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UNLV vs. Arkansas State Final Score: Rebels Four Turnovers Is Difference In 27-20 Loss
The Rebels had a chance to win.
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UNLV had a real good chance to win its third straight game of the year but they came up short againast a solid Arkansas State team. The Rebels had issues holding onto the ball and the four turnovers did them in.
“That’s a tough one to swallow there,” head coach Tony Sanchez said after the game. “I feel like at times we did what we needed to do to put ourselves in position to win the game. Too many unforced errors.”
Rebels quarterback Armani Rogers looked just awful by completing just 5 of 21 passes for 23 yards — barely over a yard per attempt — and he had three of those interceptions. To avoid completely terrible performance, Rogers did rush for 181 yards and a touchdown.
The Rebels had a chance to win this game. UNLV went up 20-19 on a Lexington Thomas 10-yard run. The two-point conversion failed as UNLV tried to go up by three. The defense made a stand to force the Red Wolves to punt. That gave UNLV the ball and a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Rebels would go three-and-out with a really bad toss by Rogers on third down with a chance to move the chains. UNLV’s defense then gave up a quick score to Arkansas State who also made the two-point conversion to go up by seven points.
Rogers then committed his third interception of the game on the next drive and with Arkansas State missing a field goal on the next drive that gave the Rebels one last chance.
Well, that did not go well as the offense ran seven plays but lost two total yards due to negative plays and a penalty. Rogers was sacked on the desperation 4th-and-19 play which sealed the win for Arkansas State.
In that fourth quarter, Rogers was 1 of 8 for minus 1-yard and an interception. The weather was not great with the rain and wind which coach Sanchez sort of used as an excuse for Rogers worst passing game of his career. However, Arkansas State handled the exact same conditions much better as Justice Hansen completed 19 of 27 for 199 yards.
“That was a factor,” Rogers said, “but at the end of the day I have to figure it out and complete the balls.”
There also was special teams snafus on the day but it was a muffed punt which gave Arkansas State the ball at the 2-yard line, and that led to a touchdown for the Red Wolves.
UNLV is off next week and its next game is a home game against New Mexico.
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