UNLV improved the best college football record against the spread in the country Saturday, and New Mexico State didn’t play the part of pushover at Auburn.
Football
Far from perfect, UNLV’s football team overcame a 24-7 deficit Saturday to defeat Air Force and climb within one victory of playing for a conference title.
The UNLV football team made a late goal-line stand to defeat Air Force in a showdown of the teams tied for first place in the Mountain West.
Las Vegas handicapper Bruce Marshall is an analyst at VegasInsider.com. He provides the Review-Journal with college football tech notes and trends.
Senior linebacker Fred Thompkins played 88 snaps in UNLV’s wild win against Vanderbilt, leading the Rebels’ short-handed defense.
Harrison Bailey, who led UNLV to a rivalry win against UNR during the past season, is heading back to the transfer portal after a season with the Rebels.
UNLV must win out to achieve bowl eligibilty, starting Saturday night against Hawaii in Honolulu. The Rebels have lost five straight games after a 4-1 start.
Tate Martell, who was most recently a quarterback at UNLV, is retiring from football, an official UNLV spokesperson confirmed to the Review-Journal.
The Rebels (2-8, 2-4 Mountain West) will honor their seniors Friday against No. 19 San Diego State (9-1, 5-1) at Allegiant Stadium.
The Rebels have utilized multiple quarterbacks in all six of their games this season, with injuries disrupting their rhythm before they’re able to find it.
Starting a different quarterback for the third consecutive game, UNLV managed only 130 yards of offense against Iowa State on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.
The Rebels will return to Michigan on Sept. 9, 2023, and receive a school-record $1.5 million guarantee for the trip. They also played at Michigan in 2015.
— The Rebels won’t play at Colorado State on Saturday while the Raiders placed seven more defensive players on the COVID-19 list.
Four UNLV players tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in the first cancellation for the Rebels this season and the second for Colorado State.
For years, whispers have suggested power schools would form their own collegiate establishment by separating from the NCAA.