UCLA Bruins vs UNLV Rebels Match Player Stats On Sep 12, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Sep 13, 2015

LAS VEGAS -- Junior running back Paul Perkins rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore linebacker Kenny Young returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown as 13th-ranked UCLA cruised to a 37-3 victory over UNLV on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen completed 22 of 42 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and an interception and Jordan Payton caught a game-high five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown for the Bruins (2-0), who set a school record with their 11th straight victory in games played away from the Rose Bowl, breaking the previous mark of 10 in a row set in 1997-98.

UCLA's last road loss came Oct. 26, 2013, at then-No. 2 Oregon, 42-14.

Junior Ka'imi Fairbairn added field goals of 25, 34 and 42 yards for the Bruins, who held spoiled the home coaching debut for UNLV's Tony Sanchez. A crowd of 31,262, the 12th largest in UNLV history, turned out.

UCLA, which finished with 526 yards in total offense, led 17-0 at halftime and 34-0 after three quarters and held the Rebels to 237 total yards, including 124 in the first three quarters.

UNLV starting quarterback Blake Decker didn't play the final three quarters after suffering an apparent right hamstring injury on the final play of the first quarter. Backup Kurt Palandech struggled, completing 4 of 15 passes for 4 yards and also throwing the interception that Young returned for a touchdown.

Perkins, the reigning Pac-12 rushing champion, had touchdown runs of 7 and 56 yards and didn't play in the fourth quarter.

UNLV spoiled UCLA's shutout bid with 3:04 remaining when junior Nicolai Bornand kicked a 32-yard field goal four plays after junior linebacker Trent Langham's 65-yard interception return of backup UCLA quarterback Jerry Neuheisel.

Rosen had 151 yards passing at halftime, including a 29-yard touchdown to Payton to give UCLA an early 7-0 lead.

The Bruins made it 10-0 midway through the first quarter on a 35-yard field goal by junior Ka'imi Fairbairn before UNLV got its offense untracked and drove to the UCLA 18-yard line. But a fake field goal attempt was quickly snuffed out by junior linebacker Deon Hollins, who collared junior holder Troy Hawthorne almost immediately as he tried to roll out and Hawthorne's hurried pass wasn't close to a receiver.

Things went from bad to worse for UNLV on its next possession when Decker, racing around right end on a keeper, collapsed to the ground untouched and grabbed his right knee. Decker had to be he helped off the field and didn't return.

The UNLV defense stiffened after that and held UCLA on four consecutive possessions. But the Bruins still increased their lead to 17-0 late in the half when Palandech, under a heavy pass rush, was intercepted by Young, who raced 23 yards up the right sideline for a touchdown.

NOTES: Despite the campuses being only 283 miles apart and Las Vegas being a major weekend getaway for people who live in southern California, this was the first meeting in football between UCLA and UNLV. The Rebels travel to the Rose Bowl in the return game of the home-and-home on Sept. 20, 2016. ... UCLA next hosts BYU on Saturday. UNLV travels to Michigan.