UNLV football has needed confidence for clash with undefeated NDSU

The UNLV Rebels, 3-2 overall and 1-0 in Mountain West play after a 21-6 win at Hawaii, will meet undefeated North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0 MW) Saturday at 4 p.m. in Allegiant Stadium. The Bison arrive as the conference’s hottest team and road favorite.

UNLV finished its non‑conference slate at 2-2 with victories over Akron and Cal and losses to Memphis and North Texas. The Rebels now embark on a seven‑game stretch of league contests, hoping to earn a spot in a fourth straight conference championship game.

Coach Dan Mullen stressed the league’s depth, saying, “We know it’s a great conference,” and adding, “I think one thing is that some of the Group of 6 teams that have gotten to the playoffs didn’t go through the rigor of what our conference is. A lot of them didn’t play Power 4 teams while our league had Power 4 wins. I just think the toughness of our conference from top to bottom makes it so difficult. If you look at last year, the top five teams in our league could have played with teams that made the playoffs on a week‑to‑week basis.” He also noted, “Team confidence is such a huge deal on any team and any roster. It comes from expecting to win football games. Confident players make plays. That’s where the (North Dakota State) confidence comes from.”

Senior safety Jake Pope, a transfer from Alabama and Georgia, said, “You know, there’s not much difference any more with things like NIL and players scattered around the country,” and added, “I love the competition in this conference. It was great last year with a team like Boise State (now in the Pac‑12) and now this year with a team like North Dakota State. We get to play a great schedule and there are great players throughout the league. I never look too far ahead at (standings). I just know North Dakota State has been a storied program (in the FCS) with great tradition and have had players drafted frequently. I think this is a great opportunity to be out there on the field with them and to compete against them.”

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal