Akron presents UNLV with another test after North Texas loss

Following a disappointing blowout loss to North Texas two weeks ago, UNLV will look to regroup Saturday when it travels to face the Akron Zips in the final nonconference road game of the season. The Rebels enter the matchup coming off their first bye week of 2026 before returning home for the first time since their season‑opening loss to the Memphis Tigers in back‑to‑back games. Akron, which has dropped two contests this year against Power Four opponents, has nonetheless impressed UNLV head coach Dan Mullen with its talent on both sides of the ball. “Obviously a pugnacious opponent,” Mullen said. “Going to play Akron and you spot them, they’ve mislaid 2 games to 2 bully Power 4 teams. You tin spot the physicality they person with a large clip antiaircraft line, truly bully linebackers, large athletes connected the backmost extremity and different bully quarterback. He got a small banged up past week, but the backup comes successful and is astur apt conscionable arsenic good. So going to beryllium a immense situation for our guys this week against a truly bully shot team.” The starting quarterback Mullen references is freshman Cibastian Broughton, who leads the MAC in completion percentage at 80.3 percent on 66 attempts. That figure also ranks among the top five nationally, placing Broughton alongside quarterbacks such as Georgia’s Gunnar Stockton and Miami’s Darian Mensah, as well as USC’s former Rebel Jayden Maiava, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. Broughton has thrown for 380 yards and four touchdowns while adding 170 rushing yards on 30 carries. Akron has also rotated sophomore Brayden Roggow into the mix in each of its first three games. The second‑year signal‑caller has thrown for 231 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Zips another option if Broughton is unable to play or sees limited action on Saturday. In addition to Akron’s passing attack, the UNLV defense must account for running back Jordan Gant, who returns after earning All‑MAC honors last season when he rushed for 1,032 yards and six touchdowns. Gant will be a key part of an Akron offense that employs RPOs (run‑pass options) to create extra rushing lanes while using the run to set up the passing game, forcing defenses to make the correct read and tackle efficiently. “You tin tally to acceptable up the walk oregon walk to acceptable up the tally and the bulk of teams you’re going to play they’re going to tally to acceptable up the pass,” Mullen said. “They bash a large occupation and their tally to acceptable up the walk is simply a batch of RPO worldly that they do. They’re gonna effort to person the cleanable play called each azygous clip truthful we got to bash a large occupation of tackling.” That will be an especially important focus for the Rebels after a deficient defensive showing against North Texas, in which they missed 29 total tackles, including seven on a single play. The Zips are led by head coach Joe Moorhead, who has been at the helm since 2021. Moorhead previously spent two seasons as head coach at Mississippi State from 2018‑19. Mullen views the matchup as the start of another lengthy stretch in the season as the Rebels continue their push toward a first Mountain West title in program history and a fourth consecutive Mountain West championship appearance. “This is starting the 2nd 4th of the season, if you will,” Mullen said. “We had a three-game tally and we got a break, past we’ll person a four-game run, and get a break, and past a five-game run, truthfully it’s benignant of building. Obviously, we’ve got to find ways to get amended and hopefully find a mode to get a triumph and support gathering towards our goals of being a amended shot squad at the extremity of the twelvemonth than at the opening of the year.” Akron’s combination of an efficient backfield and an RPO‑heavy offense will give the Rebels another test as they seek to bounce back from the North Texas loss and push back to .500 on the season. Kickoff for UNLV’s Week 4 matchup is set for 9 a.m. PT on Saturday, with the game streaming live on ESPN+.