G5 Football Daily

TAKEAWAYS: UNLV Down Air Force, Move To First Place In Mountain West

The Rebels' dream season continues

Joe Londergan

© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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UNLV have never won a Mountain West Conference title. They're one huge step closer to achieving that goal in their first year under head coach Barry Odom. 

The Rebels won an important road contest at the Air Force Academy on Saturday 31-27. UNLV improved to 9-2 and 6-1 in conference play to overtake the Falcons for first place in the league standings. 

These were the biggest takeaways from Saturday's contest in Colorado Springs.

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Ricky White's Career Day

A junior out of Marietta, Georgia, Ricky White has put together a phenomenal season. White finished this game with eight catches for 169 yards, a season high. That brings him to 1,020 receiving yards this season. 

White III is the first UNLV player ever to post four consecutive 100-yard receiving games in one season. 

White also had his longest play of the season in this game: a 78-yard touchdown catch on UNLV's second play of the game.

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Second Half Team

Momentum aggressively swung in UNLV's favor in the second half. The Rebels shutout the Falcons in the third and fourth quarters, scoring 17 unanswered points. UNLV also nearly doubled Air Force's second half yardage total, 216 to 112.

The third quarter was particularly kind to the Rebels, with quarterback Jayden Maiava completing six passes for 145 yards. That included a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kaleo Ballungay.

The defense also made critical play after critical play in the second half, including Jackson Woodard's 

Air Force: Not Cleared For Takeoff

The Falcons have now lost three straight contests after starting the season 8-0. In their previous two games, Air Force committed ten turnovers. While they only committed one (not including on downs) against the Rebels, they still failed to execute offensively in key moments, particularly late in the game. 

Air Force's last three possessions were a lost fumble, a punt, and a turnover on downs. 

The Falcons are not out out of the conference title picture, but they will be if they lose to Boise State next week. It's a tough ask, especially without linebacker #8

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.

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