LAS VEGAS (AP) — Samuel Harris ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns and Wyoming held off UNLV's rally for a 41-35 win on Saturday night.
Down 41-21, UNLV scored touchdowns with 22 seconds left in the third quarter and with 8:32 left in the fourth.
The Rebels flirted with taking the lead, but Wyoming ended the threat when Tyson Shamsid-Deen intercepted reserve quarterback Alex Orji in the end zone. It was Shamsid-Deen's second interception of the game.
On the following play, Wyoming's Markell Holman ran left, broke four tackles, reversed field and ran 49 yards and Wyoming (6-3, 5-1 Mountain West) proceeded to let time expire.
Holman ran for 110 yards.
Wyoming took the lead when Erik Sandvik's field goal broke a 7-all tie with 5:02 left in the first.
Early in the second, Harris ran it in from the 1, and with 6:42 left before halftime, on a double-pass, reserve quarterback Landon Sims threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jake Wilson for a 24-7 lead.
UNLV (5-4, 3-2) responded scoring two touchdowns in the last four-and-a-half minutes of the first half.
Jackson Arnold threw a 33-yard touchdown to Kayden McGee. Then, following a Wyoming fumble, the Rebels took advantage and three plays later, Arnold threw an 8-yard touchdown to Taz Reddicks to reduce the UNLV deficit to 24-21 with 1:55 before halftime.
It still proved to be more than enough time for Wyoming as the Cowboys scored in a little more than a minute with Sims running it in from the 13.
Following Shamsid-Deen's first interception, Sandvik kicked a 34-yard field as time expired in the first half to put Wyoming up 34-21.
Arnold threw two touchdown passes for UNLV.
Up next
Wyoming: Travels to face UTEP on Saturday.
UNLV: Heads to New Mexico to face the Lobos on Saturday.
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Thomas, Arnold lead UNLV past Hawaii 21-6 to win fourth straight Island Showdown
Jai'den Thomas rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown, and Jackson Arnold rushed for 89 yards and two scores along with 116 passing yards in a 21-6 victory on Saturday night.
UNLV quarterback leads on and off the field
Alex Orji is one of only 162 student-athletes nationwide nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team and one of just 113 players on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List.
UNLV quarterback is a leader on and off the football field
Alex Orji is one of only 162 student-athletes nationwide nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team and one of just 113 players on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List.
UNLV football falls in season opener to Memphis 27-21
Marcus Stokes threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns as Memphis rattled off the final 13 points to beat UNLV 27-21 on Saturday night in a season opener for both teams.
