Dan Mullen trusts coaching staff — everyone ‘needs to be better’

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dan Mullen said this week he has great trust in his coaching staff but that everyone associated with the UNLV football program needs to be better.

That even had last week’s game — a 41-35 loss to Wyoming — ended differently with a Rebels victory, there would still be issues and problems that need to be cleaned up.

UNLV needs to do so fast.

The Rebels on Saturday play at No. 23 New Mexico, the Lobos sitting alone in first place among Mountain West teams and in the proverbial driver’s seat to host a league championship game.

“I don’t know if you changed one play in the end (against Wyoming) and we score and win the game, I would have felt much differently,” Mullen said. “I don’t know. We would have executed just one more play in the game than we did. I’m still looking at all the issues.

“There are a lot of little things we didn’t do well that we need to get fixed and changed. I wish it was as simple as one thing, but it’s multiple things. Maybe had we (won), I would have gotten better sleep the past few nights. You don’t sleep much Saturday or Sunday anyways. You’re thinking about the previous game and you’re worried about the next.”

Tackling issues

He’s probably worried about one thing the most: Tackling.

The Rebels (5-4,3-2) haven’t done it well, and the 173 yards Wyoming gained on missed tackles is the latest example.

Which likely wouldn’t bode well against New Mexico (8-1, 5-0), which ranks second among conference teams in rushing average and first in rushing touchdowns.

The Rebels, meanwhile, allow 207 yards on the ground per game.

Mullen said it’s about adjustments. The Rebels haven’t made them fast enough during games.

It’s one reason UNLV has been gashed for big yards and points in the first half the last two weeks but only surrendered 14 points total after intermission during them.

“We have to do a better job preparing for the looks we’re seeing,” Mullen said. “I watch a lot of teams and they play us differently. I don’t know why. Wyoming came out and played a completely different defense for most of the game then they played all season. They gave us a bunch of different looks offensively coming off a bye.

“We just have to adjust much quicker during the course of the game with our ability to make plays early instead of having to go in at halftime and say, ‘These are all the things they’re doing differently.’ We have to do a better job coaching it immediately on Saturday.”

Suddenly, things are much different.

The Rebels are no longer in control of their destiny when it comes to playing in a fourth straight conference title game. They’ll likely need to win their final three games (at San Jose State and home to UNR follow New Mexico) and get help from others.

For now, the Lobos and Wyoming (6-3, 5-1) are being chased by everyone else.

“Listen, one thing we can control is winning our games,” Mullen said. “There is still a lot of football to be played. We still have to worry about this week. We have to worry about playing better as a team. We have to worry about making improvements that we have to make and continue to get better from one week to the next. We’ll see what happens. At the end, who knows.”

His players say the vibe in the building is one of unfinished business, that New Mexico came into Allegiant Stadium last year and left a 40-35 winner.

That the Wyoming game is over and it’s time to move on.

That this is the reality presenting itself to UNLV.

Every rep

“We can’t change what has happened (before),” safety Mumu Bin-Wahad said. “We have New Mexico next and that’s going to be the biggest test for us this year. We need to rally as a team and go there and play at a high level and execute against those guys.”

Said center Austin Boyd: “Obviously, the (Wyoming) outcome wasn’t what we wanted. But we have to take this one day at a time with our preparation, one game at a time. We have to do our best with every rep we take so we’re prepared for this week and after that. We have to win out to put ourselves in the best position possible.”

First things first: They have to tackle.

Contact Ed Graney at [email protected]. Follow @edgraney on X.