UNLV’s offense is still searching for its full identity heading into its third game of the season.
The Rebels (1-1) have shown they can move the ball through the air, but establishing consistency in the passing game will be important as they continue Mountain West play.
At the center of that development is quarterback Jackson Arnold and the connection he has built with UNLV’s pass catchers.
For Arnold and the receivers, that connection didn’t begin when the Rebels took the field for their season opener against Memphis. Instead, it started much earlier.
Arnold, who transferred to UNLV from Auburn ahead of the 2026 season, has spent the spring, summer and fall camp learning Dan Mullen’s offensive scheme and building relationships with a wide receiver group that is largely untested after the departure of players such as Jaden Bradley and Troy Omeire during the offseason.
“I think the chemistry with the receivers has been very good,” Arnold said. “Honestly, this past game, passing wasn’t the answer. Instead, it was the running game.
“I think that’s something we need to establish, especially after the first game, just having success airing it out.”
The Rebels relied heavily on the passing game in their season opener, as Arnold completed 25 of 37 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns.
He did not find nearly as much success against Hawaii, completing just eight of 18 passes for 116 yards.
As UNLV prepares to play at North Texas, establishing a more consistent passing attack will be key to the Rebels moving above .500 for the first time this season.
Junior wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons, who is in his second year with the program after transferring from Utah in 2025, has also noticed the progress in the passing game since the beginning of spring camp.
“It’s been more than these first two weeks, really, just building a rapport with the receivers and the offensive linemen ever since (Arnold) first got here,” Lyons said. “The biggest improvement I saw was really from the summer to fall camp.
“I think (chemistry) is something that’s always going to get better because there’s always something to improve on and ways to make each other better. So I think it’s going to rapidly increase every single day.”
Arnold has also emphasized that familiarity has helped him feel comfortable in Mullen’s system. By the time the Rebels played Memphis, he already felt comfortable with what the offense might call in key situations.
“I just kind of got used to what coach Mullen will call,” Arnold said. “The first game against Memphis, I felt comfortable because I knew what we were going to call on third-and-medium and third-and-long. I felt like I was already in tune with the game plan both weeks.”
While Arnold has expressed his comfort level from a playing perspective, Lyons said that comfort has extended beyond the field as the two have gotten to know each other.
“Just talking ball is really what me and him bonded over and how we gained trust in each other,” Lyons said. “Once you have mutual trust and a shared interest, I think that’s the best thing for us going forward.
“I think the biggest thing once we click with each other is being able to trust what we’re being told. Once we’re all able to trust each other and play for one another, I think it’s all going to come together.”
That connection will take on a more personal meaning Saturday, when Arnold returns to Denton, Texas, where he spent his high school days just around the corner from North Texas’ campus.
“I’m excited to go back to North Texas. My high school is about 10 minutes away,” Arnold said. “I’ve already had coaches, family and friends text me that they’re all going to be there, so I’m really excited.”
For Arnold and the rest of the UNLV program, Saturday is another opportunity to turn the work put in over the past several months into production on the field.
