Sieh Bangura delivered an impressive performance, rushing for 149 yards and scoring a touchdown as Ohio defeated UNLV 17-10 in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night. This victory marks Ohio”s seventh consecutive win in bowl games, a significant turnaround since the team lost eight of its first ten bowl appearances starting in 2017.
Following the dismissal of head coach Brian Smith earlier this month due to personal conduct issues, defensive coordinator John Hauser stepped in as interim head coach and successfully guided the Bobcats to victory.
The game”s only score in the first half came from Ohio”s Parker Navarro, who executed a 5-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper just five minutes into the second quarter. The extra point attempt by David Dellenbach struck the upright, leaving Ohio with a narrow 6-0 lead at halftime.
In a tense moment for UNLV, they managed to reach Ohio”s 33-yard line with only 32 seconds left in the half, but DJ Walker made a crucial interception of an Anthony Colandrea pass in the end zone, preventing the Rebels from scoring.
The third quarter saw Bangura extend Ohio”s lead with a 23-yard touchdown run, followed by Navarro successfully connecting with Chase Hendricks for a two-point conversion, bringing the score to 14-0.
After an early misstep by Hendricks, who muffed a punt during UNLV”s first possession, Kayden McGee recovered the ball at Ohio”s 30-yard line. The Rebels then settled for a career-long 50-yard field goal from Ramon Villela, narrowing the gap to 14-3.
In the fourth quarter, Dellenbach added a 45-yard field goal for Ohio, making the score 17-3. However, UNLV responded as Colandrea rushed for a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play from the 2-yard line, reducing the deficit to 17-10 with 4:45 remaining. Despite their efforts, UNLV could not regain possession, ultimately concluding their bowl record at 4-4.
Navarro completed 11 of 15 passes for 143 yards, with one interception, while Bangura”s 149 yards came on 19 carries. Colandrea had a solid performance for UNLV, totaling 184 yards on 19 completions from 30 attempts. UNLV”s impressive streak of scoring 20 points in a game came to an end at 35 games.
