Fresno State seals win against UNLV with clutch interception before sold out homecoming crowd

As a senior linebacker and Fresno State’s top leading tackler, Levelle Bailey has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

But Bailey showed once again he can make more than just tackles.

He simply knows how to make big plays and in the most critical of times.

Bailey came up with a game-winning interception for the second time this season, snagging a pass in the closing seconds to seal Fresno State’s 31-24 victory during homecoming Saturday night at Valley Children’s Stadium.

Bailey snatched the pick with 3 seconds remaining after UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava tried squeezing a pass up the middle near Fresno State’s 8-yard line while looking to score a touchdown that could’ve tied the game.

Bailey also supplied the game-clinching interception in early September when he came up with an interception in double overtime to lock up Fresno State’s 34-31 win against Eastern Washington.

Bailey’s latest heroics helped Fresno State snap UNLV’s five-game win streak and hand the Rebels (6-2, 3-1) their first loss in Mountain West play. UNLV’s only other loss this season was a 35-7 defeat at Michigan.

Fresno State (7-1, 3-1), meanwhile, showed it wouldn’t be rattled just because the Bulldogs were down at halftime.

Fresno State had failed previously against such a challenge, back when it trailed 24-7 at halftime at Wyoming and eventually lost 24-19.

On Saturday while playing before a sold out crowd of 41,031, the Bulldogs trailed 17-7 at intermission but erupted for 24 points in the third quarter alone to reclaim the lead.

Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene returned to action after missing the Bulldogs’ past game, a 37-32 win at Utah State two weeks ago.

Keene, who replaced Logan Fife back in the starting lineup, completed 27 of 41 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns to two interceptions.

Receiver Jalen Moss hauled in a team-high 99 receiving yards off five catches.

Nonetheless, UNLV had two chances to tie the game down the stretch.

But the Bulldogs defense stepped up big a couple of times and got super lucky another time.

On fourth-and-goal the Bulldogs’ 2-yard line with 4:21 remaining, Fresno State broke up fourth-down pass by Maiava that could’ve tied the game.

Then with roughly 10 seconds left, UNLV almost tied the game on a Maiava pass to Senika McKie.

But McKie dropped the ball despite being wide open in the end zone.

On the very next play, Bailey came away with the clinching interception.