UNLV's Thomas doing more while working less

LAS VEGAS — Before the season, UNLV football coach Dan Mullen said he wanted to play a lot of people because it’s a long season and he felt there was enough competition within the program to warrant getting lots of players involved.

Mullen was right. And he has kept his word. Through five games, 67 players have taken at least one snap. The Rebels, who are 5-0 for the first time since 1974, are a happy bunch at the moment as they prepare for Saturday’s Homecoming game against Air Force at Allegiant Stadium.

“I’m very pleased,” Mullen said of the way his players have competed for opportunities to get on the field. “I think it earns a lot of trust. I wish we can get more guys reps.”

The Rebels ran just 59 offensive plays against Wyoming in their 31-17 win in wintry Laramie last Saturday. For someone like Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas, that means less work than he’s accustomed to. But the junior running back is making more of his opportunities under Mullen, who has used him judiciously early on and tried not to overwork him.

Thomas has 61 carries for 489 yards, which leads the Mountain West. He’s had an average of 12.1 carries per game, averaging 8.0 yards per carry and has scored five rushing touchdowns. In addition, he has 10 receptions for 40 yards and a TD. A year ago, he averaged 5.6 yards on the ground in 164 attempts in 14 games and scored seven TDs. 

“When you look at our running back rotation, each guy brings something different,” Mullen said of his backs, which includes Keyvone Lee and Jaylon Glover along with quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who has a net 261 yards on the ground, a 4.6 average and a TD.

“I try to make sure I get my treatment and make sure my body is sound,” Thomas said. “Mentally, I feel ready every day. I do the little stuff to make sure I’m straight. I can’t control my workload. What I can control is what I do when I’m out there. I’m appreciative of every opportunity I get to help the team.”

Thomas has adjusted nicely from playing for Barry Odom for two years to Mullen. He has also adjusted to a new system with lots of new teammates. His playmaking ability, especially once he finds some open field coupled with his strength and acceleration makes him tough to stop.

For the Falcons, who are 1-4 and 0-3 in conference play, trying to contain Thomas, Colandrea and the rest of the UNLV offense will be a significant challenge. The Falcons are coming off a tough loss to service academy rival Navy last Saturday in Annapolis where they played well but came up just short, 34-31.

“Air Force is going to be a challenge,” Mullen said. “They’ve been in a lot of shootout games. A play here and there, they could be 4-1. A lot of their games have come down to the wire.”

If history is any indication, expect a lot of fireworks Saturday. In the 25 games these two teams have played against each other, the winning team has averaged 38 points and has never scored fewer than 24. For UNLV, which is averaging 35 points a game under Mullen and are getting scoring from both the defense and from special teams — the Rebels blocked two punts and returned them for touchdowns against Wyoming — it has all the makings of a shootout in Vegas.

“For us, our goal is to continue to get better each week,” said Mullen of his undefeated team which received 19 votes in the Associated Press top-25 poll this week but failed to get in. “We need to keep taking those small steps.”