College football is wonderful when it’s good. It’s also great when it’s terrible. Kansas and UNLV were closer to the latter than the former when they met on Friday in Week 3, but the end product was still one of the more entertaining games of the short season.
UNLV beat Kansas, 23-20, for a come-from-behind victory. The Rebels scored a chaotic touchdown at the halftime buzzer to cut into what was an 11-point Kansas lead, and then shut down the Jayhawks offense in the second half (limiting them to only one field goal) as they forged ahead for the win.
The wildest play of the game happened in the fourth quarter. With UNLV trailing by four points, QB Matthew Sluka took off up the middle on a scramble and immediately fumbled when he was hit from behind by a Jayhawks defender. Kansas tried to dive on the ball and accidentally booted it forward … right to another Kansas player, who somehow botched the scoop. Kansas then had six players around the football trying to dive on it, but still couldn’t corral it. The ball bounced back to UNLV, and they finally secured the possession. Watch the play here:
HOW did Kansas not come away with that football? Almost every player on the field in a black jersey had a chance to secure the ball, but none of them could do it.
This play actually helped decide the game. After recovering the fumble, UNLV drove down the field and scored the go-ahead-touchdown. They wouldn’t trail the rest of the game.
Kansas was a two touchdown favorite entering the night. This loss is going to sting.
UNLV improves to 3-0. Kansas falls to 1-2. It feels amazing to have football back in our lives, even (especially?) when it leads to sequences that should be soundtracked by ‘Yackety Sax.’