Las Vegas Review-Journal reporters and editors have made their picks for UNLV’s home game against North Dakota State on Saturday, calling it the toughest game to pick thus far in the Rebels’ season. The Bison enter the matchup as a 3-point road favorite and remain undefeated after five games, boasting one of the nation’s top defenses.
Despite UNLV finding offensive rhythm in their past two games and earning conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for Jackson Arnold, the Review-Journal staff concludes that North Dakota State’s top-ranked defense will be too much for the Rebels to overcome. The Bison have won 10 national championships since 2011 and are 2-0 in Mountain West play.
UNLV will need to be nearly perfect on both sides of the ball to have a chance, especially with the Bison bringing a large contingent of fans from across North Dakota to Allegiant Stadium. The game marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams at the Las Vegas venue.
While UNLV showed defensive strength in their recent win over Cal, stopping the opponent three times on fourth down, and benefited from a special teams fake punt that sparked a scoring drive, the consensus among local journalists is that North Dakota State’s experience and defensive dominance will prevail in the homecoming matchup.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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