[NEVADA ATHLETICS RELEASE]
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Johnathan Baldwin broke up a Nate Cox fourth-down pass on the final play of the game to preserve UNLV's 27-22 win over rival Nevada on Saturday to claim the Fremont Cannon in the annual rivalry game.
Nick Williams pulled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Harrison Bailey with 6:45 left in the game to stake the Rebels to a 27-16 lead, but Nevada rallied. Cox drove the Wolf Pack 75 yards in 12 plays, cutting the deficit to 27-22 when Toa Taua punched in from a yard out with 2:28 left.
UNLV was unable to move the ball and punted with 2:05 left and Cox engineered a drive that set up a third-and-1 at the UNLV 5-yard line. Cox threw incomplete on third down and his pass for Jamaal Bell on fourth down was well defended.
Bailey was 16 of 27 for 209 yards and two touchdowns with an interception to lead the Rebels (5-7, 3-5 Mountain West). Williams had five catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Williams added four catches for 76 yards and a score.
Cox completed 27 of 44 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown, but had two second-half interceptions for the Wolf Pack (2-10, 0-8). Taua carried 29 times for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Postgame Notes
• Nevada fell, 27-22, Saturday at UNLV in the Battle for the Fremont Cannon.
• Nevada closes the 2022 season 2-10 overall, and 0-8 in Mountain West play.
• Nevada gained a season-high 458 yards in the contest (182 rushing, 276 passing).
• The Pack defense finished with five sacks on the day, with sacks being recorded by Dom Peterson, Elijah Winston, Tyson Williams, Naki Mateialona, and Dion Washington.
• Linebacker Drue Watts made the first interception of his career, picking off a pass in the third quarter.
• Linebacker Naki Mateialona led the Wolf Pack defense with nine tackles (six solo), including two tackles-for-loss, and a sack.
• Nevada blocked its first punt of the season ... Marquese Allen-Patmon got in on the rush and blocked the kick in the first quarter.
• Kicker Brandon Talton went 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts, bringing his career total to 68.
• Quarterback Nate Cox threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to B.J. Casteel in the first quarter ... the play is the Pack’s longest from scrimmage this season ... the previous long was a 73-yard touchdown pass from Cox to Dalevon Campbell Nov. 12 against Fresno State.
• Cox finished the game 27-for-44 for 276 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions.
• B.J. Casteel caught his team-best fourth touchdown pass of the season, finishing the game with five catches for 90 yards.
• Dalevon Campbell caught a career-high nine passes for 71 yards.
• Running back Toa Taua finished the game with a season-high 144 rushing yards on 29 attempts, and his 11th rushing touchdown of the season ... Taua also caught six balls for 16 yards.
• Taua’s 144 rushing yards moved him to 3,997 for his career, finishing sixth on Nevada’s all-time list ... he finished the 2022 season with a career-high 911 rushing yards.
