Rested Rebels ready for ‘challenge’ of Mountain West opener in Wyoming

That’s what UNLV’s football team is discovering coming off its second bye week of the season. The Rebels open Mountain West play at Wyoming on Saturday. That kicks off a stretch of eight conference games in nine weeks.

Eight games for the Rebels to prove they’re capable of returning to the league championship game for a third straight year.

“Having been around the Mountain West, I think it’s about a bunch of hungry little teams that are striving to prove themselves, striving to get into the big leagues, striving to compete against the biggest of the biggest,” defensive lineman Lucas Conti said. “I would consider ourselves among that group and one of the teams trying to get there and get to the top.

“At the end of the day, it’s about where we finish, right? Who wants it more, who wants to get to those games at the end of the year that really matter.”

It all begins in Laramie, Wyoming.

The Cowboys are 2-2. They’re also the second-best scoring defense in the conference, allowing 18.75 points per game.

Something will have to give here. UNLV (4-0) is third among Mountain West teams in scoring offense, averaging 36.75 points per game.

Again, it’s about the preparation a bye affords you.

Wyoming also had last week off.

“I think we utilized our time wisely,” UNLV coach Dan Mullen said. “This is a very different setup than we went through already with two bye weeks and non-conference games. Our guys have taken the right approach that will allow us a set schedule week in and week out going forward.

“(Wyoming) is going to be a challenge for us. We’re going to have to execute and play clean for four quarters. If we have some of the hiccups we’ve had during the season, they’re going to shut us down. They’re that talented. We’re going to have to be consistent and perform.”

Mullen likes the fact that his team has kept its composure in games, no matter what the scoreboard reads. The Rebels were down 14 points three different times at Miami (Ohio) before rallying for a 41-38 victory Sept. 20.

He wants to see continued growth and improvement each week on both sides of the ball.

“We’ve only had four games of running our offense and defense for everybody on our roster, which isn’t a lot of experience,” Mullen said. “We have to play much better against Wyoming than we did Miami if we expect to win the game. That gets back into continued growth throughout a season.

“We’ve been pretty fortunate that we’ve overcome mistakes and found ways to win. To say our goal is to play a perfect game, I don’t know if that exists. But it’s our goal to achieve it in all three phases. I like good football. So if we play really well, we can expect to win. If we make a lot of mistakes, you’re probably not in a position to.”

Thin air?

Laramie is 7,165 feet above sea level.

It can get pretty difficult to catch one’s breath at times.

UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea is doing everything he can to prepare himself and teammates for the conditions come Saturday.

“I got myself and the running backs and wide receivers some elevation masks that we’ll run with after practice this week to get adjusted,” Colandrea said.

Added Conti: “I’m sure our defensive coaches will be having us do some pursuit drills this week to get us ready for the elevation. We’re just excited to get everything rolling and prepare for the week.”

Road warriors

UNLV has reason to be confident as it heads to Wyoming.

The Rebels have eight road wins since the beginning of last season, the most by any FBS team. BYU, Oregon and Tulane are second with seven each.

So good things happen for UNLV when it’s away from home.

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