Championship rematch brewing as Boise State, UNLV top Mountain West poll

UNLV running back Jai’Den Thomas (9) carries the ball during practice at the Fertitta Football Complex at UNLV Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Photo by: Steve Marcus

The UNLV football team appears poised for another shot at the Mountain West championship, setting up a potential rematch with familiar foe Boise State — the team that has denied the Rebels a title the past two seasons.

Boise State enters as the overwhelming favorite, claiming the top spot in the preseason media poll announced this morning by the conference. The Broncos dominated the voting with 35 first-place votes, while UNLV earned second place with four first-place votes.

No other team among the league’s 12 schools received a single first-place vote, highlighting the perceived two-team race at the top. The rankings were unveiled during the league’s media days this week at Circa Las Vegas.

Both programs enter the season with significant changes.

Dan Mullen takes over as UNLV’s first-year coach after Barry Odom departed Las Vegas following two highly successful seasons. Under Odom’s guidance, the Rebels compiled a 19-8 record, including a breakthrough 10-win season in 2024 and a bowl victory.

That historic run established numerous school records, most notably UNLV’s first-ever appearance in the national top-25 rankings.

With the advantages of playing at the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium and boasting arguably the league’s premier on-campus practice facility, UNLV appears positioned to become a regular contender atop the conference standings. The Rebels also finished second in last year’s preseason poll.

The two programs will clash during the regular season in mid-October in Boise, then likely meet again in the league title game — at least according to the preseason projections.

For UNLV, a victory over the Broncos would complete their rise to conference prominence and potentially beyond. Boise State reached the College Football Playoff last season, a spot that could have belonged to UNLV with a championship game victory.

Mullen managed to retain several key players from the previous regime, headlined by junior running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas and senior linebacker Marsel McDuffie. Both earned spots on today’s preseason All-Mountain West team.

Thomas, who ranks ninth in program history with 19 touchdowns, rushed for 918 yards last season. McDuffie tallied 46 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss, in nine games.

Boise State dominated the preseason honors with 10 players selected, including offensive lineman Kage Casey, defensive lineman Jayden Virgin-Morgan and linebacker Marco Notarainni — all first-team, all-league selections in 2024.

The Broncos return quarterback Maddux Madsen but face a significant void after losing star running back Ashton Jeanty to the NFL Draft and Las Vegas Raiders. Jeanty torched UNLV for 209 rushing yards in last year’s title game, underscoring the challenge that awaits both teams in their quest for conference supremacy.