The UNLV Rebels Dominate The UCLA Bruins In The FIrst Half

The UNLV Rebels jumped out to a big lead in a dominant start against the UCLA Rebels.

Dec 2, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The UNLV Rebels logo at midfield during the Mountain West Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first half of the UNLV Rebels' matchup against the UCLA Bruins at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, is in the books. The Rebels dominated their Big 10 foe in the first half, and their defense took their game to the next level. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther deserves a ton of credit for the progress this defense has made since giving up 31 points to the Idaho State Bengals in Week 1. UNLV will head into the second half with a 23 - 3 lead.

On offense, the Rebels have relied on the arm of quarterback Anthony Colandrea once again. In the first half, Colandrea shone, going 12 for 14 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. It has become abundantly clear that he has established himself as the clear-cut QB1 at UNLV.

Troy Omeiere and Nick Elksnis both have touchdown grabs in the game. Star running back Jai'Den Thomas has handled eight carries for 40 yards, but it was Keyvone Lee who ran in a 19-yard TD to extend the lead before the end of the half.

On defense, safety Jaheem Joseph has been the star of the night so far. He'll enter the half with two tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The team will finish the first half with two sacks, one turnover, and just three points allowed.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava was held to just 59 passing yards, most of which came on the final drive of the half, -5 rushing yards, and a lost fumble in the first half. The Bruins totaled just 110 yards from scrimmage in the first half, and it could have looked a lot worse if not for a field goal scoring drive to end the half.

This was a fantastic first half for the Rebels, who were looking for a statement game. If they can play like this in the second half and move to 3 - 0, the AP Poll will have to start taking them seriously. This dominant victory would go a long way towards them being considered for a College Football Playoff bid. It would also give the Mountain West Conference much-needed credibility after a poor start to the season. However, they still have to finish the job and come out firing in the second half. So far so good, but we have a long way to go.

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