The UNLV Rebels Outlast The Utah State Aggies In 2 OT

The UNLV Rebels win their Week 12 matchup against the Utah State Aggies in double overtime.

UNLV Rebels wide receiver Kayden McGee (16) completes a pass play as he runs for a touchdown in the first half against the California Golden Bears at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UNLV Rebelsa football team pulled off a huge win in double overtime against the Utah State Aggies. UNLV won this game by a score of 29 - 26. It was another solid game by the Rebels' defense, which allowed just 23 points in regulation and was getting after the quarterback all day, dragging him down seven times. It was another strong game for Anthony Colandrea, who had to get the job done without star running back Jai'Den Thomas. The absence of Thomas left the door open for running back Kayden McGee to be the hero in double overtime with a game-winning 25-yard touchdown run. Head coach Dan Mullen spoke about the win after the game.

"What a great win for our guys, we continue to believe in our guys and they're fun to coach," Mullen said. "They find ways to stick together and continue to make plays in critical moments. It's different people stepping up … You never know when your number will be called. Kayden's was called today in overtime and he delivered."

The one negative takeaway from this game is that the Rebels allowed the Aggies to build another big lead against them early. That has been an issue for this team all season. With just under 5 and a half minutes left in the second quarter, Utah State was winning this game 13 - 3. It's great that they were able to come back, but these slow starts could come back to bite them on their quest for a Mountain West Conference Championship.

With the San Diego State Aztecs knocking off the Boise State Broncos this week, the Aztecs are at the top of the Mountain West at 5 - 1. UNLV is in a five-way tie for second place at 4 - 2. They are tied with Boise State, Fresno State, New Mexico, and Hawaii. This should be a battle through the last few weeks of the season. The loss dropped Utah State to 3 - 3 in the conference and essentially ended their hopes of playing in the Mountain West Championship game.

Next up for the Rebels are the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. These two rivals will face off in a nationally televised game on Friday night. The game will be on FS1 at 10:30 PM. This will for all intents and purposes, be another elimination game in the Mountain West, with both teams sitting at 4 - 2.

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