Turnovers breed success

Frank Summers scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Rebels at the start of the fourth quarter. Photo by: Steven Lawton

The Rebel football team stayed in the race for bowl eligibility after a dominating fourth quarter performance propelled them ahead of the Wyoming Cowboys, 22-14, Thursday.

The Rebels scored 13 points and forced three turnovers in the game’s final 15 minutes to preserve their chances at a bowl game and ruin the Cowboys’ bowl aspirations.

“We’ve been on a three game mission in our fourth quarter of our season,” UNLV head coach Mike Sanford said.  “Our goal was to win every game in the fourth quarter [of the season] and we’ve been on a three step progression to become bowl eligible. We’ve taken care of step two tonight.”

Wyoming led 14-9 in the third quarter and threatened to take over after forcing the Rebels to fourth-and-2 on the Cowboy’s 49-yard line.

On the ensuing play, the Rebels faked the punt as Dack Ishii threw the ball 19-yards down field to a wide-open Jerriman Robinson to get a first down.

Frank Summers scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Rebels at the start of the fourth quarter. Photo by: Steven Lawton

“That gave us a lot of spark,” senior running back Frank Summers said. “Our special teams have been playing a great job and tonight was another display of it.”

“It was a little hairy because [Ishii] kind of bobbled the snap,” Sanford said.  “But he did a nice job.”

“You’ve got to take chances, you’ve got to go for it, you’ve got to be aggressive and that’s what were doing,” Sanford said. “It wasn’t so much that I needed to light a fire. It was more that I needed to find a way to score.”

And score they did. Eight plays after the fake punt Summers, who finished with 75 yards rushing, punched the ball into the end zone for the touchdown at the top of the fourth quarter. The ensuing 2-point conversion attempt failed, but the touchdown was enough to put the Rebels up 15-14.

With the score in their favor, the Rebels clamped down on the Cowboys like a pitbull and never let go.

UNLV got their first turnover of the evening when senior defensive back Geoffrey Howard tipped a pass from Chris Stutzriem into the hands of linebacker Rusty Worthen, just three plays after the Summers score.

With the ball at Wyoming’s 24-yard line, freshman quarterback Mike Clausen punished the Cowboys with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Rodelin Anthony.

Clausen finished the game 16-for-30 passing with 138 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Clausen hasn’t thrown a single pick since taking over for the injured Omar Clayton two week ago.

“I thought Mike Clausen did a great job of taking care of the football,” Sanford said. “We have not had one offensive turnover in the last two games. That’s huge. Just in general, our ability to not turn the ball over during the course of the season has been really good,”

Wyoming quarterback Chris Stutzriem tried to keep his team in the game, taking the Cowboys from their own 29-yard line to the Rebels 28.

But the defense came up big once again when Rebel defensive back Daryl Forte tipped a Stutzriem pass in the endzone, which was caught by UNLV’s Quinton Pointer for a touchback. The interception was Pointer’s second in as many weeks.

“Our defense, I believe, is getting better and better and better,” Sanford said. “Our defense was much maligned there for a period of time and our defense now is making plays and they’re making plays as a group. They’re playing together.”

“I think they’ve had a lot of opportunities for turnovers and for some reason they dropped it or it didn’t happen,” Summers said. “But in the last few games the turnovers have been critical and two critical [interceptions] tonight helped us win the game.”

The Rebels’ special teams come up with the third and final turnover of the game after the ensuing drive led to an Ishii punt. Cowboy kick returner Brandon Stewart fielded Ishii’s kick at the Wyoming 24 only to have the ball ripped out of his arms by Rebel defensive back Terrence Lee.

“I don’t think the fans know how big the special teams are,” Summers said. “I think special teams have played a great part in our last two wins.”

The turnover guaranteed the win for the Rebels, as Clausen kneeled until time expired.

Not only was the win instrumental in UNLV’s quest for bowl eligibility, it was also a sentimental victory for the team’s seniors, who played their last home game for UNLV.

“It was really emotional for me before the game,” Summers said. “It feels like I just got here and now it’s time for me to leave.  Good things are happening right now and I just want to be part of it for longer. My time is up and I’m going to pass the torch to the younger guys and hopefully we have set a good foundation to keep it going.”

“We have a tremendous senior class that I am very proud of as far as their attitude and the standard and the foundation they have set for this program,” Sanford said.

The win gives UNLV a 4-3 record at home. This is the first time the Rebels have had a home winning record since the 2000 season when they went 6-0 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

“When I first came here people kind of looked at UNLV like ‘OK we’re playing UNLV. It’s an easy ‘W,’” senior wide receiver Casey Flair said. “I think we’ve changed that perception. When teams play us now they know they’re going to have to bring their ‘A’ game and they’re not just going to come in here and roll over us. That’s big for us.”