'Players are gutted': Loss to Syracuse is painful for UNLV football

This is not the obituary of the UNLV football season.

The Rebels' 44-41 overtime loss Friday at home to Syracuse may have dashed their hopes of making the College Football Playoff, but it doesn't diminish what the program has accomplished and the direction it's headed .

If anything, the way the Rebels fought back from two double-digit deficits and narrowly lost in a heartbreaking game is a testament to how special the coming weeks – and seasons – of UNLV football could potentially be.

UNLV had Syracuse stopped in overtime, but a late Rebels score extended the drive and Orange running back LeQuint Allen scored the game-winner a few plays later.

Yes, that hurts. Really bad. They should have won.

It's important to look at the bigger picture: The fight for a playoff spot signals a new era for UNLV. Remember, the program's standard for decades was to beat UNR and try to get six wins to qualify for the bowl.

“We understand that this game will not define us,” coach Barry Odom said. “It’s the way we respond to it. The players are disappointed because they invested so much and didn’t make it.”

The nonleague loss drops UNLV's overall record to 4-1, but the team is still undefeated in the league and one of the favorites to win the Mountain West title. The Rebels will host a bowl game for the second straight year this season – the first time in program history.

Being disappointed because the team fell just a hair short means that the bar for success has been raised and expectations have changed. This team fought their way back into the game and deserves praise for not giving in.

“We were beaten and we responded,” Odom said. “I wasn’t surprised by our team’s reaction. We have a strong, strong team – both mentally and physically.”

Another bright spot: UNLV fans flocked to Allegiant Stadium to show their support. The attendance of 31,329 was the third largest for a UNLV game in Allegiant history. The best number was 35,193 for Iowa State in 2021 – but that was mostly Iowa State supporters.

The crowd's cheering was so loud it felt like those glory days when Jerry Tarkanian's Rebels cheered on the basketball court. It's so refreshing to see the support for your home university.

And it is well deserved.

For the first time in program history, the Rebels played with a number next to their name on the scorecard, ranked 25th according to the Associated Press.

And No. 25 UNLV looked equal to the role, battling back and forth against a respectable Syracuse squad with a remarkable quarterback and arguably giving up the game.

It was a remarkable comeback.

Not only were the Rebels down 14-0 after the first quarter, they also looked terrible letting Syracuse push them around. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord completed 11 straight passes to open the game, which was certainly due in part to UNLV's difficulty passing the quarterback or gaining ground in the secondary.

Then the Rebels made adjustments. They showed fight. They showed the same courage as they did a few weeks ago on the road against Kansas, where they somehow won despite being outplayed early and unable to complete passes.

It started with Jai'Den Thomas' second-quarter 42-yard run to the Syracuse 10-yard line, an electric, physical run that brought the crowd to its feet. The run changed the tone of the game by showing that UNLV would be no walk in the park.

Hajj-Malik Williams connected with Kaleo Ballungay for a touchdown pass a few plays later, and UNLV scored 21 unanswered points for a 21-17 halftime lead.

That wasn't the most impressive comeback of the night.

Syracuse scored two touchdowns 36 seconds apart early in the third quarter to lead 31-21, and UNLV once again looked like it would lose.

But Ricky White blocked a punt and true freshman Charles Correa, a local Bishop Gorman product, grabbed the ball in the end zone, tying the score at 31. Again, the electricity in the stadium was unlike anything I've seen for this program in the nearly five decades I've lived here.

“The city of Las Vegas has been wonderful for us,” said Odom, the program’s second-year coach. “The energy helped us and I was very grateful for what we did in 21 months to make it this. We (fan support) will only grow from here.”

Syracuse responded by moving the ball deep into UNLV territory in the fourth quarter, but Jackson Woodard intercepted a pass at the Rebel 6-yard line, setting up a 94-yard scoring drive.

Williams' third touchdown pass of the game went to White for 9 yards with 2:58 to play – leaving Syracuse with too much time on the clock. The Orange forced overtime with a McCord touchdown pass to Jackson Meeks with 23 seconds left.

There are plenty of opportunities to make fun of the game's ending. The Rebels didn't use any of their timeouts in the second half, dropped at least one interception and took that early penalty.

But as Odom says, how UNLV responds to the lessons of a tough loss will define the season. Buckle up everyone, the next three months of Rebels football could be just as exciting as Friday night.