Editor’s note: Each week, the Iowa State Daily will look back on a notable matchup from the past between the Cyclones and whoever they are playing that particular week.

This week, we look back to the last time the Cyclones faced the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels — an overtime loss in 2008.

Sept. 20, 2008 — almost 13 years to the day of Saturday’s matchup between No.14 Iowa State and UNLV — the Cyclones made the trip to Vegas to take on the Runnin’ Rebels. Another fun fact about the last matchup in 2008, the Cyclones were also coming off a loss to Iowa the week before.

Iowa State would eventually lose in a 34-31 overtime battle, giving UNLV at the time consecutive wins over a team from a BCS automatic-bid conference for the first time in program history. Yes, the last time these two teams faced was in the BCS ages.

Out of the gate, UNLV was throttling Iowa State. UNLV went 95 yards in 10 plays, aided by Iowa State penalties, to take a 7-0 advantage with 4:41 left in the first quarter. It only took four plays for UNLV to score again on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Omar Clayton to Frank Summers to crack it open to a 14-0 lead. 

UNLV out-gained Iowa State 288-38 in the first half and led 21-0 at halftime over the Cyclones.

But then, Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud did his best Lee Corso voice saying: “Not so fast.”

Arnaud and the Cyclones were down big heading into the locker room, but after the break the Ames native brought his A-game in the second half. Arnaud hit R.J. Sumrall with a 28-yard touchdown pass out of the break.

Then Jesse Smith picked up Ryan Wolf’s fumble and returned it 41 yards to the Rebels’ 10-yard line. It was UNLV’s first turnover of the season. On the next play, Arnaud broke a host of tackles and drove across the goal line to make it 21-14 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.

Arnaud completed 13-of-23 passes for 155 yards and rushed for a career-high 51 yards. The sophomore passed for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for two more. UNLV’s Clayton hit on 15-of-21 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. UNLV is now 3-1. Iowa State is 2-2.

UNLV would make it 28-14 with eight seconds left in the third quarter after a rushing touchdown by Summers. But Arnaud kept moving the Cyclones closer, eventually tying the game at 28-28 after a touchdown pass to Sumrall with a 1:31 left in the game.

Overtime.

Clayton would give the Rebels a 34-28 advantage after delivering a 25-yard touchdown. The Cyclones failed to score a touchdown and settled for a field goal and would go on to lose despite the comeback effort.

Arnaud finished 13-23 for 155 passing yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he had 10 rushes for 51 yards and two rushing scores.

The loss was Iowa State’s 13th-straight road defeat and UNLV’s second overtime win coming into 2008.