Dan Mullen era closes first regular season with statement win over Nevada

It has been a season to remember to kick off the Dan Mullen era at UNLV, and the Rebels saved their best for last.

On Saturday, the Rebels made a statement against their in-state rival Nevada, blowing out the Wolfpack 42-10 to silence Mackay Stadium and ensure the Fremont Cannon will remain red for the fourth straight year.

The Rebels imposed their will all game long, shutting down any opportunity for Nevada to get any sort of momentum going. It was an impressive performance to close out the season, and the Rebels now find themselves in a four-way tie for first in the Mountain West. Their fate now rests on the computers giving them an edge to compete in the conference title game.

Here is how the Rebels earned the right to remain in that conversation.

Jet engines go

The Rebels have often been able to dominate games when they have established a strong ground presence, and Jai’Den Thomas provided that in spades.

The junior running back put together arguably the best performance of the season against Nevada, consistently finding gaps and getting chunks of yardage any time he got the ball in his hands. He finished the game with 103 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries, as well as catching three receptions for 24 yards. Thomas has been one of the most consistent players on offense for the Rebels, and he proved exactly why he is so vital to their success.

Working out of trouble

Despite what the score says, this game did not go down as the cleanest for the Rebels by any measure.

The Rebels took 13 penalties during the game, which is certainly going to draw Mullen’s ire. However, the most telling stat was Anthony Colandrea throwing two interceptions, but Nevada being unable to score points on either one. Even when the Rebels made their mistakes, they doubled their efforts to ensure the Wolf Pack could not punish them.

Dictating the flow

One of the advantages of the Rebels jumping out to the lead was that they forced Nevada to face them on their terms, not the other way around.

Despite the Wolf Pack having success running the ball, the Rebels jumping out to a 28-3 lead before halftime ensured that they would have to beat them through the air. With only 148 passing yards on the night, the Wolf Pack could not rise to the challenge that the Rebels put in front of them. It was a performance expected from the Rebels defense: a few issues to address, but solid enough everywhere else to keep their fortunes good.

Now, the Rebels join the New Mexico Lobos, San Diego State Aztecs and Boise State Broncos to see who the metrics put into the Mountain West championship game, and who is waiting for their bowl assignments.