The UNLV Rebels will attempt to get off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 1999. The Rebels host the Utah Tech Trailblazers (formerly Dixie State) from St. George, Utah, in the home opener Saturday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium. The contest will be the first time the two schools have squared off.
The Rebels are coming off an impressive road win over Houston while Utah Tech dropped their home opener 31-7 against FCS power Montana State. The UNLV defense allowed only 247 yards while the Trailblazers were limited to only six first downs and 176 yards of total offense in their loss.
On paper, it's nothing short of a mismatch. UNLV should have little difficulty in disposing the Trailblazers. Although UNLV was on the ugly side of being the heaviest favorite to lose a game outright - the Rebels lost 43-40 as a 45 point favorite against Howard in 2017 - the program is under a different mindset with head coach Barry Odom.
Given the defensive performance of the Rebels and the Trailblazers inability to move the ball, it should be a game where everyone gets on the field and the Rebels can focus on shoring some of the offensive issues in week one, namely penalties and efficiency in the red zone.
With UNLV heading to Kansas City for a big game against Kansas next week, it would be surprising for UNLV to go anything but vanilla on the offensive side. Quarterback Matthew Sluka will get a chance to gain more familiarity with his receiving corps, a unit which was used lightly against Houston, as well as more finely tune the read-pass option aspect of the offense. It may also give UNLV a chance to use Haj-Malik Williams, who had been neck and neck with Sluka all summer long. Given that Sluka runs for hard yards, keeping Williams sharp is a necessity.
Defensively, the Rebel secondary has yet to be tested. UNLV's intense pressure on Houston quarterback Donovan Smith left little time for downfield reads. The game should allow UNLV to grab more time for some of the younger defensive players like linebackers Melvin Laster and Charles Correa.
The Rebels couldn't have asked for much more in week one against Houston. In week two, with the win a certainty, the best the Rebels can hope for is team building, becoming sharper on both sides of the ball and escaping the game without injury. The Rebels will need to bring their best to beat Kansas the following week.
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024
KICKOFF: 12 pm PT
SITE: Allegiant Stadium (65,000/Artificial) Las Vegas
TV: SSSEN/MW Network
RADIO: ESPN 1100 AM & 100.9 FM
ONLINE: Mountain West Network
TICKETS: (702) 739-FANS or UNLVTickets.com
