UNLV will try to hand undefeated North Dakota State its first loss of the season Saturday when the teams meet for the first time at Allegiant Stadium. One team will leave Allegiant Stadium with its first loss in Mountain West play on Saturday when UNLV hosts undefeated North Dakota State in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
The Bison (5-0, 2-0) are coming off a 28-0 rout over Wyoming for the team’s first conference win since leaving the Football Championship Subdivision’s Missouri Valley Conference in the offseason. They are one of 15 remaining undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. NDSU’s defense held the Cowboys to 162 yards of offense and was led by linebacker Donovan Woolen, who recorded a team-high nine tackles, a sack and an interception on the first play of the game and was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Rebels quarterback Jackson Arnold, meanwhile, propelled UNLV (3-2, 1-0) to a 39-31 home victory over Cal and was named this week’s Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after finishing 11-for-22 on attempts with three passing touchdowns. Rebels coach Dan Mullen said he is unsure whether the Bison have a weakness his team could exploit. But, he said, UNLV will need to find some against a team that has emerged as an early contender for the Mountain West.
Bison coach Tim Polasek said on Tuesday his team’s game plan will be centered around containing Arnold, who leads the Mountain West with 13 total touchdowns and is second in the conference with eight touchdowns through the air and a 146.4 pass efficiency rating, behind only NDSU’s Nathan Hayes. Polasek said redshirt freshman running back Myles Mitchell, who has rushed for 214 yards in four games and did not play against Wyoming due to an ankle injury, is probable for Saturday.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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