Did UNLV Actually Fix Its Problems? Breaking Down the 38-10 Win at Akron

UNLV needed a response after the 44-6 loss at North Texas, and the Rebels finally gave us one. The 38-10 win over Akron got UNLV back to 2-2, but the final score does not tell the entire story. Akron moved the ball in the first half, UNLV still committed too many penalties and there are still questions around Jackson Arnold, the intermediate passing game, tackling and Alex Orji’s role. But the Rebels were better. UNLV finished with 493 yards, rushed for 203, averaged 7.8 yards per play, did not turn the ball over and did not allow a sack. The defense intercepted three passes, recorded three sacks and shut Akron out after halftime. More importantly, when something went wrong, UNLV did not allow one bad play to become five. Jackson Arnold finished 17-of-29 for 290 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His deep passing was excellent, including four completions on six throws of at least 20 yards for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He also handled pressure considerably better than he had earlier in the season. There are still things to watch. Arnold went 3-of-11 on throws between 10 and 19 yards, and his time to throw remained above three seconds. Against Cal, UNLV probably will not be able to live entirely on deep balls. The intermediate game has to become more consistent. Jet Thomas looked like Jet again. He finished with 113 rushing yards on 15 carries, added 54 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns while forcing nine missed tackles. Taz Reddicks also took a major step toward becoming Arnold’s No. 1 receiver, catching four passes for 116 yards and a touchdown while consistently attacking Akron vertically. The third quarter may have been the most encouraging part of the entire game. UNLV entered Saturday having been outscored 34-10 in third quarters this season. Against Akron, the Rebels turned a 14-10 halftime lead into 31-10 with three completely different scoring possessions: an explosive touchdown drive, a long possession ending in a field goal and a touchdown created by a defensive takeaway. Defensively, the final score was cleaner than the first half actually looked, but Paul Guenther’s group adjusted. The pass rush improved, Cam Santee made one of the biggest plays of the game and Akron finished the fourth quarter with negative yardage. So did the bye week fix everything? No. Did UNLV get better? Absolutely. Now Cal comes to Allegiant Stadium, and that matchup will tell us much more about whether the improvements in protection, explosive passing, the running game and the defense can hold up against better competition. More UNLV coverage: https://the-scarlet-standard.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTPBxVqczV4vLqAlivI3FPw?utm_source=chatgpt.com X: https://x.com/SS_MediaLV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ss_medialv/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Scarlet-Standard-LV-61577609316045/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Vegas Varsity: https://vegasvarsity.com/ Use promo code *SSM10* for 10% off your order. #UNLVFB #UNLVFootball #MountainWest #CollegeFootball