UNR thrashes UNLV 49-27 in Hauck’s finale

Bobby Hauck timed the announcement he was resigning as UNLV’s football coach the day before his Rebels played UNR for the Fremont Cannon.

Hauck had known all week he was leaving, but he thought by telling his team on Friday and then going public, it would fire up the Rebels against their most intense rival.

And for most of a half, the Rebels played like the better football team.

Then the actual better team took charge.

UNR rode momentum from late in the first half all the way to the end, posting a 49-27 victory over UNLV on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

The Wolf Pack (7-5, 4-4 Mountain West) got the cannon back after sending it south for a year. UNR will soon paint it blue, the color of the cannon for eight years before last season’s UNLV victory in Reno.

Just a season after UNLV appeared in the Heart of Dallas Bowl to end a 13-year postseason drought, the Rebels (2-11, 1-7) finished with two victories for the eighth time in 11 seasons. Hauck oversaw four of those two-win seasons.

He now he leaves UNLV after five seasons and a 15-49 record. Certainly not the 80-17 mark he had at Montana, where it is rumored he is heading back to coach after Mick Delaney announced two weeks ago he would retire.

UNLV can now turn its full attention to the search to replace Hauck, and university president Don Snyder said at halftime he hoped the next hire would be made quickly. He wouldn’t comment about specific candidates or address whether the Fertitta family would play a prominent role in the process.

But he echoed what athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said the night before about the importance of improving the program as a whole and not simply hiring the next coach.

“I think the culture does need to change,” Snyder said. “We’ve had some good coaches here that have won before they got here and won after they left here. I think that speaks to the fact we have to do something different. It’s not a coaching thing.”

Shortly after Snyder met the media, the coaching staffs for both teams entered the press box. UNLV running backs coach Dominic Daste shouted expletives at the Wolf Pack assistants, probably upset over an apparent cheap shot in the first quarter by UNR defensive tackle Rykeem Yates.

Officials ejected Yates for taking a shot at Rebels guard Brett Boyko, sending him for the rest of the first half. Boyko returned in the second half.

UNLV gave UNR its best shot early, taking a 17-7 lead in the second quarter behind a pair of touchdown passes from Blake Decker.

But then the Wolf Pack scored with 1:31 left in the first half on Cody Fajardo’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Richy Turner to bring them within 17-14. UNR got the ball to open the second half and went 87 yards on 11 plays, with Fajardo connecting with Jerico Richardson for a 12-yard touchdown and 21-17 lead.

The Wolf Pack didn’t trail again, taking full control on defensive end Lenny Jones’ 32-yard interception return for a 35-20 lead with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

That was one of three interceptions from Decker. The other two were thrown into the end zone, wiping out two excellent scoring opportunities. After opening 12 of 15 for 120 yards, Decker then went 9 of 24 for 51 yards.

Shaquille Murray-Lawrence. however, had a big game on the ground, rushing for 135 yards on 21 carries. It was his third 100-yard performance in the past five games.

On the other side, Fajardo passed for three touchdowns, but completed only 5 of 13 passes for 46 yards. He was more dangerous running the ball, gaining 143 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts.

Teammate Don Jackson added 132 yards on 22 carries, and James Butler had 116 yards on 11 attempts.

It’s the first time UNR has had three 100-yard rushers in a game since Nov. 6, 2010 against Idaho, and the Wolf Pack totaled 408 yards on the ground.

Fajardo tweeted in July the cannon was going to turn blue. He was right.

And now UNLV’s program finds itself at a time of uncertainty.

Again.

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