In partnership with
Dan Mullen’s first UNLV team can score with anybody in the country.
Can they stop people? That’s a different story. The Rebels, after eight games, are giving up 470.0 yards per game, the worst in school history outside of Bobby Hauck’s 2014 squad. The offense is top-20 in the country in scoring; the defense is in the bottom 15 in yards allowed.
We looked back at the last 25 years of UNLV football and compared 2025 to those years in this way:
Team Total Defense
Rank | Season | Coach | G | Total Yards Allowed | Yards/Game | Points/Game | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2014 | Bobby Hauck | 13 | 6,675 | 513.5 | 38.5 | 2-11 |
2 | 2025 | Dan Mullen | 8 | 3,760 | 470.0 | 34.2 | 6-2 |
3 | 2018 | Tony Sanchez | 12 | 5,509 | 459.1 | 37.3 | 4-8 |
4 | 2017 | Tony Sanchez | 12 | 5,504 | 458.7 | 31.8 | 5-7 |
5 | 2010 | Mike Sanford | 13 | 5,856 | 450.5 | 39.7 | 2-11 |
Context:
Only the 2014 team has ever allowed more yards per game. Mullen’s defense is surrendering nearly 120 yards more per game than Barry Odom’s 2024 unit that finished 11-3.
Team Rush Defense
Rank | Season | Coach | G | Rush Yards Allowed | Yards/Game | Yards/Carry | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2014 | Bobby Hauck | 13 | 3,820 | 293.8 | 5.6 | 2-11 |
2 | 2017 | Tony Sanchez | 12 | 2,872 | 239.3 | 5.4 | 5-7 |
3 | 2010 | Mike Sanford | 13 | 2,895 | 222.7 | 5.2 | 2-11 |
4 | 2009 | Mike Sanford | 12 | 2,647 | 220.6 | 5.7 | 5-7 |
5 | 2013 | Bobby Hauck | 13 | 2,802 | 215.5 | 5.0 | 7-6 |
6 | 2025 | Dan Mullen | 8 | 1,564 | 195.5 | 5.9 | 6-2 |
Context:
The Rebels are giving up 5.9 yards per carry, which is the 2nd-worst efficiency number recorded in program history. It’s also the first time since 2017 that UNLV has allowed more than 190 rushing yards per game.
Team Pass Defense
Rank | Season | Coach | G | Pass Yards Allowed | Yards/Game | Comp % | TD:INT | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2025 | Dan Mullen | 8 | 2,196 | 274.5 | 60.1 | 17:11 | 6-2 |
2 | 2018 | Tony Sanchez | 12 | 3,211 | 267.6 | 59.3 | 29:10 | 4-8 |
3 | 2012 | Bobby Hauck | 13 | 3,096 | 238.2 | 59.7 | 19:9 | 2-11 |
4 | 2024 | Barry Odom | 14 | 3,302 | 235.9 | 57.3 | 20:17 | 11-3 |
5 | 2010 | Mike Sanford | 13 | 2,961 | 227.8 | 64.0 | 25:7 | 2-11 |
Context:
This is the worst pass defense in UNLV history by yards per game. Opponents are completing 60 percent of their throws for 8.6 yards per attempt, and the Rebels rank 129th of 136 nationally in pass defense efficiency.
Where It Went Wrong
This defense wasn’t supposed to look like this.
Mullen hired Zac Arnett to be his DC when Barry Odom left for Purdue in December, and Arnett spent the early months installing an attacking 3-3-5 scheme that fit the roster as much as Odom’s had. Arnett resigned in April, and safeties coach Paul Guenther, a longtime NFL assistant, was elevated to interim DC.
The result: 11 weeks in, you have a defense that is trapped between identities. Guys were recruited to attack, and now they are reading and reacting, trying to fill gaps and make plays when they need to do their job. Coverage checks are late. Miscommunication has become a weekly problem.
It’s not an effort problem. It’s a fit problem. This group was built for chaos and speed, not for Guenther’s pro-style complexity.
The Big Picture
UNLV has fielded bad defenses before. But never one this inefficient while still winning.
Metric | 2025 UNLV Rank | Historical Context |
|---|---|---|
Total Defense (470.0 YPG) | 2nd-worst since 2000 | Only 2014 worse |
Rush Defense (195.5 YPG) | 6th-worst | 2nd worst yards per carry (5.9) ever |
Pass Defense (274.5 YPG) | Worst in program history | 7 YPG worse than 2018 |
Points Allowed (34.2 PPG) | 123rd nationally | Most by any winning UNLV team |
UNLV is 6-2 primarily due to its offense, not its balance, and history suggests that such an imbalance rarely lasts.
The best HR advice comes from people who’ve been in the trenches.
That’s what this newsletter delivers.
I Hate it Here is your insider’s guide to surviving and thriving in HR, from someone who’s been there. It’s not about theory or buzzwords — it’s about practical, real-world advice for navigating everything from tricky managers to messy policies.
Every newsletter is written by Hebba Youssef — a Chief People Officer who’s seen it all and is here to share what actually works (and what doesn’t). We’re talking real talk, real strategies, and real support — all with a side of humor to keep you sane.
Because HR shouldn’t feel like a thankless job. And you shouldn’t feel alone in it.
