AKRON, Ohio — Jake Pope says it’s more unique than difficult. That he believes it pretty cool to travel so far over the course of a college football season. That he and his UNLV football teammates won’t use any of it as an excuse.
Pope is a senior safety for the Rebels, who have racked up some serious frequent flyer miles these first four games.
Know this: UNLV knows every inch of its charter plane and then some.
The Rebels will have traveled a combined 6,089 miles after trips to Hawaii, Texas and now Ohio in the first month of a season.
When you add in a home game against Memphis, UNLV will have played in four time zones during that span.
When you add in a game at Air Force on Oct. 17, the Rebels will be just one of two teams nationally this season to play in five time zones. San Jose State of the Mountain West is the other.
“At the end of the day, every team has to (travel), some more than others,” Pope said. “We like to take on challenges here and make the most of them.”
The Rebels (1-2) next face Akron (1-2) on Saturday and, despite last losing at North Texas 44-6, UNLV has some recent history on its side.
More than anyone
It has won six of its last seven true road games against nonconference opponents and has the most overall road wins (12) than anyone nationally since the start of the 2024 season.
Last September, UNLV won its first game in 15 trips to the Eastern time zone with a 41-38 victory against Miami (Ohio).
Now, it gets an opportunity to grab a second such victory.
“I love the challenge for our guys,” coach Dan Mullen said. “It’s probably something we need to check to see if anyone has ever done (five time zones in a season). We play a pretty tough schedule. We want to schedule tough, but if you’re going to do that, you have to play at a high level every game.
“We practiced early this week because of the (9 a.m. PT kickoff) and body-clock wise. Hopefully, that gives us a bit of an edge.”
It’s not just that in terms of preparation. Pope said it’s important to face such road games with accountability and responsibility. To stay hydrated during the week, eat enough to keep one’s weight up and get enough sleep.
That the time change is going to wear on you some, so it’s critical your body is ready for it.
“I personally haven’t felt too much different,” Pope said. “Even in Hawaii, I was surprised how well I felt going in there. I think all the guys did. It’s about keeping our bodies right, practicing hard, getting ready for another time change and going into (Akron) and getting a win.
“We need to come back home victorious and having gotten this bad taste out of our mouths by making a statement. I think a lot of guys know this. Not to just get to 2-2, but to beat them handily. Win and move on and have a great season. We still have everything in front of us.”
He speaks of challenging for a Mountain West title. The Rebels are 1-0 in league and return to conference play at home against formidable North Dakota State on Oct. 10.
It’s seven straight league games to decide which two teams will meet in the championship game, of which the Rebels have qualified for three straight seasons.
They close out the nonconference portion of their schedule against Cal on Oct. 3 at Allegiant Stadium.
Doubling down
But first comes Akron and another time zone and a forecast that calls for a high of 70 degrees and sunny. The Zips haven’t at all impressed thus far and haven’t posted a winning season since 2015.
It’s one reason the Rebels, despite such a poor showing at North Texas, are a two-touchdown favorite.
“(Traveling) so much is really just about doubling down and taking care of yourself,” UNLV tight end Keyan Burnett said. “I’ve always loved being on the plane with the guys and going through the experience. It’s definitely a much more fun ride back when you get the results you want.
“We just need to come out and re-establish ourselves. We have been preaching toughness and execution and accountability all week. We want to get back to the rhythm of things and show who we are. We’re right where we want to be in terms of our goals. As a team, we just need to take it one game at a time and execute.”
And prepare for competing in another time zone.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
