Vanderbilt loses to UNLV, 34-10

I have no words for this nonsense.

The UNLV Rebels came into the game 1-4, with a win over Southern Utah followed by losses to the murderer’s row of Arkansas State, Northwestern, Wyoming, and Boise State. The Rebels were giving up 37.4 ppg through five games.

Vanderbilt opened the game looking like it was facing a bad defense, promptly taking the opening drive 76 yards capped by a Ke’Shawn Vaughn run from four yards out to go up 7-0. It was the only time Vanderbilt would have a lead in the game. UNLV answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game at 7, and on 4th and 1 at the Vanderbilt 46, Riley Neal overthrew a short pass to give the Rebels the ball back with a short field.

The Commodores managed to hold UNLV to a field goal, but the Rebels went ahead 10-7 and would never relinquish the lead as Vanderbilt’s offense could not get out of its own way. UNLV went into the half up 24-10 and, on Vanderbilt’s first drive of the second half, the Commodores drove down to the UNLV 35 and then, lined up to punt, Vanderbilt took two delay of game penalties that were declined by UNLV.

It was that kind of a day.

Following that punt, Vanderbilt’s next two drives ended with an interception and a fumble. Meanwhile, UNLV kept building a lead, and following a Riley Neal fumble, Chad Magyar punched it in from 14 yards out to give UNLV a 34-10 lead with 10:44 left in the game.

And that was the final. Vanderbilt’s subsequent drives went nowhere, and the Rebels were content to run out the clock on their first win over a Power 5 team since beating Iowa State in September 2008. Vanderbilt is now 1-5 on the season. There are six more games of this.