UNLV prepares for Utah Tech in home opener after rolling past Houston

LAS VEGAS — After nearly shutting out the Cougars on Saturday, the Rebels are back home this week gearing up for their first home game of the season at Allegiant Stadium.

Coach Barry Odom addressed the media Monday, as did linebacker Marsel McDuffie and quarterback Matthew Sluka, who spoke for the first time since camp. 

Sluka, who earned the nickname “Sluka Doncic” for a backwards pass that wide receiver Jacob DeJesus miraculously caught, has shed the “OR” tag on the depth chart, solidifying himself in the top spot as starter.  

That wasn’t the only botched play that showcased the two’s chemistry. Sluka gathered a bad snap on the ground before he rolled out and found DeJesus for a phenomenal catch, and one of his two first-half touchdowns. In just their first game together, the connection was on full display before UNLV was able to stash the passing game. 

“Jacob’s the first-in, last-out type of guy,” Sluka noted. “He’s a great receiver who has a great feel for the ball. I just put it in the spot where I cannot get it picked off, where he can go get it, and he does the rest.” 

Sluka only threw for 71 yards, but that was all that was needed as the Rebel offense stuck to the run game while their defense dominated. 

Linebacker Jackson Woodard took home this week’s Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week, as he had real estate in the Houston backfield. The senior captain finished with 11 tackles, 4 of which were for a loss, including 3 sacks. McDuffie chipped in 2 1⁄2 tackles for loss himself, including a sack.

“Me and Woody, since he got here a year ago, we’ve gotten real tight and we continue to get tighter,” McDuffie said of his partner in crime. “With the amount of reps we’ve gotten, we’ve gotten used to playing off each other.” 

The defensive recipe for the year will continue to feature linebackers getting into the backfield. “I think we’ve got three or four linebackers that are good rushers, " Odom said. “We can line those guys up in a number of ways there. 

“There are a number of things that Mike [Scherer] couldn't get to last year, we didn't have the personnel to do it, and it didn't match the skill set of what we had at the current time. You always adjust to what your roster is, and I think we've got the opportunity because of [personnel]. Certainly, Jackson and Marsel the other night, showcased some of that.”

With the defense creating turnovers and stifling Houston’s progress all game, Odom intentionally abandoned the passing game after halftime. He said he urged his staff in the third quarter to stick to the ground game. 

“I don’t want any more balls in the air,” Odom directed them. “I think we attempted 3 passes in the second half. I felt like we were in control of the game and I wanted to finish in that context.” 

After Saturday’s impressive showing, UNLV finds itself at the center of national attention, being featured in College Football Playoff prediction brackets from prominent publications and writers.

Just a week into their arduous gauntlet of a schedule, it’s important they don’t let their heads get too big. Sluka is unfazed by the playoff talks, and focuses on his week-by-week leadership. 

“To be honest I haven’t really thought about the playoffs at all,” the Holy Cross transfer said. “We've been taking it one week at a time right now, just trying to make sure we focus on what we’ve got to do. So from that perspective, I haven't even seen that.” 

Coach Odom took a different approach when prompted to “coach speak” and pretend that he didn’t care about receiving top-25 votes. “I used to be acting like I didn’t read them,” Odom joked. “I read them (now), and I read them then. Everybody reads them.

“I’m done with coach talk, that’s boring. I think we are a top-25 team. If you haven’t put your vote in yet, you should vote for the Rebels.” 

Now Odom prepares his squad for what will almost certainly be the easiest matchup of the season in the home opener on Saturday. If the Rebels have any hopes of racking up those top-25 votes and making the playoff, week two is surely a must-win. 

UNLV will host Utah Tech at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday at noon.