LAS VEGAS—It was fitting that a Halloween night in Las Vegas would see the football equivalent of a slasher movie play out.
Offense was the rule of the night for the UNLV Rebels, who managed to avoid an upset at the hands of a persistent Northern Illinois Huskies team with a 31-24 victory to keep their Mountain West championship hopes alive.
The statistic that stands out like a sore thumb is clear to spot: the offenses for both teams were absolute juggernauts.
Totaling nearly a thousand yards of total offense between them, UNLV and Northern Illinois wasted no time in getting the ball down the field. Both quarterbacks threw for over 250 yards, and both teams boasted a rusher and receiver who eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
It created the sense of a game that was beyond all control, which is never a good feeling for any coach to have.
"We made a lot of big plays that we needed to to win the game. We also made a lot of critical errors," said UNLV head coach Dan Mullen as he critiqued the game in the postgame presser.
"As we know, in this conference, its margin for error is really small. You got to play really well every single week and, if you don't, if you make some critical errors that we made, don't be shocked with how the game goes and the result of the game."
Needless to say, UNLV defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is going to be a busy man over the next week, particularly in shoring up the run defense.
Northern Illinois put up 493 total yards of offense up on the Rebels, including 240 yards on the ground alone. Elijah Porter would lead the Huskies with 113 rushing yards on 21 carries, while Telly Johnson Jr. would add 72 yards and a score on the ground.
Coming off of the heels of a game against Air Force where the Rebels gave up 430 rushing yards, the back-to-back weeks of struggles containing the ground game certainly has to be high on the priority list for UNLV as they head into the final month of the regular season.
"We got to play better. We got to be better up front defensively," said Mullen on how they can address the run defense.
While the Rebels did have their share of struggles in the passing game (receiver George Dimopoulos finished with 127 yards and a score on seven receptions), UNLV would manage to respond with an aerial attack of their own.
Despite throwing two interceptions (one of which on a 50/50 ball that Taz Reddicks was unable to come down with), Rebels quarterback Jackson Arnold was able to put together an efficient outing with 264 passing yards and three touchdowns, as well as adding 86 yards on the ground. The first play of the game was Arnold uncorking a 75-yard shot to Kayden McGee, and the receiver ended the day with 112 yards on four receptions as the Rebels put together a more balanced offense.
Meanwhile, Jai'Den Thomas was able to put together one of his best games of the season with 114 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, including a 60-yard scamper that gave the Rebels some breathing room.
"It's a testament to my O-line, just them giving me [sic] an opportunity just for me to be patient and just listening to coaches on certain plays and, when I see the hole, just hit it," said Thomas on his play.
However, when both offenses finally quieted down a little, it was the Rebels who came away with the big plays in the fourth quarter.
When the Huskies put together a drive in the red zone, Mumu Bin-Wahad would secure an interception that allowed UNLV to preserve their lead. The play was the cornerback's fourth interception of the season, tying him for second in the Mountain West behind North Dakota State's Marion Moore.
Then, on the final plays of the game, Arnold and Thomas were able to combine to run the ball down the field, forcing Northern Illinois to burn its timeouts and ultimately secure the win for the Rebels.
"Those are the plays," said Mullen on his team's play in the big moments. "Those are the things that those guys make are winning football plays."
With both positives and negatives to build on, the Rebels now prepare for the November stretch, starting with another stay at Allegiant Stadium against the Wyoming Cowboys next Saturday.
