The UNLV Rebels Are Topping Mountain West Power Rankings

Mountain West Power Rankings are pouring in, and the UNLV Rebels are sitting at the top of all of them, including Mountain West Connection's and Cache Valley Daily's.
The UNLV Rebels logo at midfield during the Mountain West Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The UNLV Rebels logo at midfield during the Mountain West Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In this story:


The UNLV Rebels are riding high into their bye week, coming off of a 30 - 23 victory over a Big 10 opponent in the UCLA Bruins. After dominating the first half, they did allow the Bruins to sneak back in the game, but ultimately were able to get the job done and seal the victory with another Aamaris Brown interception.

With that win, the Rebels have separated themselves as the class of the Mountain West Conference. No other team has been particularly close to this point, with the Boise State Broncos already being dealt an embarrassing beatdown and the San Jose State Spartans not looking good at all so far. They were the top teams in the Mountain West other than UNLV heading into the season.

Because of their impressive victory and the fact that they have continued to improve each week, we continue to see UNLV top the power rankings. Both Mountain West Connection and Cache Valley Daily have the Rebels in their top spot this week.

Mountain West Connection's Take

"The Rebels improve to a steady 3-0 after the P4 win, looking better each week. While not a perfect team (see the penalty yards which are a growing concern), their offense has found its rhythm and the defense is matching up against opponents well. Seemingly every Mountain West team has struggled in at least one game this season, so UNLV getting to three wins despite not playing perfect ball is a major accomplishment."

Cache Valley Daily's Take

"The Rebels seem to be the only team that actually wants to be considered a top team in the Mountain West. Sure, things haven't been pretty. UNLV narrowly avoided embarrassment against Idaho State. And it nearly blew things against UCLA by letting the Bruins march down the field for what almost became a game-tying touchdown. But through it all, the Rebels are 3-0 and that's what counts. No other team in the Mountain West can say that, with only two other teams able to claim undefeated status (and neither were preseason contenders, so they're not getting a spot near the top of these rankings)."

The Rebels are at the top of the power rankings this week, and it's hard to imagine that would change this week with them being on a bye. We fully expect them to head into Mountain West play as the top team.

More UNLV Rebels On SI News


Published