Hajj-Malik Williams threw three touchdown passes in the first half, and Kylin James rushed for three touchdowns as UNLV scored 27 points in the second quarter, leading them to a 50-34 win over Utah State on Friday night.
UNLV (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West) made its first appearance in the AP rankings at No. 25 last week before losing to Syracuse 44-41 in overtime.
The Runnin’ Rebels rebounded with a strong first half against Utah State, gaining 367 total yards and setting a program record for points in a half against FBS teams, taking a 41-7 lead into halftime.
Utah State (1-5, 0-2) has now lost five games in a row, which is their longest losing streak in a single season since they lost five straight at the end of the 2016 season.
James finished with 101 rushing yards on 11 carries. Ricky White III caught seven passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while Jai’Den Thomas had 17 carries for 139 yards and one touchdown for UNLV.
The game started with Jacob de Jesus catching a short pass from Williams and running for a 38-yard gain. James then followed with a 33-yard run, and after an incomplete pass, he scored on a 5-yard run to give UNLV a 7-0 lead with 13:50 left in the first quarter. The Runnin’ Rebels maintained the lead from there.
Williams made a key play, gaining three yards on a fourth-and-1 from the Utah State 40. He then hit Ricky White III three times in a row for gains of 14, 5, and 18 yards, with the last catch giving UNLV a 14-0 lead about eight minutes later.
Utah State responded with an 11-play, 79-yard drive that ended with Rahsul Faison scoring on a 20-yard run, making the score 14-7 as the second quarter began.
Caden Chittenden added a 33-yard field goal with 13:35 left in the first half to give UNLV a 10-point lead. On the next play, Aggies quarterback Spencer Petras gained 12 yards before Charles Correa forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Jackson Woodard at the 37-yard line.
Four plays later, Williams threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Casey Cain, and Woodard intercepted a pass shortly after, leading to James’s 22-yard touchdown run, making it 31-7 with 9:24 remaining in the first half.
