UNLV ended its season with a tough loss, falling 17-10 to Ohio in the Frisco Bowl. Winning this bowl game would have been a major boost for Dan Mullen in his debut season, especially with the Rebels coming off last year’s victory against California in the LA Bowl. But this time, the setback left Mullen and his staff unable to calm the locker room.

UNLV’s offensive struggles, especially in the first half, played a big role in the loss against the Bobcats. Probably that’s why the frustration of the offensive line’s left tackle, Will Thomas, was clearly visible in a video clip, where UNLV’s O-line coach had to step in to calm him down.

“UNLV O-line coach Mike Sollenne trying to calm down LT Will Thomas rolling into the locker room,” wrote FOX5 Las Vegas’ sports reporter Paloma Villican, sharing that clip.

The frustration came after UNLV trailed 6-0 at halftime. Considering that, while the first-half struggles were clear, it marked the first time all season that the Rebels were shut out in the first half. Basically, they struggled with turnovers, including a lost fumble near Ohio’s end zone and an interception thrown by QB Anthony Colandrea.

Although UNLV had a chance to snatch the game before halftime, with a first down on the Bobcats’ 33-yard line and 32 seconds left, they were unable to score. But DJ Walker had other plans, and he intercepted Colandrea’s pass in the end zone, sealing the 6-0 win and crushing the Rebels’ comeback hopes.

The frustration could only grow for UNLV, as Ohio secured the victory under defensive coordinator and interim head coach John Hauser. On the flip side, despite having a head coach, the Rebels missed opportunities that ultimately cost them the game. Now, while the Bobcats notched their seventh straight bowl win, the Rebels fell to 10-4.

Although they showed flashes of brilliance in the second half, it wasn’t enough to take down the Bobcats. Sieh Bangura powered Ohio with 149 rushing yards and a touchdown, playing a huge role in the win. And now, the result only left Dan Mullen’s locker room heated afterward.

But before kickoff, Rebels QB Colandrea and LB Marsel McDuffie had already made it clear how important this bowl game was for them.

“I would say just everyone wants to play. Like, the biggest thing is just getting this last win, last game of the season. The biggest takeaway is just all the guys just want to play and go get a win,” said Colandrea.

“You know, we have a chance to do something real historic. And everyone’s bought into that,” said McDuffie. “And they bought into that. And like Coach Mullen said his team, they love, enjoy playing ball, playing together. And we have the opportunity to go do that tomorrow night. That’s just what it’s about.”

A win in the Frisco Bowl would have given UNLV 11 victories in back-to-back seasons, a first in program history. Instead, the Rebels failed to show their best against Ohio and walked away with a loss. But the head coach took everything on himself.

Dan Mullen’s take after the team’s bowl game loss

UNLV’s season ended the hard way as the Rebels fell to Ohio in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl, undone by mistakes they couldn’t escape.

While a scoreless first half told the story, by halftime, UNLV trailed 6–0, and the hole only got deeper as Ohio struck again and rode its defense to a seventh straight bowl win. However, the Rebels did fight back.

Ramon Villela drilled a UNLV bowl-record 50-yard field goal to open the second half. Later, Anthony Colandrea powered in from two yards out on fourth down, cutting the deficit to one score.

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But that was as close as it got. UNLV never saw the ball again with a chance to tie it, falling short of a historic 11-win season despite reaching a third straight bowl for the first time in program history.

Still, after the loss, Dan Mullen owned it.

“I didn’t do a good enough job of preparing us for this game,” said the head coach. “That’s on me.”

He credited Ohio for executing its plan and admitted his team didn’t. But Mullen kept his eyes forward.

“We’re going to continue to grow, continue to build, and continue to raise that standard,” said Mullen.

Surely, it was a tough night in Frisco for the Rebels, but not the end of the vision.