The UNLV Rebels' "First Loss Of The Season Was A Costly One"

The Boise State Broncos knocked off the undefeated UNLV Rebels last week, and it has shaken up the Mountain West power rankings. We have another set of rankings from Rocket Miner that sees the Rebels falling from the top spot. This is their take on UNLV, their opponents from last week, Boise State, and their next opponent, the New Mexico Lobos.

Rocket Miner On Their No. 2 Ranked UNLV Rebels

"2. UNLV (Last week: 1)

The Rebels’ (6-1, 2-1) offense has been one of the best in the country through seven games, but their defensive struggles finally caught up to them in their loss to Boise State. UNLV leads the MW in scoring at 37.1 points, but its defense is 11th at 33.4 points allowed. The Rebels are allowing 461.1 yards per game, which also ranks 11th in the MW.

UNLV’s first loss of the season was a costly one, as Boise State now holds the tiebreaker in the conference standings. Last weekend’s loss was the Rebels’ fourth to the Broncos since 2023.

The Rebels are on a bye before hosting New Mexico on Nov. 1."

Rocket Miner On Their No. 1 Ranked Boise State Broncos

"1. Boise State (Last week: 2)

The Broncos (5-2 overall, 3-0 MW) took the top spot in the standings with a dominant 56-31 win over UNLV last weekend in Idaho. Boise State exposed The Rebels’ lackluster defense with seven offensive touchdowns and 558 yards.

The Broncos lead the MW at 478.6 yards per game, and they’re second in scoring at 36.9 points. Their defense has struggled at times, ranking sixth in the conference at 26.1 points allowed.

The Broncos play Nevada at 8 p.m. Friday in Reno. Boise State opened as 22.5-point favorites."

Rocket Miner On Their No. 7 Ranked New Mexico Lobos

"7. New Mexico (Last week: 8)

The Lobos (4-3, 1-2) nearly suffered a disastrous home loss to Nevada last weekend, but a fourth-down stop late in the game led to a 24-22 conference win. New Mexico held the Wolf Pack’s lowly offense to just 257 yards, including 55 on the ground.

The Lobos are in the middle of the pack on both sides of the ball, ranking eighth in scoring offense at 28.4 points, and seventh in scoring defense at 26.3 points allowed.

The Lobos host Utah State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Albuquerque."

It's only fair that the Broncos are at the top of the rankings after beating the Rebels. UNLV has a lot of work to do to get back into that No. 1 spot. It's unlikely that they can get there before the Mountain West Championship game without some help.

More UNLV Rebels On SI News