Despite humbling start to season, Rebels’ championship pursuit is just revving up

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

6,089 miles.

That’s however acold the UNLV shot squad volition person traveled implicit 3 consecutive roadworthy games by the clip it returns to Las Vegas precocious Saturday nighttime from a roadworthy crippled astatine Akron, according to the university’s calculations.

Aside from North Carolina and TCU playing successful London, nary assemblage shot squad volition person traveled farther. Still, the Rebels tin assertion a uncommon distinction: 4 games successful 4 clip zones.

So rare, successful fact, that manager Dan Mullen doesn’t deliberation it has ever been done.

“Do I get Allegiant predominant alert miles?” Mullen said jokingly asked. “I person to telephone them connected that. They bash instrumentality attraction of america connected the plane.”

Mullen is hoping for a amended effect astatine Akron than past clip out. The travel to North Texas, coming conscionable days aft the instrumentality from Hawaii, arguably got the champion of his team. 

UNLV was blown retired 44-6 connected Sept. 12, its worst nonaccomplishment since 2022.

The nonaccomplishment dropped UNLV to 1-2 and knocked it firmly retired of the speech for an at-large College Football Playoff bid. That’s not Mullen’s superior concern. 

First, helium needs his squad to play better, particularly connected offense, which has six touchdowns successful 3 games and turned the shot implicit 4 times against North Texas.

Still, there’s crushed for optimism, and plentifulness near to play for.

As unsmooth arsenic the roadworthy agelong has been connected UNLV, 1 of those trips enactment the Rebels successful beardown presumption to pursuit a superior goal: a Mountain West title. They are 1-0 successful league play aft beating Hawaii, a pugnacious retired astatine location and a squad besides expected to contend for the league crown.

UNLV has mislaid each of the past 3 Mountain West title games. It has ne'er won a league rubric successful the conference’s astir 30 years of existence.

“We’ve got to find ways to get amended and hopefully find a mode to get a win, and you know, support gathering toward our goals of being a amended shot squad astatine the extremity of the twelvemonth than the opening of the year,” Mullen said.

The bye week aft the North Texas catastrophe came astatine the cleanable clip for UNLV. Well, maybe. 

Yes, the Rebels got a accidental to remainder aft grueling back-to-back trips conscionable days apart. But they’re besides near unsatisfied with their effort and are anxious to get backmost to work.

This programme is amended than a humbling 38-point loss. The days of being 1 of assemblage football’s laughingstocks are agelong gone, ever since Barry Odom replaced Marcus Arroyo and made the Rebels respectable implicit the past 3 years. UNLV was 1 of conscionable 16 teams with 30 wins successful that span. 

The North Texas nonaccomplishment marked the archetypal clip successful 36 games that the Rebels failed to people 20 points, snapping the nation’s longest streak.

So, yes, this squad is motivated. Watch out, Akron.

“Our guys would person alternatively gone retired and played again,” Mullen said. ”I don’t cognize that taking different trip, different 3 times portion away, and connected a speedy week, would person been bully for our carnal oregon intelligence health.”

He added, “We got a accidental to benignant of similar drawback our enactment and not conscionable beryllium wholly exhausted.”

Time volition archer whether the dud astatine North Texas is simply a preview of things is to come. Maybe this year’s UNLV squad isn’t arsenic bully arsenic we thought. Or possibly the docket was simply excessively overmuch for immoderate squad to navigate. (Remember, determination are lone truthful galore dates disposable for the Rebels to get into Allegiant Stadium.)

Jet lag oregon not, Akron offers a bully accidental to physique momentum. UNLV is simply a 13.5-point favorite.

That should springiness backmost Jackson Arnold, who has 601 passing yards and 2 touchdowns successful 3 games, plentifulness of chances to find his rhythm. 

But he’ll request assistance from a struggling receiver group. Taz Reddicks leads the mode with conscionable 8 catches for 130 yards. That benignant of accumulation won’t triumph the Mountain West. And aft 44-6, a league rubric looks similar a mighty good consolation prize.

“There’s truthful galore momentum swings during the people of the season,” Mullen said. “Every game, there’s ups and downs.”

The nonaccomplishment astatine North Texas was a down, the worst successful years. Now it’s clip for immoderate ups.