By the end of last season, we had gotten used to watching UNLV put up a ton of points week in and week out.
Behind last year’s Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jayden Maiava, a deep running back room, and wide receiver Ricky White, the Rebels averaged 34.4 points per game. It was the most in the Mountain West and the 22nd most in the country.
UNLV scored less than 30 points just four times last year and put up 40-plus in six outings. There’s no question its offense was the strong suit of a squad that finished 9-5 and earned a trip to the MW Championship. It was UNLV’s best finish since 1984 and its first ever trip to the conference title game.
Saturday’s win over Houston looked a little different than last year’s victories. Unlike last fall where they mainly relied on outscoring their opponents, the Rebels’ defense showed up and showed out in the 27-7 win over the Cougars. College football betting odds had the Rebels as 3.5-point underdogs.
The last time UNLV held an opponent to seven points was in a 35-7 win over New Mexico in 2012. The only other time since then it has held an opponent to single digits was an 80-8 win over Idaho State in 2015.
Simply put, UNLV’s defense historically hasn’t been that great. And it was no better than average in 2023.
However, head coach Barry Odom’s squad showed us in Week 1 that last season wasn’t a fluke, UNLV is back to compete for another MW Championship, and is a dark horse for the Group of Five College Football Playoff spot. The Rebels didn’t need to beat the Cougars in a shootout and lean on White to make big-time plays.
Instead, their defense kept Houston off the scoreboard and almost earned the shutout.
UH’s only points of the game didn’t come until there was one minute remaining in the fourth quarter. The Rebels forced seven punts and only allowed Houston to get into scoring position twice. The other opportunity resulted in a missed field goal. The Cougars finished with 247 yards and only 38 of those came on the ground. They were held to 59 total yards in the first half.
UNLV’s defense set the tone on the game’s third possession when Houston went for it on fourth-and-3 near midfield, but quarterback Donovan Smith was stopped for a seven-yard loss. The Cougars weren’t in Rebels territory for the rest of the half, and their woes continued into the second half when Jalen Catalon picked off Smith and took it the other way for a touchdown and a 24-7 third quarter lead. That play stymied any attempt at a comeback.
Because its defense was so stout — and even put points on the board — and UNLV kicker Caden Chittenden buried a pair of field goals, QB Matthew Sluka only needed to toss 13 passes. He had six completions for 71 yards. Two of those completions resulted in TDs to Jacob De Jesus.
And because UNLV was able to rush the ball effectively, racking up 195 yards on 48 carries, it churned time off the clock, allowing its defense to rest and continue its strong season debut.
I don’t know if it’ll be to the tune of last year’s beat, but there’s no doubt the Rebels have the potential to put up points this season. The question is whether the defense can continue to play at this level.
If the answer is yes, or even mostly yes, then UNLV will no longer be a dark horse to make the CFP, but a legitimate threat to Boise State in the MW and a legitimate contender for the CFP. I don’t think they’re in that position quite yet considering Houston was predicted to finish 15th in the preseason Big 12 media poll.
We’ll find out how serious the Rebels are when they visit No. 19-ranked Kansas in Week 3 on Friday the 13th. I hope the Jayhawks aren’t superstitious.
