Ex-Oklahoma, Auburn QB Jackson Arnold has great moments, but struggles late and loses UNLV debut
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Ex-Oklahoma, Auburn QB Jackson Arnold has great moments, but struggles late and loses UNLV debut originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Former Oklahoma and Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold fell just short in his UNLV debut.
He passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 54 yards and another, but couldn't generate points late in a 27-21 loss to Memphis on Saturday night.
There were moments that showed why Oklahoma and Auburn coveted the former five-star prospect. His 38-yard touchdown pass to Tavian McNair was an absolute dime, dropped between defenders on the sideline to open the scoring.
FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON
FIRST TOUCHDOWN THROW AS A REBEL FOR JACKSON ARNOLD
FIRST CAREER CATCH AND TOUCHDOWN FOR TAVIAN MCNAIR
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/mJgO5xPVfm
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) August 30, 2026
Arnold took off on a 54-yard jaunt in the third quarter, showing the running skills that have been his strong suit.
Speedy Arnold 💨
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/GnYwBMcaeL
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) August 30, 2026
He also was consistent as a passer early, completing 15 of his first 18 throws. But he connected on just 10 of his last 19 attempts.
UNLV took a 21-14 lead after Arnold's 22-yard touchdown pass to Kayden McGee with 10:15 left in the third quarter, but the Rebels didn't score again.
Arnold's career hasn't been all bad. The senior has completed 63% of his passes for 3.584 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his career. He also has rushed for 925 yards and 13 scores. He ran for 131 yards in Oklahoma's 24-3 shocking upset win over Alabama in 2024.
But he's been sacked 73 times, with many a result of his tendency to hold onto the ball too long. Memphis sacked him six times for 47 yards in losses on Saturday. The fact that he had a 54-yard run, yet finished with 54 yards on 21 carries is telling.
UNLV plays at Hawaii on Saturday.
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