Jackson Arnold rallies UNLV past No. 23 New Mexico, 21-17

Albuquerque, N.M. (AP) — Jackson Arnold delivered a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown pass and rushed for yet another score, leading UNLV to a hard-fought 21-17 victory over No. 23 New Mexico on Saturday night. This win effectively ended New Mexico's winning streak at home in the AP poll rankings. Arnold had a stellar performance with 201 passing yards and two touchdowns, as well as rushing for 98 yards.

UNLV (6-4, 4-2 Mountain West) secured its fifth consecutive road win against the Lobos (8-2, 5-1). New Mexico struggled to generate offense after the second quarter, relying primarily on their strong running game and defense. Scottre Humphrey scored in the first quarter and Cade Keith caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Toa Fa’avae in the second, but New Mexico couldn't maintain their offensive momentum.

In the first half, Arnold connected with Keyan Burnett for an 18-yard scoring pass, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. With 11 minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Arnold connected on a 43-yard touchdown pass to cut New Mexico's lead to 17-14. He then took a handoff and ran 44 yards for a 21-17 lead with 7:26 left on the clock, ultimately sealing the win for UNLV.

The takeaway for UNLV is that they remain in contention for the conference title. New Mexico, on the other hand, will likely see an end to their time in the rankings after two weeks, but they still have a strong chance at securing the conference championship. UNLV's next game is against San Jose on Saturday, while New Mexico will face Wyoming in a Friday night matchup.