Utah State Football Special Teams Fails In Two OT Loss To UNLV
Nov 15, 2025, 10:01 PM
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 15: Kayden McGee #16 of the UNLV Rebels scores the game-winning touchdown in double overtime to defeat the Utah State Aggies 29-26 at Allegiant Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – A matchup of the top two scoring offenses in the Mountain West ended up being a defensive battle with the Rebels prevailing 29-26 over Utah State in double-overtime.
The Aggies (5-5, 3-3) were in Sin City to face the UNLV Rebels (8-2, 4-2) on Saturday, November 15. USU and UNLV are two of four Mountain West programs that entered the weekend tied at 3-2 in conference play.
🏈 #MWFB Highlights from @unlvfootball's 29-26 OT win over Utah State pic.twitter.com/vEWDagFdIH
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) November 16, 2025
Bryson Barnes threw for 256 yards and one touchdown while taking a beating as a ball carrier. The ‘Pig Farmer’ carried the ball 23 times for 113 yards and one score on the ground.
Miles Davis added 42 yards and a touchdown rushing.
Braden Pegan caught a team-high eight passes for 109 yards. Brady Boyd added 39 receiving yards and a touchdown grab.
First Quarter
UNLV answered an Aggie missed field goal to open the game with a 31-yard field goal for the first points of the game.
Bryson Barnes took control on the next drive, piloting a 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 6-3 lead after Tanner Rinker missed the extra point. Brady Boyd caught a 17-yard touchdown pass to finish the drive.
BRADY BOYD 🙌
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/hFjufN5BjJ
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
Barnes bookended the drive with long completions to Braden Pegan and Boyd to get on the scoreboard.
Second Quarter
Bronson Olevao Jr. stepped up to make a play for the Aggie defense on UNLV’s second play of quarter two.
Rebel QB Anthony Colandrea rolled to his right as Olevao Jr. read his eyes from the secondary. Colandrea never saw the USU linebacker step in front of the receiver, throwing a pass straight to him for the interception.
thats OUR ball!@BronsonOlevao with the pick!
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/yQLKQlnVrT
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
Utah State, the second-highest scoring team in the league behind UNLV, immediately went into attack mode.
After a long Barnes rush, Noah White worked free in the secondary for a 47-yard catch and run, setting up first and goal. Miles Davis plunged over the goal line two plays later for the team’s second TD of the night.
Miles Davis will NOT be denied!
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/BrB5iT7crp
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
USU led 13-3 after the extra point.
Colandrea and UNLV answered with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The dual-threat QB scrambled for a ten-yard TD, diving for the pylon to reach the end zone.
After a three-and-out punt, the Aggie defense stuffed Colandrea on 4th-and-1 to get the ball back in positive territory late in the half.
NOPE 🛑
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/LBzve9G647
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
USU ended the drive with a botched fake field goal before going into halftime leading 13-10.
Third Quarter
The Aggies extended their lead to 16-10 when Rinker hit a 24-yard field goal after UNLV went three-and-out.
No doubt about it!@Tanner_Rinker extends the lead to 16-10.
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/cSKmrNDDkG
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
The Rebels bounced right back to re-take the lead when Colandrea completed a nine-yard TD pass to Daejon Reynolds in the back of the end zone for an acrobatic scoring grab.
USU safety and reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week Brevin Hamblin was helped off the field with an apparent injury late in the third period.
The Rebels took a 17-16 lead into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
UNLV extended its lead four minutes into the final period when Ramon Villela nailed a 31-yard field goal.
Following back-to-back punts, USU took over at its own 38-yard line. Two plays later, Barnes found a crease and sprinted 58 yards to pay dirt to give his team a 23-20 lead with 5:56 left.
BRYSON BARNES HOUSE CALL!
📞📞📞
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/6tNFpgL3el
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
UNLV got the football and ate up more than four minutes of clock before kicking a game-tying 32-yard FG with 2:18 left.
Offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven kept the ball in the hands of his quarterback on the final drive. Barnes completed one pass before five consecutive run plays set up a 44-yard field goal attempt.
Overtime
UNLV got the ball first but couldn’t create momentum against an amped-up Aggie defense. The Rebels missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, giving USU a chance to win with a field goal.
Tanner Rinker couldn’t take advantage, missing his third field goal of the night to force a second OT.
Rinker’s kick sailed wide right to force overtime, tied 23-23.
Final
UNLV 29 – Utah State 26
— USU Football (@USUFootball) November 16, 2025
Rinker got his redemption in OT No. 2, nailing a 39-yard attempt to take a 26-23 lead. UNLV answered with a walk-off Kayden McGee touchdown on the first play from scrimmage for a 29-26 win.
Following Utah State football with KSL Sports Zone
Utah State heads to the Golden State to face the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday, November 22. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. MT.
Listen to USU football games on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie QB Kevin White on the call.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
