UNLV looks for improvement in 2nd game after struggling in opener

HOUSTON — Senior center Reid Williams says there is a lot of new to UNLV’s football team. New faces. New teammates. New plays.

It all might have had something to do with the Rebels struggling to beat Football Championship Subdivision opponent Idaho State 38-31 in their season opener.

But it can’t continue, he said.

Williams is the leader of a rebuilt offensive line, a player who is sure the Rebels will be better in their second game when they play Sam Houston on Friday at Shell Energy Stadium.

“It’s a huge game because it’s our first FBS game and a time to prove ourselves,” Williams said. “It will really test us as a team. Everybody is going to make mistakes. It’s how you handle them that’s important. We preach it every day — just handle adversity the right way.”

UNLV did so against Idaho State and is a 10-point favorite against the Bearkats. It’s a cliche of sorts, the idea that a team will be better its second time out in a season than its first.

Sometimes.

Need to improve

Dan Mullen said it’s mostly scheduling based. That when the UNLV coach was running programs at Mississippi State and Florida, it all depended on what level of opponent you might have engaged those first few weeks.

But he also knows this: His team must be better.

“We’ll need to see big improvements,” Mullen said. “I just think I’d like to see us better with the whole routine, every aspect of the game. Getting into situations and going out and performing. That’s going to be the biggest thing I want to see.”

Mostly, he has talked to players about merely doing their jobs. That they don’t need to make spectacular plays for the Rebels to succeed.

Mullen specifically mentioned a 39-yard touchdown run by Jai’Den Thomas against Idaho State. About how a special result was hardly sprung by special efforts.

“That was just about 11 guys doing their jobs,” Mullen said, “We kind of covered up people and blocked, and (Thomas) hit the hole and didn’t trip or fall down and the quarterback kept his fake going. Just trust the system. A lot of our mistakes that game came when 10 guys did their job and one missed. All of a sudden, it’s a big error.”

The Rebels will face a Sam Houston team that lost its opener 41-24 against Western Kentucky. The Bearkats went 10-3 last season, but have 58 new players on the roster.

Sam Houston’s home games this season have been moved to the professional soccer facility of Shell Energy because of major renovations at Bowers Stadium in Huntsville.

“UNLV is long and has athletes, and talentwise is very comparable to who we just played,” Sam Houston coach Phil Longo said. “This will be an athletic challenge for our team. What impressed me the most about UNLV is it answered the call (against Idaho State) in the end. They did what they needed to do to win the game. They had juice and energy and stuff left in the tank.

“(Mullen’s) teams typically mirror his personality, which means they’re tough and hard-nosed and physical and well prepared. I know his brand of football. I’ve studied his stuff and have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I know they’ll be prepared and well coached.”

Fixable mistakes

UNLV still needs to improve. It struggled tackling in the open field against Idaho State. Things were slow along the defensive line. The Rebels got behind the chains too often and were out of rhythm. They surrendered far too many explosive plays. There were missed assignments.

But they’re also coachable mistakes.

All of them are fixable.

“A win is a win,” Williams said. “That game taught us where we need to get better. That was the most valuable part of it. But a win is a win, and we move forward.”

To their first road game.

Against a better opponent than Idaho State.

It will be hot and humid, and the Rebels probably will again need something left in the tank.

In short, they need to be better in all phases.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.