UNLV beats Northern Illinois 31-24 to extend Huskies' losing streak

UNLV defeated Northern Illinois 31-24 on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, ending the Huskies' season with a 10th straight loss. The final score was settled in the third quarter after a mid-game scoring run by the Rebels.

Jackson Arnold completed 20 of 30 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 86 yards on 13 carries. Jai'Den Thomas carried the ball 16 times for 114 yards and one touchdown. UNLV now stands at 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the Mountain West Conference.

Northern Illinois remains 0-7 on the year and 0-4 in conference play. The Huskies have not won since a 45-3 victory over UMass on Nov. 12, 2025. Taron Dickens threw for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Telly Johnson Jr. added a 20-yard rushing score for the visitors.

The game opened with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Arnold to Jayden McGee. Arnold later connected with Keyan Burnett on a 31-yard strike and Taeshaun Lyons on a 2-yard pass to lead 24-17 at the break. In the third quarter, Dickens threw a 12-yard touchdown to DeAree Rogers and a 61-yard score to George Dimopoulos to cut the deficit.

Thomas broke a 60-yard run through the middle of the field late in the second half to extend the UNLV lead to 14 points. Thomas now has 35 career rushing touchdowns, the third most in program history, and 40 total touchdowns, which ties for second. The Huskies will play at San Jose State next Saturday, while UNLV hosts Wyoming the same day.