{"id":25011,"date":"2018-10-21T11:59:22","date_gmt":"2018-10-21T11:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/21\/air-force-tops-unlv-41-35-for-1st-conference-win\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:38:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:38:43","slug":"air-force-tops-unlv-41-35-for-1st-conference-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/off-duty\/military-sports\/2018\/10\/21\/air-force-tops-unlv-41-35-for-1st-conference-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force tops UNLV 41-35 for 1st conference win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LAS VEGAS \u2014 Trailing at halftime had been a problem for Air Force this season<\/a>. The Falcons were 0-4 in such games<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that all changed Friday night when Isaiah Sanders<\/a> accounted for four touchdowns to lead Air Force to a 41-35 win over UNLV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rebels held a 21-20 lead at halftime, but Air Force (3-4, 1-3 Mountain West) wasted no time in jumping on a UNLV defense that has allowed 150 points and 1,672 yards in its last three games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Falcons, who ran up 572 yards of offense, scored 21 straight points in the third quarter to lead 41-21. The Rebels’ defense has allowed more than 500 yards in four of seven games this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanders completed 9 of 11 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 173 yards and three TDs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe played well, you could tell, just the grasp of the offense<\/a>,\u201d said Air Force\u2019s Troy Calhoun, who became the second coach in Mountain West history with 50 conference wins. \u201cJust the confidence and some of the skill, yet some of the will power at the end, some of the really, really sturdy and strong runs that he had today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ronald Cleveland had three receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons. Cleveland has caught a pass in a team-best eight straight games, and 10 of his last 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Falcons ended a four-game road losing streak and improved to 16-6 all-time against UNLV, including 8-4 in Las Vegas. Air Force has won three straight in the series, including its last two at Sam Boyd Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Falcons held off a late rally by UNLV, which erased a 20-point deficit with 5:45 left in the third quarter by scoring 14 points in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Air Force wide receiver Marcus Bennett (8) jumps for a pass reception against UNLV during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Las Vegas, Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. (Steve Marcus\/Las Vegas Sun via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Falcons stopped UNLV (2-5, 0-3) on fourth-and-8 with less than two minutes left in the game, as Max Gilliam’s pass to Darren Woods Jr. fell incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s hard to win on the road,” Calhoun said. “It’s hard for us to win in this league, especially on the road, and that’s a credit to the opponent who we played, UNLV. At the same time, we might have made it a little bit more difficult than we needed to, though.”<\/p>\n\n\n\t