Football drops OT Heartbreaker to Syracuse

Lucas Peltier

Game overview: Football | 10/4/2024 11:26:00 PM

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) No. 25/23 UNLV (4-1/1-0) Football concluded its non-conference schedule with a heartbreaking 44-41 overtime loss Syracuse (4-1/1-1) in front of 31,329 raucous fans at Allegiant Stadium Friday night.

In the first-ever meeting between the schools, the Rebels rallied from a double-digit deficit to take a 38-31 lead with less than three minutes remaining, but the Dutch side dodged disaster several times with an 11-game tie. 75-yard scoring drive to send it to OT. UNLV got the ball first and kicked a 41-yard field goal before Syracuse scored the final touchdown to end it.

Syracuse raced out to a 14-0 lead before UNLV rallied with 21 straight points to eventually lead 21-17 at halftime.

All-American wide receiver Ricky White III caught 10 passes for the second consecutive week, this time for 135 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown to give his team a 38-31 lead. White, who is also a mainstay on special teams, blocked a punt that was recovered for a UNLV touchdown after using his speed to force the Syracuse punter to break up a fumble and be tackled for a foul earlier in the game loss of 13 yards.

UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williamsmaking his second start as a Rebel, was again accurate, completing 21 of 25 pass attempts for 227 yards and three scores while adding 53 net yards and a TD on the ground. The 84 percent completion rate was just below the school record of 86 percent Caleb Herring in 2013 (24 of 28).

Defensive, security Jalen Catalonia posted 17 total tackles with a pass breakup while at linebacker Jackson Woodard added fourteen more takedowns, with two pass breakups and a key interception to thwart an Orange scoring threat in the fourth quarter.

GAME STATUS:

UNLV was penalized for 108 yards, compared to 56 for Syracuse.

REBEL OF THE GAME:

With just 31 games played for the Rebels, Ricky White III climbed to seventh on the UNLV career receiving yards list with 2,490. He also tied for third at the school with 11 career 100-yard games. He also became the first Rebel to block at least two punts in the same season since running back Ronnie Smith had two in 2006. White also tied for sixth with 18 career TD catches at UNLV.

QUOTABLE:

“It's heartbreaking. I hate for our team that we couldn't get that out. What an incredible environment tonight. I'm very grateful that the city responded the way it did.”
“We're disappointed. We had opportunities to win and we fell short in a lot of areas. We couldn't get off the field enough on third downs defensively and we helped with the penalty count, which is frustrating. Syracuse is a good team, give them the honor.”
“We have a tough team with great young men. We are close as a team, but this will bring us closer together. I have no doubt about that. We have to learn from the good, learn from the bad and then apply. We will It's a mission to make that happen. This game won't define us, but how we respond will. Our players are upset because they've invested so much, but we'll work, we'll get back to you, and we'll take care of it. that we find a way to play our best ball next Friday night.”
-UNLV Head Coach Barry Odom

REMARKABLE:

-The crowd of 31,329 was the third largest for a UNLV game at Allegiant Stadium, which opened in 2020
-UNLV played as a team in both major polls for the first time
-UNLV faced an Atlantic Coast Conference team for only the second time and first time since visiting Clemson in 1993
-This cross-country matchup was announced in January after Army joined the AAC and both UNLV and Syracuse needed non-conference play this fall
-UNLV has scored on blocked punts in back-to-back games after not having one since 2016
– Freshman kicker Caden Chittenden improved to 11 of 13 in field goals this season after hitting from 20 yards out and 41 yards out. After just five games, he is already tied with Sergio Aguayo for the UNLV freshman season record (11 of 15 in 2004).
Jet Thomas led his team in rushing with 64 net yards on just six carries
–Casey Caina wide receiver who transferred to Las Vegas from Texas scored his first collegiate touchdown on a nine-yard play to give UNLV its first lead of the evening at 21-14
-THE Kaleo Ballungay earned a TD for the second straight game and for the fourth time as a Rebel
-True freshman LB Charles Correa recovered the blocked punt in the end zone for a TD that tied the game 31 in the third quarter
-With the pick of Woodard, the Rebels have now forced at least one turnover in 18 of 19 games under defensive coordinator Michael Scherer
-UNLV got its first points off a turnover this season, but after scoring a TD of its own, still leads in that category at 44-7
-The Rebels went a perfect 6-for-6 in the red zone vs. Orange
– In their first overtime game since the 2021 season opener, UNLV fell to 6-12 all-time in OT. The Rebels' last overtime win was at UNR in 2019

NEXT: The Rebels hit the road for two weeks straight, starting with a trip to Utah State this Friday at 6:00 PM PT. The game will be shown nationally on CBS Sports Network.