Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
QB Rogers goes out, Rebels go down against Utah State
Head injury comes with UNLV up 14, then offense stalls
For the second consecutive week, UNLV gave up a multiple-touchdown lead, but that’s not the Rebels’ only concern.
They lost quarterback Armani Rogers to a head injury in the second quarter, and he didn’t return in Saturday’s 52-28 loss to Utah State at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Rogers’ status for next Saturday’s game at Fresno State will be determined later in the week as he enters the concussion protocol. Kurt Palandech and Johnny Stanton will prepare to play in the 7 p.m. game.
UNLV (2-5, 1-3 Mountain West) took 14-point leads three times in the first half against the Aggies (4-4, 2-2), going up 14-0, 21-7 and 28-14. Utah State rallied to tie the game at 28 before halftime and took the lead at 35-28 with 6:38 left in the third quarter on quarterback Jordan Love’s 5-yard touchdown run.
Love was the surprise starter in place of Kent Myers, and he completed 19 of 27 passes for 316 yards and touchdowns of 70 and 75 yards. He also rushed for 42 yards and a score.
But Love didn’t have to get Utah State out of as deep a hole as Air Force emerged from a week earlier when the Falcons erased a 27-0 UNLV lead to win 34-30.
Lexington Thomas led the Rebels with 161 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Before he went out, Rogers had completed 5 of 12 passes for 37 yards and rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
“We’re at a low right now, so we’ve got to figure out how to fight our way back out of this,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “There’s a lot of accountability that needs to be addressed, and there are some areas that immediately we need to see improvement and play better in.”