Three takeaways from UNLV’s 38-31 dogfight win over Idaho State

LAS VEGAS—The Dan Mullen era for the UNLV Rebels did not get off to the flying start they anticipated, but they do start on the right foot.

On Saturday, the Rebels got their 2025 season started with a 38-31 victory over the Idaho State Bengals at Allegiant Stadium.

The Rebels get their season started with a 1-0 record, although their performance in this game doe s raise some questions.

Here are some of the takeaways from a game that was far more competitive than expected for the Rebels.

The Jet takes flight

It took only one game for running back Jai’Den Thomas to establish himself as the best player UNLV has this season.

Thomas broke out for explosive plays on the ground regularly, including touchdown runs of 39 and 70 runs in the second quarter. He finished the afternoon with 147 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. With Thomas as an explosive home run threat, Mullen has someone he can rely on to score points in a hurry.

Defense cause for concern

Whether it was du e to a lack of chemistry or Idaho State being more explosive than anticipated, the Rebels defense took a beating against the Bengals.

They allowed far too many explosive plays, giving their FCS opponent the opportunity to pull off the upset. Bengals quarterback Jordan Cooke threw for 380 yards and a touchdown, while running back Dason Brooks ran for 132 yards and two touchdown on 18 carries. With a short week of practice ahead, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is going to have a lot on his plate getting his group right.

Locking in late

Despite all of the issues throughout the game, the Rebels were able to get things going when they needed to the most.

Tied at 31 in the fourth quarter, linebacker Marsel McDuffie intercepted a pass to start a UNLV drive in Bengals territory, ending in an Alex Orji 11-yard touchdown run to take the lead. Another fourth-quarter interception did not end in points, and the Bengals were given one more shot to tie the game. However, a critical sack on second down by McDuffie lead to a call for intentional grounding, and the Rebels defense was able to lock in and give the offense the chance to ice the game.