Dan Mullen kept running the ball against North Dakota State because the Bison were protecting against the throws that had hurt Cal. UNLV gained ground with Jai’Den Thomas and Jackson Arnold, then spent the second half protecting field position while its defense held a six-point lead.
The Rebels won 13-7 without an offensive touchdown. Their 178 rushing yards helped them reach scoring range twice after halftime, but a fumble, a delay-of-game penalty and an incomplete pass kept the shorter of those possessions out of the end zone.
“They’re trying to take away shots down the field,” Mullen said Monday. “So we wanted to commit to the run a little bit in the second half.”
Mullen described softer zone coverage from North Dakota State after UNLV had produced explosive throws against Cal. He chose to keep giving Thomas and Arnold the ball rather than force those downfield attempts. Thomas finished with 112 yards on 22 carries, while Arnold added 60 on 19 attempts.
The opening scoring drive of the third quarter began with Thomas gaining 15 and seven yards. Arnold added a 15-yard keeper, giving UNLV gains from both runners on the possession that broke a 7-7 halftime tie. Villela finished it with a 29-yard field goal.
UNLV’s next scoring opportunity began at the North Dakota State 18 after a fourth-down stop. Thomas gained four yards, then seven, setting up first-and-goal at the 7. Mullen said he called outside zone for Arnold, but the Bison set the edge. Arnold fumbled and recovered at the 8.
Arnold gained seven yards on the next keeper. With the ball at the 1, a delay-of-game penalty moved UNLV back five yards. An incomplete pass followed, and Villela kicked a 24-yard field goal with 10:57 remaining. The Rebels had reached first-and-goal at the 7 and later the 1 without scoring a touchdown.
Those failures left North Dakota State within one possession. They also showed where the run-first approach stopped helping: UNLV could move into scoring range, but it still had to protect the ball, get the next snap off and execute near the goal line.
Mullen said afterward that the receivers needed to win outside and Arnold needed to trust those opportunities. UNLV finished with only 77 passing yards. The decision to run against softer coverage did not account for every missed throw or excuse the chances the Rebels left on the field.
The ground game did let UNLV protect its defense. Mullen estimated North Dakota State’s average fourth-quarter starting position at about its own 15. The Bison repeatedly needed to travel most of the field against a defense that had already intercepted Hayes three times.
Air Force can make wasted possessions more expensive by keeping its own offense on the field. UNLV will need the rushing production Thomas and Arnold supplied Saturday, with more points at the end of the drives.
“We were able to really control the tempo of the game in the second half and control field position,” Mullen said, “and we’re able to do that by running football.”
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