UNLV Rebels @ Sam Houston Bearkats Week 1 Official Prediction

The UNLV Rebels' Week 1 matchup against the Sam Houston Bearkats is almost here. The teams face off on Friday, August 29, at 9:30 PM EST in Houston, Texas. UNLV comes into the game off of a Week 0 victory over Idaho State, while Sam Houston lost their opener against Western Kentucky. It is now time to make our official prediction for the game.

UNLV Rebels

The Rebels struggled on defense last week, but were saved by some big plays on that side of the ball and huge performances on offense. After waiting all summer to see how the quarterback situation would play out, Anthony Colandrea was the quarterback they leaned on the most, and he looked outstanding. However, Alex Orji also got playing time and won the game with an 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The true star of the game was running back Jai'Den Thomas. On just 10 carries, he racked up 147 yards and three TDs, including TD runs of 70 and 39 yards. He lived up to all the offseason hype and even surpassed it. They have to get more carries, though.

Jaden Bradley was far and away the top pass-catcher and it will be interesting to see if that continues this week or was just how that game played out. His six receptions and 131 yards led the team. The next closest receiver in either category was Troy Omeire with three catches for 24 yards.

On defense, the linebacker Marsel McDuffie, defensive back Aamaris Brown, safety Jake Pope, and cornerback Laterrance Welch all stuffed the stat sheet and made big plays to keep their struggling defense afloat.

It wasn't all good, though. The offensive line allowed too much pressure and had their quarterbacks running for their lives far too often. The defense as a whole was also bad and missed far too many assignments, which ultimately resulted in them giving up 555 yards and 31 points.

Sam Houston Bearkats

The Bearkats got knocked off last week, and it was because they got tormented through the air. 401 of the 506 yards they allowed came in the passing game, which led to their 41 - 24 loss. While the defense looked solid statistically, they really struggled when it mattered most, especially on third down, where they were just two of 14. They are a well balanced team on offense, and the defense should be better than they looked last week, but UNLV should be able to handle them.

Prediction

UNLV Wins: 44 - 20

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