Thank god UNLV Rebels head coach Dan Mullen‘s tables did not turn. Just a few days back, he was pointing fingers at Jeff Lebby and how his former program, Mississippi State, has gone out of the habit of winning. Mullen and his boys proved themselves again as they crushed the Idaho State Bengals 38-31. And what better boost than winning the opening game? One can already see the pride in Mullen’s voice. 

The Rebels’ head coach faced the media right after the game, pulled down the curtains. Last season, too, UNLV could bring home a victory by defeating Houston in a 27-7 heroic feat. However, this time Mullen’s boys did not cruise to victory; rather, it was a close call. Now, they have marked themselves safe from embarrassment. So, what is Mullen saying?

Brandon Steele posted a picture from Mullen’s post-game interview on X. “If you ain’t jumping up and down and celebrating you’re playing the wrong game. Because our team won,” said the head coach with a pumped up chest. The most recent matchup between the UNLV Rebels and Idaho State Bengals occurred on August 27, 2022. And no brownie points for guessing who bagged the winner’s crown? Even though Mullen was not there, under Marcus Arroyo, UNLV dominated a 52-21 victory at Allegiant Stadium. Prior to that, their last meeting was on September 26, 2015, when UNLV eked out an even more lopsided win, 80–8. And who claimed the spotlight in this season’s Mullen rage?

It took the Rebels one running back and one game to be the star of the show. That’s none other than Jai’Den Thomas. Mullen already knows that he will be on the steering wheel of the UNLV ship this season. Last season, UNLV gifted fans 11 wins. After Odom was gone, fans might have been a little skeptical about Mullen. But thank god for Thomas, the running back finished the afternoon with 147 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. But it has not been an easy win for Mullen’s program.

Idaho State, a Big Sky team that has gone 8–15 over the last two seasons under coach Cody Hawkins, had taken a 10-0 lead after scoring the game’s first touchdown on a tremendous trick play. Idaho State quarterback Jordan Cooke used a creative, deceptive play to score and threw a backward pass to WR Michael Shulikov, who further threw it back across the field. The end result? Mullen’s program had a heartbreak moment when the rival quarterback had a clear path to the end zone for a touchdown.

That’s how the Rebels took a beating at the hands of the Bengals. They gave up too many explosive plays. Other than Cooke, their FCS opponent running back Dason Brooks ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. However, as they finally earned a close victory, what about Mullen’s quarterbacks, who has also been the gamechangers?  

Dan Mullen’s verdict on quarterbacks after an early victory sets the tone 

UNLV and Idaho State were tied at 31 in the fourth quarter. Mullen’s linebacker Marsel McDuffie pounced in to catch a pass thrown by Idaho State’s quarterback, stopping their drive and giving the ball back to UNLV. That’s when Alex Orji made the best out of the golden opportunity on the turnover by scoring a touchdown, which allowed them to take the lead in the game. Well, better late than never. 

On the other hand, Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea threw for 195 yards to go with 93 yards rushing. He was the one who tied the game for Mullen’s UNLV with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Daejon Reynolds. Later on, Michigan transfer Orji scored on an 11-yard run on fourth-and-one, giving UNLV a 38-31 lead. Now, is Mullen happy with his quarterbacks?

During the post-game press conference, Mullen could finally let out a big sigh of relief. He was easy on both Orji and Colandrea, who were experiencing their first game in this system. So some mistakes were expected. The head coach shared, “The quarterbacks played pretty well. There are a couple of things we missed. And a couple of things situation. For both of them, that was their first game playing in this. A couple of things that I got a get with them if I can give them a bad call.…”

Dan Mullen continued, “Our guys were asked them to do things, tried putting them in a good situation as they go learn, but the exception of the fumble and the end zone buyouts, I think the quarterbacks played exceptionally well in their first game running for us.” With a daunting stretch ahead featuring UCLA, Miami, and Boise State, Mullen’s opening triumph might just fuel their journey.