It’s 1 of the things that makes UNLV’s shot docket truthful tricky successful the beginning.
Following a Week 0 nonaccomplishment to Memphis, the Rebels play their adjacent 3 games distant from Allegiant Stadium.
It’s a pugnacious agelong that begins with a Mountain West opener astatine Hawaii connected Saturday. A rivalry crippled to which the victor goes the Island Showdown Trophy — a Vegas-style golden pineapple.
From there, UNLV travels to North Texas and Akron earlier returning location against Cal connected Oct. 3.
“I’ve been to Hawaii doubly successful my life,” UNLV manager Dan Mullen said. “I emotion the island. Travel is the travel. We person a crippled connected the East Coast (at Akron connected Sept. 26) aboriginal this season. It’s not casual to triumph connected the road. We’re going into a challenging environment, a rivalry game. It’s going to beryllium a raucous crowd.
“The cardinal for america is we got a crippled nether our belts past week and person immoderate veterans astatine cardinal positions that person played successful roadworthy games. It starts with the backmost being comfy and some our guys person played successful raucous environments successful their careers.”
He speaks of Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji, the erstwhile receiving each the snaps but 2 against Memphis.
Arnold surely had the numbers that spoke of a coagulated outing, throwing for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns portion rushing for 54 much and a score.
“I deliberation helium played truly well, managed america truly good passim the game,” Mullen said. “There’s a mates of things you’ll ever perceive maine accidental astir a backmost and determination making that could person been better. A mates reads possibly that could person been quicker.
“The Memphis defence is precise antithetic from ours schematically and Jackson got a mates reps against that look successful practice. If it was similar 300 (reps), helium mightiness person made quicker reads. But, overall, I thought helium played truly good from commencement to finish.”
Is determination a accidental Orji plays much against Hawaii?
“We’re putting the gameplan successful close present but if helium does, I emotion Alex retired there,” Mullen said. “The 1 happening is there’s a batch of assurance from the coaches and squad successful Alex. But I don’t cognize wherever the gameplan is close now.”
Boyd update
Starting halfway Austin Boyd went down with what appeared to beryllium an injured ankle successful the 4th fourth against Memphis. From there, the beforehand struggled protecting Arnold.
The Tigers had 4 sacks aft Boyd near the game. UNLV totaled minus-14 yards connected 12 plays with him connected the sidelines.
“When you suffer that benignant of player, a person connected the violative enactment … He had an MRI and I’m inactive waiting connected the results of that,” Mullen said. “But our backup guys person played successful games and they’ve played successful roadworthy environments before.”
CFP oregon no?
Even successful Week 0, immoderate tabbed the UNLV-Memphis matchup arsenic a College Football Playoff elimination crippled for the Group of 6 berth. Mullen isn’t disquieted astir specified things.
“We’re surely successful the premix for that, arsenic is everyone successful America,” helium said. “Only the (selection committee) knows what’s going on. You could spell 13-0 and not get in. We power the Mountain West championship. That’s ever our focus. If you had to enactment connected goals of wins and losses, winning the Mountain West is the 1 we power and that’s precise overmuch wrong our deal.
“If you inquire maine what our squad extremity is, it’s to beryllium a amended squad astatine the extremity of the twelvemonth than the beginning. That has ever been my goal. If you bash that, you thin to person a very, very, precise palmy season.”
Defensive evaluation
One country UNLV needs to amended connected from past play is its defense. But for 2 costly explosive plays for touchdowns successful the 27-21 nonaccomplishment to Memphis, Mullen believes that broadside of the shot held up.
“I mean, ‘happy’ is simply a hard word,” helium said. “I thought we played bully defense. I don’t deliberation we played great. There are areas we request to beryllium amended at. I thought we tackled truly good successful the unfastened field. But they took 5 heavy shots and were 3 of 5, hitting 1 for a touchdown and getting 2 (pass interference) calls. That’s wherever we request to beryllium better, winning those battles.”
Contact Ed Graney astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney connected X.
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