UNLV head coach Dan Mullen is well aware of what his Rebels are facing this weekend.
New Mexico heads to Las Vegas on Saturday. The Lobos bring with them a roster of former FCS all-stars who have evolved into a force in the Mountain West under former Idaho head coach Jason Eck.
Mullen knows three of those transfers – Damon Bankston, Scottre Humphrey, and DJ McKinney – have formed one of the conference’s most lethal backfields. Mullen knows the Lobos have a couple of young, talented tight ends in Dorian Thomas and Cade Keith.
He also knows what really drives the bus in New Mexico. Mullen said Monday that it’s the Lobos’ defense, which ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West against the run (119.6 yards a game allowed).
“They have the ability to cause you problems,” Mullen said during his weekly press conference. “They’re very sound, and they’re big and physical.”
Mullen said he’s been particularly impressed with the leader of the Lobos’ defense, linebacker Jaxton Eck, who followed his father to New Mexico after also playing for him at Idaho. The 6-foot-1, 224-pound junior leads the Lobos and ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West with 82 tackles and 10.3 tackles a game.
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“When you sit and say, ‘Boy, their middle linebacker is like a coach on the field,’ well he kind of is,” Mullen said. “He’s a coach’s son, sitting right there in the middle getting it all directed and lined up and everybody where they need to be.”
New Mexico’s defense helped the Lobos (5-3, 2-2 Mountain West) knock off Utah State 33-14 last week. The Lobos held Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes to 164 yards through the air and four on the ground, they sacked him three times, and they intercepted one pass.
UNLV (6-1, 2-1) is coming off a bye week following a disappointing performance in a 56-31 loss at Boise State, but Jason Eck knows they’re still a dangerous team. In particular, he said the Lobos are going to have their hands full against former Virginia starter Anthony Colandrea, who he called one of the best quarterbacks in the Mountain West. Colandrea is completing 67% of his passes, and he has thrown for 1,618 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He’s also No. 2 at UNLV with 410 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s a great athlete, he’s got a strong arm, and he’s accurate,” Eck said. “He’s very fast. With Colandrea, if you’re going to spy him, it better not be a D-lineman because I don’t think they can catch him.”
New Mexico vs. UNLV Betting Odds
UNLV is a 3.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 61.5 points. The moneyline is at -185 for UNLV and +150 for New Mexico.
UNLV leaves the all-time series 15-12, and the Rebels have won their past three meetings, including a 56-14 victory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2023.
UNLV is 17-3 overall and 10-10 against the spread in its past 20 regular season games as the favorite at home. New Mexico is 4-16 overall and 8-12 ATS in its past 20 regular season games as an underdog on the road.
New Mexico vs. UNLV On TV
The Mountain West football game between UNLV and New Mexico at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be televised on the Mountain West Network.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
New Mexico vs. UNLV Prediction
I predict UNLV wins 34-31.
UNLV really needs a comeback game after it was dominated by Boise State. The Broncos were physically superior, plain and simple. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and beat UNLV to the punch at every turn.
I don’t think the Rebels will get pushed around the same way against New Mexico, but the Lobos have a running game that can give teams all kinds of problems. Just ask UCLA.
I think New Mexico is going to move the ball and keep this game close, but even with the way its defense is playing, I don’t think it can stop this UNLV offense for four quarters. I expect Colandrea and running back Jai’Den Thomas to put the team on their backs and carry it to a win.
