LAS VEGAS — Frank Summers ran for 75 yards and the go-ahead touchdown and UNLV beat Wyoming 22-14 on Thursday night, keeping the Rebels’ bowl hopes alive while ending the Cowboys’ postseason bid.
The Rebels (5-6, 2-5 Mountain West) need a victory at San Diego State on Nov. 22 to become bowl eligible. They last played in a bowl game in 2000.
UNLV improved to 2-0 under freshman quarterback Mike Clausen. He was 16-of-30 for 138 yards and a touchdown and ran for 52 yards on 13 carries.
Devin Moore led Wyoming (4-7, 1-6) with 91 yards rushing. The Cowboys close their season Nov. 22 against Colorado State in Laramie.
Wyoming’s Chris Stutzriem was 12-of-21 for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, the last by Quinton Pointer in the end zone with 4:52 left as the Cowboys went for the potential tying points.
The Cowboys’ Brandon Stewart also fumbled a punt return that was recovered by UNLV’s Terrance Lee with 1:41 left.
Summers’ 1-yard touchdown around the right side on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Rebels a 15-14 lead. Summers carried the ball eight times for 25 yards on the drive. The touchdown was set up by a pass on a fake punt from Dack Ishii to Jerriman Robinson for 19 yards to the Wyoming 30.
On UNLV’s following offensive drive, Clausen threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Rodelin Anthony to make it 22-14 with 12:15 left in the game.
The Cowboys, coming off a victory at Tennessee five days earlier, took a 14-9 lead on Stutzriem’s 28-yard pass to Chris Johnson on a scramble to the right with 12:34 left in the third quarter.
UNLV beat Wyoming for the first time since 2003 to take the series lead 9-8.
