11/5/2026 2:44:00 PM | Football
Wyoming holds narrow 14-13 lead in series with the Rebels
The series history between Wyoming and UNLV is one defined by streaks.
Between 1999 and 2003, UNLV was able to win five in a row against the Cowboys, while UW has owned two separate four-game winning streaks in the history, one from 1981-98 and another from 2004-07. The two didn't become conference foes until UNLV joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1996 and both teams eventually became inaugural members of the Mountain West.
Since joining the Mountain West, UNLV leads the series 10-9 over UW. Across the entire series history, Wyoming leads 14-13.
The series didn't start out well for the Pokes, however, as the Rebels got the best of the Cowboys in the first three meetings between the two.
Nov. 11, 1978
The first ever meeting between UNLV and UW was a rather unexciting game of football, as the Rebels took home a low-scoring 12-10 victory over the Cowboys at the Las Vegas Silver Bowl.
UW entered the contest with an even 4-4 record, having won 3 of its last 4 games. The Rebels were just as hot, winning four straight contests after starting the season with an 0-3 record.
A tall task stood ahead of the Cowboys if they wanted to find a win in Vegas, and it proved to be even more difficult with its offensive struggles in the first half. UW went three-and-out on its opening three drives of the game, being blanked in the first quarter. UNLV took advantage of the Cowboys' bumbling offense, striking true on a pair of field goals by kicker Jim Gaetano.
Things didn't get much better to start the second quarter for UW, as starting quarterback Marc Cousins fumbled and lost the ball on its first possession of the quarter. After forcing a punt, the UW offense finally found its footing and scored a 33-yard field goal after a near seven minute drive to make it 6-3 at halftime.
The Cowboys carried that momentum into the second half, as they found the end zone behind a 15-yard scoring run by senior back Latraia Jones to take the lead 10-6. The Rebels would eventually kick another field goal to draw within a point.
Both offenses struggled to break away in the fourth quarter, as the game remained 10-9 throughout most of the quarter. A big opportunity was allotted to the Cowboys after UNLV quarterback Larry Gentry was picked off by junior corner Ken Jones with a little more than five minutes left in the game. UW had the ball in Rebel territory and looked poised to score, but a fumble on a 3rd-and-1 from the UNLV 35-yard line proved costly.
The Rebels then methodically carved their way up field, converting a crucial 4th down to allow Gaetano a shot to win the game with a chip shot 25-yard field goal. Despite missing three field goals that day, Gaetano would come through when it mattered and give the Rebels a 12-10 lead with 14 seconds to go.
UW's last-ditch Hail Mary attempt to win the game would be picked off, and the Rebels would escape with a 12-10 win.
"It was just one of those knock down, drag out, barroom brawls. Both teams played extremely well, but our guys deserved to win this one tonight. They kept the faith and it paid off," then UNLV head coach Tony Knap said.
UW head coach Bill Lewis was unavailable for comments after the contest, but the box score painted the picture of why his team lost that day. While the Cowboys did rush for 261 yards, that included four lost fumbles for a total of five turnovers on the day. The Cowboys only passed for 29 yards as well and ran 32 less plays than UNLV, which completely offset the fact that the Rebels missed three field goals and had a whopping 16 penalties for 117 yards.
"This may be the break we are looking for, with homecoming next weekend. We may have that big winning season yet. In fact, we may not lose again if we play as hard as we did tonight," Knap also added postgame.
Knap's words almost came true, as the Rebels did not lose a single regular season game for the rest of that season, but did lose to BYU in the Yokohama Bowl to end the season 7-4. UW won just one game after that devastating loss to UNLV, as the Cowboys' final six games of the season were all on the road as they ended the season 5-7.
Nov. 27, 2020
UW's last win in Las Vegas came during a shortened campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cowboys were playing their first football game in over three weeks, after home tilts against both Air Force and Utah State were canceled in the weeks prior. UW had only played three games leading into its matchup against UNLV, its only win coming over Hawai'i in that span.
UNLV, playing under first year head coach Marcus Arroyo, had not yet tallied a win on the season, entering the contest with an 0-4 record.
The Rebels weren't going to find their first win of the season against Wyoming, though, as the Cowboys completely dominated by a final score of 45-14 and found their first win in Las Vegas since the 2012 season.
Junior running back Xazavian Valleday wasted little time to find his stride early, getting loose for a 78-yard touchdown run–a career high–on the second play of the game. UW's defense then forced a three-and-out, which allowed the offense to tack on a field goal to make it 10-0 after the first quarter.
The Cowboys kept their momentum rolling in the second quarter, as sophomore quarterback Levi Williams would add a 15-yard rushing touchdown. UNLV finally answered at the end of the half to make it a 17-7 lead for the Cowboys.
That touchdown to end the half meant little after the UW defense forced a crucial fourth down stop to begin the third quarter, and the offense made good on the turnover with another rushing touchdown by Williams to increase the lead to 24-7.
"We reestablished the momentum on the fourth down play and went down and scored and that got things rolling for us. Our point of attack on the defensive and offensive line were well up to par," then UW head coach Craig Bohl said.
UNLV stacked up another turnover on the following drive, this one a fumble recovered by defensive end Cameron Smith. That allowed Williams to find the end zone with his legs for the third straight time.
Senior running back Trey Smith tacked on one more touchdown in the third quarter as the Cowboys managed a 38-7 lead heading into the final frame of play. Both teams would score in the fourth quarter but an unlikely comeback never came to fruition for the Rebels.
Smith rushed for a career-high 156 yards, as the Cowboys rushed for a total of 399 yards on the day.
"Trey (Smith) kept his feet moving and made some great runs, it was very heartwarming to see him out there and execute at such a high level," Bohl added.
UW's 45-14 win over UNLV in 2020 has been the Cowboys' only win against UNLV at Allegiant Stadium, as the two teams have only met twice there before, the only other meeting coming in 2023 where the Rebels won 34-14.
