ran for a 9-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 35-17 at the end of the third quarter before finding Price with 1:41 to play and running for the 2-point conversion.

“You see the way they ended the game. They’ve got a fighting spirit to them,” Sanchez said. “Nobody’s down. That’s just not us. That’s not the way the Rebels are.”

Backup quarterback Dalton Sneed, in his first appearance as a receiver, was the only wideout to catch a pass, on a 10-yard reception.

“It’s obviously disappointing we don’t have those playmakers on the field with us,” Palandech said. “I’m proud of the way we fought but disappointed in the outcome.”

After turning the ball over on the game’s second play from scrimmage, Boise State scored touchdowns on its next three possessions to go ahead 21-3. McNichols scored on two short runs and quarterback Brett Rypien (10 of 20, 109 yards) scored on a 1-yard plunge to cap a 19-play drive that was the Broncos’ longest of the season.

Cedrick Wilson then returned a UNLV punt 73 yards to the Rebels 6 and McNichols ran it in on the next play.

“Our kick coverage was really poor,” Sanchez said. “We have to figure out how to do a better job of covering punts and kicks.”

Troy Hawthorne forced two of Boise State’s four fumbles and recovered the only one the Broncos lost to set up Evan Pantels’ 21-yard field goal that gave UNLV a 3-0 lead.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.