UNLV football, fresh off bye, looks to stay perfect at Miami (Ohio)
OXFORD, Ohio — Emotion is such a big part of football. The highs and lows of it.
But that doesn’t always translate on a weekly basis. Sometimes, you need to find motivation in different ways.
UNLV shouldn’t have that issue.
It has too much to play for.
The Rebels (3-0) continue their perfect season against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday at Yager Stadium.
It’s a tricky game. Miami is better than its 0-2 record, having dropped road games to Big Ten opponents Wisconsin and Rutgers. The RedHawks are a season removed from playing for the Mid-American Conference championship.
You knew the Rebels would get up for their season opener against Idaho State. You knew they would get up for the first road game at Sam Houston.
You absolutely knew they would get up for a home date with UCLA.
But then came last week’s bye, the first of three for UNLV this season. It’s weird. Would the Rebels have preferred to keep playing given how well things have gone? Or did the pause come at a good spot?
Catch their breath
“I don’t think the bye came at a bad time,” first-year coach Dan Mullen said. “You’re talking about a full training camp and three games. It gave us the opportunity to catch our breath.
“The team is starting to settle down and know each other and get into a routine. We know how to prepare. We have been on a plane to travel. I think they’re getting more comfortable with the process.”
Mullen had his players practice early in the morning this week to ready their body clocks for a 9 a.m. PT kickoff. It has been a consistent theme for the Rebels, preparing for the different times they will play.
Mullen’s team also welcomed the time off, days to regroup and correct mistakes and recover.
“It can be a really long season,” defensive back Jake Pope said. “I’m glad we have these bye weeks to get ready for the next game.”
Be sure of this: The Rebels know how much potential the RedHawks have.
It begins with senior quarterback Dequan Finn, who was named the MAC’s MVP in 2023 at Toledo before transferring to Baylor and then Miami.
“A dynamic player,” Mullen said. “Arm talent, can run and make you miss. They have great speed at wideout. They don’t do a lot, but what they do, they do really well. Very well coached, tough, disciplined.
“Their season maybe hasn’t started the way they wanted, but last year was very similar. They started slow, and all of a sudden they went on a win streak and ended up in the championship game. I think their guys will look at this as being a big game that turns things around and gets their season off and running in their home opener.”
UNLV will have to take a step forward defensively to contain the RedHawks. The Rebels rank 121st of 136 FBS teams in total defense, giving up 438 yards per game.
They insist things have gotten better each week. That open-field tackling and communication are much improved since that 38-31 win against Idaho State on Aug. 23.
There are still missed assignments. Still big plays allowed. But the Rebels have been stellar on third down, allowing the 12th-lowest conversion rate in the FBS (23.7 percent).
Remaining perfect
“A lot of it comes from guys understanding what their job is,” Mullen said. “It might be not to make a play. You might not be there to make a tackle but to turn the play back for somebody else. It’s those little things that come from experience.”
The first of three byes are behind them, and the Rebels now face what could be a tricky game. They’re 2½-point favorites against a team that’s better than its record indicates.
But UNLV shouldn’t have any trouble getting up for this game. Shouldn’t have a problem finding enough emotion.
The desire to remain perfect is a strong one.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.