(Photo Credit - UNLV Athletics)
Back in June, I said UNLV’s 2025 season wouldn’t just be about Boise.
Everyone circled October 18 on the blue turf as a revenge spot on national TV, another crack at the Broncos after two straight Mountain West title losses. Boise will always matter. But if you zoomed out, the real road for UNLV ran colder, trickier, and more unforgiving: Laramie, Wyoming, and Fort Collins, Colorado.
Now the Rebels are 4‑0 entering their bye week, with wins over Sam Houston, UCLA, and Miami (OH). They’ve proven they can handle the spotlight. But to become champions, they still have to prove they can handle the cold truth.
The Ghost of Laramie - Oct. 4 at Wyoming
(Photo Credit - UNLV Athletics)
There’s no sugarcoating it. UNLV hasn’t won at War Memorial Stadium since 2003 (35–24).
Since then? Six straight losses in Laramie:
2005: 42–17
2007: 29–24
2009: 30–27
2011: 41–14
2015: 35–28
2019: 53–17
Every trip tells the same story: altitude (7,220 feet), weather that flips in an instant, and a Wyoming team that never beats itself at home.
On paper, UNLV should have the edge. Anthony Colandrea is a top‑25 QB nationally by PFF grade, Jai’Den Thomas is a top‑20 running back, and the Rebels’ offense is far more efficient. But none of that has mattered here for 22 years.
If UNLV wants to prove it’s more than hype, it starts by breaking the Laramie curse.
The Curse of Fort Collins - Nov. 8 at Colorado State
(Photo Credit - UNLV Athletics)
If Wyoming is the toughness test, Colorado State is the focus test.
UNLV hasn’t won in Fort Collins since 2002 (31–14). That’s 0–9 on the road at CSU since then. The head‑to‑head is just as lopsided: 7–17–1 all‑time, with UNLV enduring a 1–12 stretch between 2002 and 2022.
This year, the numbers scream advantage, Rebels. Colorado State’s quarterback grades near the bottom of the FBS, their receivers don’t separate, and their defensive front ranks among the weakest nationally. On paper, this is the least threatening opponent left outside of New Mexico.
And that’s exactly why it’s dangerous. Fort Collins is the only road trip UNLV makes in November. It comes right in the middle of a favorable homestand with New Mexico, Utah State, and Hawai‘i all in Allegiant. Add in that CSU is heading to the Pac‑12 with nothing to lose, and you have the definition of a trap.
The Rebels can’t simply be good on Nov. 8. They have to be locked in.
Why Boise Won’t Make or Break the Season
The Boise game will be massive, it always is. Winning there would change the conversation nationally. But losing it won’t derail UNLV’s season.
Why? Look at the slate:
Air Force (home, Oct. 11)
New Mexico (home, Nov. 1)
Utah State (home, Nov. 15)
Hawai‘i (home, Nov. 21)
Nevada (road, Nov. 29 rivalry always matters)
That’s four of the final five in Nevada, three of them in Allegiant. If the Rebels handle business at home, they’ll still be in the Mountain West title hunt regardless of what happens at Boise.
That’s why the cold truth matters even more. The margins in Laramie and Fort Collins, where UNLV hasn’t celebrated a win in over 20 years, will decide if this year ends with a trophy.
The Verdict
UNLV has already proven it can shine in the spotlight. They beat a Big Ten brand in UCLA. They’ve climbed into national relevance. But this program’s ghosts don’t live under big lights. They live in places like Laramie and Fort Collins.
Win there, and the Rebels erase two decades of scars in one season. Lose there, and 4-0 turns back into “what if.”
That’s still the cold truth.