Marcus Arroyo’s offense never fully settled. Barry Odom’s offense could hit a ceiling Arroyo never reached, but it still had valleys. Dan Mullen hasn’t called a snap yet. Still, the chart from 2021–2024 provides him with a comprehensive scouting report on what he’s inheriting: the good, the bad, and the week-to-week trends that have shaped UNLV’s identity over the last four seasons.
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Total Offense – Peaks, Valleys, and Everything Between
Arroyo (’21–’22):
2021 sat in that 300–360 yard range more often than not. Only three games over 400. No 500-yard days. The lows of 214 yards in Week 14 made climbing back in games almost impossible.
2022 broke that ceiling fast. 567 in Week 1, 576 in Week 3, six games over 450. However, the crash landings were just as steep, with 216 yards in Week 7, and the offense never found a weekly baseline.
Odom (’23–’24):
2023 was more measured. Spikes at 497 (Week 4) and 496 (Week 6), but a steady middle. Still, November was unkind: three of the last five games under 310.
2024 gave us the most significant number in four years: 694 yards in Week 2, and four other games over 500. The floor was higher than Arroyo’s worst weeks, but the fade returned late (327 and 291 in Weeks 13–14).
Plays and Pace – How They Got There
Arroyo’s 2021 pace was mid-60s snaps per game, dipping to 43 in Week 12. His 2022 team cranked tempo eight games over 70 plays, hitting 78 in Week 6, but that didn’t always mean more points.
Odom’s pace was matchup-driven. In 2023, he flirted with the low 80s early (Weeks 6–7) but settled in the 60s. In 2024, only two games broke 70, but the ones that did were statement wins.
Time of Possession – The Possession Game
Arroyo’s teams lived around 27–31 minutes. Rare spikes, such as 39:38 in Week 11, 2021, were outliers.
Odom shifted this entirely. In 2023, four games topped 34 minutes. In 2024, it happened four more times, including a 40:42 clock choke in Week 11. When UNLV won TOP by 5+ minutes, it won most of those games.
Passing Game – Volume vs. Value
Arroyo:
2021 was a low-volume year, with mid-20s attempts, rarely exceeding 250 yards.
2022 opened the floodgates: four 300+ yard days in the first six weeks (405 in Week 2, 376 in Week 3), regularly throwing 35–40 times. But red-zone efficiency lagged.
Odom:
2023 had a lower volume but showed spikes in certain weeks, notably 353 in Week 5 and 351 in Week 10.
2024 went the other way entirely: multiple games under 150 yards passing, attempts in the teens, completions in single digits. Started hot (three straight games with 3+ pass TDs), but the passing game went cold in November.
Rushing Game – From Option B to Option A
Arroyo:
2021: Mostly 150–200 yards a game, only two 230+ yard outings.
2022: More pop, 365 yards in Week 3 at 7.16 YPC, but just as many games under 120 yards.
Odom:
2023: This became the identity. Six games over 200 yards, 307 in Week 5. Efficiency is better, and short-yardage conversions are sharper.
2024: Full commitment. 45–63 attempts common, peaking with 63 carries for 303 yards in Week 10. Efficiency highs at 7.98 (Week 2) and 6.20 (Week 12). At least one rushing TD in eight games, four in Week 12.
Scoring – The Ceiling and the Floor
Arroyo:
2021 averaged 2–4 TDs in most weeks.
2022 hit 7 TDs in Week 3, five games with 5+, but still had multiple one-score outings.
Odom:
2023: 8 TDs in Week 8, but 3–4 TDs became the norm.
2024: 9 TDs in Week 2, four other 5+ TD games. Never dipped below 3, but didn’t consistently push past 5 late in the year.
The Trends
Under Arroyo:
More passing volume, less run-game commitment.
Bigger swings in yardage and scoring from week to week.
Under Odom:
The run game was the identity.
Higher TOP, more control over pace.
Higher scoring floor, but still couldn’t avoid late-season drop-offs.
What Mullen Walks Into
Strengths:
A run game that can handle 40–60 carries and still average 5–6 yards a pop.
Proven big-game ceiling: multiple 500+ yard performances in each of Odom’s seasons.
TOP control that can protect leads and win style fights.
Weak Spots:
The passing game tends to fade late in the season.
Offensive dips in November have coincided with key losses.
Matchup dependency production is noticeably better against weaker fronts.
Suppose Mullen can marry Odom’s run-game foundation with a stable passing attack that survives November. In that case, this offense has everything it needs to make the next leap. The numbers say the Rebels can win both shootouts and slugfests. The challenge is making that true every week, not just in the highs you see in red on the chart.