Samuel Harris rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday night, helping Wyoming hold off a late UNLV rally to secure a 41-35 victory in Las Vegas.
The win moves Wyoming to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in Mountain West play, while UNLV drops to 5-4 and 3-2 in the conference. The Cowboys built a commanding 41-21 advantage before the Rebels mounted a furious comeback attempt in the second half.
UNLV cut into the deficit when Jackson Arnold connected with Kayden McGee on a 33-yard touchdown pass before halftime. The Rebels struck again with 8:32 left in the fourth quarter, moving within striking distance of the lead. However, Wyoming’s Tyson Shamsid-Deen dashed those hopes by intercepting reserve quarterback Alex Orji in the end zone. It marked Shamsid-Deen’s second interception of the game.
On the very next play, Wyoming’s Markell Holman took a handoff, broke four tackles, reversed field, and raced 49 yards down the turf. Holman finished the night with 110 rushing yards, allowing the Cowboys to run out the remaining clock.
The scoring sequence began early when Erik Sandvik kicked a field goal to break a 7-7 tie with 5:02 remaining in the first quarter. Harris scored his first touchdown early in the second quarter on a 1-yard run. With 6:42 left before halftime, reserve quarterback Landon Sims tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jake Wilson on a double-pass play, stretching the lead to 24-7.
UNLV responded in the closing minutes of the first half. Arnold threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Taz Reddicks following a Wyoming fumble, narrowing the gap to 24-21 with 1:55 on the clock. Wyoming answered immediately, needing just over a minute to drive down the field for a 13-yard rushing touchdown by Sims. Sandvik added a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, sending the Cowboys into the locker room ahead 34-21.
Arnold finished the contest with two touchdown passes for the Rebels.
Next up, Wyoming travels to face UTEP on Saturday. UNLV heads to New Mexico to play the Lobos on the same day.
