BOISE STATE BRONCOS VS. UNLV REBELS
Location: Boise, Idaho (Albertsons Stadium)
Date/Time: Saturday, October 18th at 1:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Television: FS1
Streaming: Fox Sports App
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KBOI
93.1 FM (Bronco Radio Network)
Head-to-Head: The Broncos are 11-3 all-time against UNLV, with three of those 11 games occurring within the last two years. Boise State won both contests in 2024 (29-24 in Las Vegas and the MW title games in Boise, 21-7).
TALE OF THE TAPE
Boise State: 4-2 (2-0 in MW), UNLV: 6-0 (2-0 in MW)
Mountain West vs. Mountain West
BSU: Head Coach Spencer Danielson (2nd Full Year, 19-5 Overall Record)
UNLV: Head Coach Dan Mullen (1st Full Year at UNLV, 109-61 Career Record)
Last Week
BSU: Beat New Mexico on The Blue, 41-25. QB Maddux Madsen threw for 226 yards, two TDs, and zero INTs. RB Dylan Riley ran for 101 yards, and the combo of WRs Ben Ford and Chris Marshall accumulated 148 yards on 11 catches.
UNLV: Beat Air Force in Las Vegas, 51-48. QB Anthony Colandrea threw for 361 yards, one TD, and zero INTs. He also rushed for two touchdowns. WR Daedae Reynolds led the way with four catches and 139 yards.
What Allows Boise State to Win Saturday?
Don’t give the Rebels multiple opportunities to capitalize.
UNLV has been able to bottle up and use an absurd amount of football magic in 2025, leading them to an improbable 6-0 record.
That isn’t to say that they don’t deserve that record.
A win is a win, and that’s a hard thing to accomplish in college football.
But their biggest win is by 17 points against winless Sam Houston State.
Against Miami of Ohio, a fumble by the Redhawks on a potential game-sealing drive afforded the Rebels a lifeline that they took full advantage of.
Against Wyoming, two blocked punts returned for touchdowns turned out to be the deciding factor in a 14-point win.
And against Air Force, it was simply a matter of which team had the ball last since defense was optional that day.
Boise State has been more than kind to its opponents as of late.
Namely, undisciplined penalties have been the culprit.
Roughing the passer, unsportsmanlike conduct, etc.
Inopportune mental errors haven’t cost the Broncos…yet.
But this is a UNLV team that is riding the luck train and has no plans of getting off.
What Allows UNLV to Win Saturday?
The Rebels can establish the ground game with Jai’Den Thomas and Anthony Colandrea.
Even with former offensive coordinator Brennan Marion out of town and heading the show at Sacramento State, the UNLV offense has preserved some of the option principles that made it so difficult to defend a year ago.
The duo of RB Thomas and QB Colandrea has combined for 900 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Keyvone Lee has also been impactful with 189 yards and four touchdowns.
The passing game hasn’t led to a bevy of touchdowns, as no receiver has more than two touchdown receptions on the year.
But, and this is not a typo, eight different receivers have scored a touchdown.
Outside of yardage leader Jaden Bradley, there is no single Rebel that serves as a flashing red light that needs to be priority number one.
In the games that Boise State has lost, the run game wasn’t sealed.
And if the Broncos are forced to put additional personnel in the box, that will create more one-on-one scenarios on the perimeter.
Keep Boise State’s defense honest with the ground attack, and lanes will open up down the field.
Who Pulls Out The Win?
Even though the Broncos haven’t performed to their typical program standards, a season-long goal of reaching and winning the Mountain West championship remains as clear as ever.
And while there are some prickly matchups left (Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State), this will set the tone for the rest of the season.
UNLV was the hotshot surprise a year ago, and Boise State spoiled their fun twice.
Is revenge a dish best served cold?
Yes, of course.
But despite the Rebels putting up a valiant effort, I see the Broncos finding a way to notch another win, preserving Spencer Danielson’s perfect Mountain West record.
Petterson’s Prediction: Boise State to Win Outright, UNLV to Cover, and Take the Over.
FanDuel Odds: BSU -12.5, Total of 61.5
Boise State Broncos 38 – UNLV Rebels 34
Let us at the Mountain West Connection know your prediction for Boise State’s eagerly-awaited battle with UNLV in the comments!
