(Photo Credit - UNLV Athletics)
UNLV is off to a 3–0 start under Dan Mullen, outscoring opponents 106–75 and grabbing national attention with explosive quarterback play and a revived defense. But dig through the play-by-play and a troubling pattern emerges: the Rebels are consistently keeping opponents alive with avoidable penalties.
Through three games, UNLV has been flagged 14 times for either pass interference or unsportsmanlike conduct. That’s not noise that’s nearly five such penalties per game, and more importantly, they’ve had a direct impact on the scoreboard. By tracing each call, you find 37 opponent points that don’t exist without UNLV helping move the chains.
Here’s how it happened, drive by drive.
Idaho State – Six Penalties, 17 Points
(Photo Credit - Idaho State Journal)
UNLV’s season opener at Allegiant was supposed to be a showcase. Instead, Idaho State hung around for four quarters, in large part because of free yardage.
Q2, 6:30 – Jaheem Joseph (Unsportsmanlike Conduct)A late hit extended a Bengal possession, though the defense stiffened and forced a punt. No points, but momentum lost.
Q2, ~5:00 – Jaheem Joseph (Unsportsmanlike Conduct)Another personal foul, this time moving Idaho State into field-goal range. The Bengals converted from 26 yards. 3 points.
Q2, ~3:45 – Will Thomas (Unsportsmanlike Conduct)Flagged during a chippy sequence near midfield. Offset with an ISU penalty, so no net damage.
Q3, 10:45 – Aamaris Brown (Pass Interference)On 3rd and long at the ISU 39, Brown was called for PI while defending deep down the sideline. Instead of punting, Idaho State had a first down at the UNLV 46. Six plays later, the Bengals scored a touchdown. 7 points.
Q4, 13:40 – Andrew Powdrell (Pass Interference)On 1st and Goal from the 7, Powdrell interfered in the end zone. Idaho State scored on the very next snap. 7 points.
Q3, 2:22 – Denver Harris (Pass Interference)On 3rd down near midfield, Harris bailed out a stalled drive. Fortunately for UNLV, the Bengals turned it over on downs a few plays later.
The Damage: 6 penalties on 5 drives, 17 total points.
Sam Houston – Four Penalties, 7 Points
(Photo Credit - UNLV Athletics)
UNLV eventually pulled away from Sam Houston in Huntsville, but it could have been much smoother without defensive flags.
Q1, 9:50 – Andrew Powdrell (Pass Interference)Interfered on a deep shot at the UNLV 39, setting up Sam Houston inside the 25. Four plays later, quarterback Hunter Watson ran in the equalizing touchdown. 7 points.
Q2, 9:36 – Denver Harris (Pass Interference)Called on 3rd and 3. Instead of getting off the field, UNLV gave up 15 free yards. The next snap flipped everything: Aamaris Brown intercepted and returned it for a touchdown. Penalty extended drive, but ultimately no points.
Q3, 7:22 – Quandarius Keyes (Pass Interference)A brutal one. Keyes picked off Watson at the UNLV 15, but the play was wiped out for interference. The defense regrouped, however, and got a fourth-down stop.
Q4, 4:57 – Aamaris Brown (Pass Interference)Extended a desperation Sam Houston drive in the red zone. Again, the defense forced a turnover on downs.
The Damage: 4 penalties on 4 separate drives, but only 1 converted into points. 7 total points.
UCLA – Four Penalties, 13 Points
(Photo Credit - LA Times)
UNLV’s 30–23 upset of Big Ten member UCLA was a program-defining win, but it wasn’t clean. Four penalties directly extended Bruin scoring drives.
Q2, 1:49 – Jaden Bradley (Unsportsmanlike Conduct)Flagged after a Rebel touchdown, forcing UNLV to kick off from deeper.
Q2, 1:30 – Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu (Unsportsmanlike Conduct)On the same kickoff sequence, he compounded the mistake. Together, these two penalties spotted UCLA field position at midfield. The Bruins managed a 33-yard field goal before halftime. 3 points.
Q3, 9:03 – Mumu Bin-Wahad (Pass Interference)On 3rd and 14 from the UNLV 22, Bin-Wahad forced what looked like an incompletion — and a turnover in the end zone seconds later — but was flagged. Two snaps later, UCLA scored its first touchdown. 7 points.
Q4, 5:46 – Laterrance Welch (Pass Interference)On a deep ball at the UNLV 30, Welch was called for PI. The Bruins stalled in the red zone and kicked a field goal. 3 points.
The Damage: 4 penalties on 3 drives, 13 total points.
The Bigger Picture
Across three games, UNLV has:
14 PI/UNS penalties (6 vs Idaho State, 4 vs Sam Houston, 4 vs UCLA).
12 drives extended.
37 opponent points directly tied to those calls.
For context, opponents have scored 75 total points this season. That means nearly half (49%) of the points allowed can be traced back to these penalties.
Why It Matters
Through three weeks, the biggest thing separating UNLV from dominance is discipline. The Rebels have forced five takeaways, but they’ve also committed nine pass interferences and five unsportsmanlike/roughness penalties; those flags affected 12 opponent drives and produced 37 points.
Against Idaho State, those flags nearly produced an opening-night disaster. Against Sam Houston, they erased two would-be interceptions. And against UCLA, they were the only reason the Bruins scored before halftime.
The Rebels are 3–0. They’ve already beaten a Big Ten team. They’ve played some of the cleanest offensive football in the Mountain West. But the tape doesn’t lie: until UNLV cleans up the hidden yardage problem, the door is always cracked for opponents who have no business hanging around.