Had the Mountain West released a predictive poll for its upcoming football season — having media members vote on where teams would finish en route to a conference championship game — UNLV would have definitely challenged for the top spot.
But there was no such poll this year.
Which doesn’t in any manner diminish the expectations being thrown UNLV’s way. Which is to say compete for a fourth straight trip to the league’s title game.
And, in the minds of many, finally win it.
Boise State is gone with four others to the Pac-12, meaning the top spot of the new-look Mountain West needs another program to grab hold of such a position.
The Rebels are good enough to do so and believe it.
“We’ve established a culture of winning these last couple of years, something we’ve ingrained into our off-season training,” center Austin Boyd said. “One game at a time. Set the standard. Keep it going through the end of the season.
“I think we’ve already established ourselves as a top team in the Mountain West. We’re going to show that this year with a mindset of dominating the opponent each week.”
Just finish
It was a common theme from UNLV players Wednesday during the league’s annual media days at The Palms, where coaches take center stage on Thursday.
It always came back to finishing, to doing the thing that has escaped UNLV in the past three years of winning 30 games but losing to Boise State in the conference championship each season.
UNLV has proven capable of getting there but not closing the deal. A lot of that had to do with Boise State, the better side in those meetings.
But the Broncos have departed and the Rebels will most likely now have to overcome teams like New Mexico and Hawaii and perhaps even newbie North Dakota State to hold aloft a trophy at season’s end.
“We just need to showcase our ability and finish,” said UNLV star running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas. “The time is now for us. We have some new players, some new faces, but you also see the collaboration in the building. The joy to be around every guy in the locker room.
“It’s true we’ve had rough years when it comes to finishing, so now we have to prove to everybody in the Mountain West that we can do it.”
Boise State was annually the league’s program with a bull’s-eye on its back, the expected champion, the one everyone was chasing, the one everyone wanted to beat.
UNLV has a chance to play such a role now.
An opportunity exists.
“It’s an honor to see we have a target on our backs,” Thomas said. “It shows the growth of our program these past couple years. It’s exciting. For some of us who have been here our entire careers, we have gone from winning a couple games to winning 30 in three years. We have some notoriety now.”
Added Boyd: “We’ve got a decent amount of players who have stayed since they were freshmen. It doesn’t happen a lot these days, which is sad but true. But building success has created a great bond within this program. The one thing we’re really good at in UNLV is coming together so we can trust each other when it comes to Saturdays.”
Poll talk
There was no predictive poll because the Mountain West (see: coaches) was worried that a team picked low but producing a memorable season simply wouldn’t rise in the rankings fast enough.
That in a world of transfer portals and roster changes, it’s tougher and tougher to gauge the better teams in a conference. And because of it, you might have a side considered inferior prove otherwise but not be rewarded for it at season’s end when College Football Playoff rankings come into play.
It doesn’t apply to UNLV, which would have definitely been picked high this season.
It just doesn’t change expectations, is all.
“I think that just fuels the fire,” defensive lineman Lucas Conti said. “I think we’re hungrier than ever. We understand the mistakes we made in not finishing in the past. But if you’re about it, prove it, right? Everyone starts 0-0. We have a great opportunity in front of us. Hold everyone accountable. It’s no joke. Come in and work hard every day.”
No poll can change that part.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
