After back-to-back losses that left its season wobbling, UNLV looked like itself again on Saturday night, bulldozing Colorado State 42-10 at Canvas Stadium behind 571 yards of total offense and a defense that finally rediscovered its swagger.
The Rebels (7-2, 3-2 Mountain West) averaged 8.8 yards per play, rushed for 320, and scored on six of their final seven drives, all touchdowns, to keep their conference title hopes alive heading into the season’s final stretch.
Colandrea Orchestrates an Efficient, Explosive Night
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea continued his Mountain West player of the year campaign with his most composed road performance of the year. The Junior QB completed 15 of 22 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns, added two rushing scores, and wasn’t sacked once despite heavy blitz pressure.
His command showed up in key moments:
A 16-yard third-down completion to Jaden Bradley on 3rd-and-13 (Q2, 2:13) that kept UNLV’s third scoring drive alive.
A 68-yard touchdown strike to Troy Omeire (Q3, 12:22) that blew the game open.
Two plays later, a 37-yard deep shot to Bradley to set up another score.
A 25-yard catch-and-run to Keyvone Lee and a 39-yard touchdown to Taeshaun Lyons in the fourth quarter to seal it.
Colandrea finished with a 184.9 passer rating and directed an offense that produced 13 plays of 20+ yards.
The Return of “Trench Work”
For all the fireworks through the air, the night belonged to UNLV’s offensive line, Malik McGowan, Reid Williams, James Faminu, Alani Makihele, and Austin Boyd, which paved the way for one of the Rebels’ most balanced rushing efforts of the season.
The Rebels ripped off eight runs of 10+ yards, including:
Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas’s 57-yard touchdown on a stretch left (Q2, 12:53).
A 59-yard burst by Thomas moments later that set up another score.
Jaylon Glover’s 31-yard dash late in the fourth.
Keyvone Lee’s 17-yard run sealed the game in the final minutes.
Thomas finished with 131 yards on seven carries (18.7 avg), Glover added 99 yards and a touchdown, and Lee chipped in 46 rushing and 51 receiving.
Guenther’s Defense Finds Its Footing
After three weeks of breakdowns, interim defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s group finally responded with one of its best outings of the season. The Rebels held CSU to 292 yards, limited them to 1-of-13 on third down, and produced constant disruption: 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 6 quarterback hurries.
Linebackers Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu (10 tackles) and Marsel McDuffie (8 tackles, 1.5 TFL) anchored the interior, while the front, led by Tunmise Adeleye, Elias Rudolph, and Cohen Fuller, controlled the line of scrimmage.
Cornerback Laterrance Welch added an interception, and UNLV’s secondary suffocated CSU’s vertical passing game. The Rams managed only two completions of 15+ yards after the first quarter.
Explosives Define the Difference
The box score underscored the gap in execution. UNLV generated 13 explosive plays for 410 yards to CSU’s nine for 160. The Rebels’ efficiency on early downs kept Colandrea ahead of schedule all night, 6-for-12 on third down, 2-for-2 on fourth, while averaging 10.5 yards per pass and 7.8 per rush.
By the Numbers
Category | UNLV | CSU |
|---|---|---|
Total Yards | 571 | 292 |
Rushing | 320 (7.8 avg) | 103 (3.0 avg) |
Passing | 251 (16.7 per comp) | 189 |
3rd Down | 6/12 (50%) | 1/13 (8%) |
Sacks | 3 | 0 |
Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Time of Possession | 33:09 | 26:51 |
Explosive Plays (20+) | 13 (410 yds) | 9 (160 yds) |
What It Means
The win didn’t just steady UNLV’s season; it reestablished the identity that made the Rebels contenders in the first place. After three straight defensive collapses and uneven finishes, Saturday marked a return to complementary football.
With San Diego State (4-1) and Boise State (4-1) setting the pace, five teams, including UNLV, sit tied at 3-2, ensuring a chaotic final month in the Mountain West race.
