Iowa State's Walter Nickel, left, runs from UNLV defenders Mil'Von James, bottom, and Jason Beauchamp (33) after making a reception during the first half.
Football Home HEADLINES TCU's Blake Schlueter Named Candidate for 2008 Rimington Award Wyoming's Novacek Elected to The NFF College Football Hall of Fame MWC Sees Seven Players Selected in 2008 NFL Draft RELATED LINKS • Follow all of the college football action at CollegeSports.com • Email this to a friend

Rebels Fall To Cyclones 16-10 After Controversial Finish

Officials rule Steichen's final pass in end zone incomplete, sealing win for Iowa State.

Sept. 9, 2006

Results

AMES, Iowa (AP) -- UNLV players, angry that officials ruled Shane Steichen's pass into the end zone on the final play was incomplete, refused to leave the field for about 15 minutes following Iowa State's 16-10 victory Saturday night.

The Rebels congregated at midfield, yelling at officials and shaking their helmets before coaches were finally able to convince them to head to the locker room.

The bizarre sequence of events began on the game's second-to-last play, when UNLV's Casey Flair recovered his own fumble on the Iowa State 11 following a catch. The Cyclones (2-0) asked for a replay to determine whether Flair had even made the catch, but the call was upheld and the Rebels (1-1) had one last shot with 7 seconds left.

Steichen threw the ball into a gaggle of players at the back of the end zone. The players from Iowa State acted as if the game was over, but Aaron Straiten then came out of the end zone holding the ball.

Officials ruled that the pass was incomplete, setting off the protests from UNLV.

Stevie Hicks rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown for Iowa State, which nearly blew a 13-point lead.

Down by six midway through the fourth quarter, UNLV kept a drive alive by converting a fourth-and-1 on its own 29 and a fourth-and-seven to the Iowa State 14 with 1:28 left.

UNLV pulled within 16-10 on a 3-yard TD pass by Steichen early in the fourth quarter, one possession after freshman kicker Ben Jaekle missed a 23-yard field-goal try.

Iowa State took a 13-3 halftime lead after scoring touchdowns on back-to-back possessions to close out the half.

Down 3-0 midway through the second quarter, Iowa State moved into Rebels territory on a 29-yard pass from Bret Meyer to Walter Nickel, and Hicks capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run.

Meyer opened the Cyclones' next possession with a 44-yard completion to Jon Davis, and Ryan Koch ran in from a yard out to give Iowa State a 13-3 lead. The Cyclones missed the PAT on a fumbled snap.

Rebels starting quarterback Rocky Hinds, a touted USC transfer who threw for 322 yards in his first collegiate start last week, injured his right knee early in the second quarter and did not return. UNLV officials said Hinds will have an MRI when the team gets back to Las Vegas.

Steichen finished 19-of-27 for 180 yards. Meyer threw for 203 yards to lead the Cyclones.