FSM Recap: UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies - NCAA Football - Week 12- 2025 | Rebels Win an Overtime Thriller to Keep MWC Championship Hopes Alive

FSM Recap: UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies – NCAA Football – Week 12 – 2025

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UNLV Rebels (8-2)  |  Utah State Aggies (5-5)

UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies – 1st Quarter

UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies(Las Vegas, NV)- Rebel football began the game by deferring the ball to Utah State after winning the opening coin toss. The Aggies then chunked out an 11-play, 52-yard drive highlighted by back-to-back passes of 15 and 16 yards from Aggies quarterback Bryson Barnes. The work would be all for naught, though, as Aggies kicker Tanner Rinker would sail a 41-yard field goal attempt wide left to keep the game at a 0-0 tie with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

The Rebels answered right back, with quarterback Anthony Colandrea doing what he does best as he led the UNLV offense on a 13-play, 64-yard drive, picking apart the Aggies’ defense before a 31-yard field goal from Ramon Villela gave the Rebels the first points of the game.

It wasn’t long before Utah State was back in scoring position, though. Barnes would hit Braden Pegan crossing midfield on the first play of the drive, putting Utah State firmly in Rebels’ territory. One play later, Aggies quarterback Anthony Garcia entered the game and took off for 17 yards down the middle of the field. Miles Davis then gave the Aggies’ offense 11 more yards, putting Utah State within striking distance at the Rebels’ 17-yard line.

Two Aggies’ incompletions later, Barnes hit wide receiver Brady Boyd in stride in the back corner of the endzone, giving Utah State a 3-point lead after another wide left kick from Rinker on the PAT. The Rebels then took the ball back on offense and crossed midfield as the first quarter wound down to a close.

UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies – 2nd Quarter

On the first play of the second quarter, Colandrea tossed a dime to tight end Var’Keyes Gumms near the right pylon, but Gumms would be unable to hold on through contact with the ground, and the pass would fall incomplete. Colandrea then took off down the right sideline for another would-be touchdown, but Utah State called a timeout just before the snap, and the play was blown dead.

The Rebels then turned the ball over for the first time of the game, with Colandrea tossing a pick to Aggies linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr. as he scrambled to the right sideline.

Barnes then picked at the UNLV defense before connecting with running back Noah White as he took the ball down the 1-yard line. Davis then finished the drive off with a rush up the middle for another Aggies’ touchdown, giving Utah State a 13-3 lead after a successful PAT from Rinker.

The Rebels then answered right back, chunking out an 11-play, 75-yard drive aided by a 15-yard facemask that brought the ball into Aggies’ territory. Colandrea would show his versatility once again on the drive, connecting with wide receiver Troy Omeire for 16 yards before a 10-yard scamper to the left pylon for a Rebels’ touchdown to cut the Aggies’ lead to three.

A Utah State three-and-out followed by a UNLV four-and-out gifted the Aggies the ball at the Rebels’ 39-yard line with just over two minutes left in the half. The Aggies wouldn’t be able to capitalize, though, returning the favor and the ball back to UNLV after a 4th down sack of Barnes with 1:04 left in the half.

The Rebels would end up on the fringe of field goal range, attempting a 59-yard field goal before the half that fell short of the uprights as UNLV entered the break, trailing Utah State by three.

UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies – 3rd Quarter

Since the Rebels opted to kick off to start the game, UNLV received the second-half kick and promptly went three-and-out, returning the ball to Utah State. The Aggies then chipped away at the Rebels’ defense, coming within a few feet of a touchdown before settling for a 24-yard field goal to up 16-10 on UNLV.

On the ensuing drive, the Rebels would finally take the lead back from Utah State. Thanks mostly to a 48-yard strike from Colandrea to Omeire. Shortly after, Colandrea hit wide receiver Daejon Reynolds in the back of the end zone for six. While the play was initially called incomplete, with a penalty on UNLV due to Reynolds stepping out and then back in bounds, further review overturned both calls. After a successful UNLV PAT, the Rebels were back up 17-16 as the fourth quarter began to approach.

A stalled Utah State drive at the Aggies’ 40-yard line would see the Rebels get the ball back with just over a minute left in the third quarter. UNLV would chunk out two big plays to approach midfield as the third quarter ended.

UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies – 4th Quarter

The Rebels’ drive continued into the fourth quarter, ending with a Villela boot through the uprights from 31 yards out to give UNLV a 20-16 lead with 10:59 left in the game. A few plays later, the Rebels were sitting at their own 27-yard line with the ball again after a Utah State punt.

A Rebels’ three-and-out would gift the ball back to the Aggies. Two plays into the drive, on 3rd and 6, Barnes would keep the ball himself, slicing through the Rebels’ defense en route to a 58-yard touchdown, giving Utah State the lead back with 6:56 left in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Jaylon Glover would take the ball out of the end zone before coughing it up at the 20-yard line. The Aggies would jump on the ball, but after further review, Glover’s forearm touched the ground first, deeming him down by contact before the fumble occurred.

Colandrea then took the Rebels‘ offense right down the field, hooking up with Omeire for 14 yards before two 15-yard penalties on the Aggies’ defense put UNLV in the red zone. Utah State’s defense would clamp down, though, sacking Colandrea on 3rd and 5 to set up a game-tying 32-yard field goal from Villela with 2:18 remaining. Utah State would get right back into field goal range after a 21-yard scamper from Barnes dropped the Aggies’ offense at the UNLV 27-yard line. Utah State would get a yard closer on the next play before Rinker stepped in for the potential walk-off.

Rinker would overcorrect after earlier misses on a 41-yard field goal and failed PAT that sailed wide left, this time sending the ball wide right on the 44-yard potential game-winner, sending the game into overtime as time expired.

UNLV Rebels vs Utah State Aggies – Overtime

UNLV would receive the ball first in overtime after Utah State won the coin toss and decided to defer the ball. Starting from the 25-yard line, the Rebels’ offense would go three-and-out before a missed field goal from Villela kept the score at 23-23. The Aggies then took over at the 25-yard line and did much the same as the Rebels, going three-and-out before another missed field goal from Rinker to send the game into a second overtime frame.

Rinker would finally get one through in the second frame after another quick three-and-out from the Aggies, giving the Aggies a 26-23 lead on a 39-yard field goal to put Colandrea and the Rebels’ offense in a do-or-die situation.

The Rebels would need only one play in the second overtime frame, as wide receiver Kayden McGee took a handoff from Colandrea and made a house call at the left pylon, putting the game on ice to seal a 29-26 victory over the Aggies and keep the Rebels’ Mountain West Conference Championship hopes alive.

The UNLV Rebels now travel back home for a Week 13 matchup against the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors on Friday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. Thank you for visiting FranchiseSportsMedia.com for your Las Vegas Sports news.

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– Matthew Conigliaro – Franchise Sports Media

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