UNLV opens Mountain West play on Saturday at Hawaii in a Week 1 matchup that will present a new set of challenges for the Rebels.
After a season-opening loss to Memphis, UNLV will look to make the necessary adjustments as it heads to the islands for a 7 pm PT kickoff in what already feels like a must-win game.
Here are five things to watch when the Rebels take on the Rainbow Warriors:
Alex Orji’s usage
UNLV coach Dan Mullen said both of the program’s quarterbacks would see the field in the season opener, which ultimately proved to be true — just barely.
Once the Rebels got on the board in the second quarter, the offense began to roll under Jackson Arnold.
Arnold, an Auburn transfer, entered halftime having completed 17 of 21 passes for more than 200 yards and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground.
Orji, meanwhile, appeared for two plays, with one erased by a false-start penalty on the offensive line.
Arnold’s production made it difficult for Mullen to take the quarterback out of the game, but Orji never had an opportunity to establish a rhythm. It will be interesting to see how the Rebels utilize the two quarterbacks this week.
Offensive line concerns
One of the biggest reasons UNLV was unable to complete its comeback against Memphis was the pressure the Tigers’ defensive line consistently generated.
Arnold was sacked six times during the game, while Memphis recorded 11 tackles for loss as the Rebels struggled to win the battle in the trenches.
Matters only got worse when starting center Austin Boyd left with an injury in the fourth quarter. The 11 plays UNLV ran following his departure resulted in minus-31 yards, four sacks and a fumbled snap.
Although Boyd had to be helped from the field, Mullen was optimistic after the game that the injury was not knee-related, leaving open the possibility that the center could return sooner than anticipated.
Defensive bounce-back
One of the primary storylines entering the season was whether UNLV’s defense could improve from its No. 89 ranking nationally in 2025. Through the first half against Memphis, things appeared to be trending in the right direction.
UNLV held the Tigers to seven points and 149 yards of total offense over the first 30 minutes before Memphis found its rhythm after halftime.
Memphis outscored the Rebels 20-7 in the second half and totaled 269 yards, including two touchdown drives of eight plays.
While the Rainbow Warriors struggled to find their footing offensively in Week 0, the benefit of playing at home could provide an early boost that UNLV’s defense will need to be prepared to handle.
Special teams
Kicker Ramon Villela returned to the Rebels’ special teams unit after converting 15 of 20 field-goal attempts in 2025, but his second season with the Scarlet and Gray got off to a rocky start.
Villela missed his only attempt, a 32-yarder, at the end of the first half against Memphis. When another opportunity presented itself late in the fourth quarter, Mullen and the Rebels elected to go for it on fourth down rather than attempt a field goal, but UNLV failed to convert.
Villela, an Upland, California, native, will now travel to the islands looking to put his first-game miss behind him while potentially facing another pressure-filled situation in a hostile environment.
Will Pofele Ashlock play?
By far one of the most threatening weapons in the Hawaii offense is wide receiver Pofele Ashlock. The senior hauled in 76 passes for 827 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025.
Despite that production, Ashlock was ruled out of Hawaii’s Week 0 matchup against Stanford because of an injury. His status for Saturday remains uncertain, and even if he receives the green light, his workload could be limited.
However, if former Bishop Gorman quarterback Micah Alejado has his top target back, the UNLV secondary could have another major challenge on its hands.
Ashlock’s presence would give Alejado another proven option and could force the Rebels to account for one of Hawaii’s most productive playmakers.
