Oregon State Football Opponent Preview: UNLV

With the start of the 2024 season just around the corner, BeaversEdge kicks off the first in an opponent preview series diving into all 12 of Oregon State's opponents in 2024...

Next up on the schedule is a home matchup with the UNLV Rebels...

THE GAME

Date: Saturday, October 19th

Time: 12:30 or 7:30 p.m.

Location: Reser Stadium - Corvallis, Ore.

TV: The CW

Oregon State 2023 record: 8-5 (5-4 Pac-12)

UNLV 2023 record: 9-5 (6-3 MW)

UNLV Head Coach: Barry Odom - 2nd season - (34-30 overall, 9-5 at UNLV)

UNLV 2023 Recap

After dismissing former head coach Marcus Arroyo after the 2022 campaign, UNLV tapped a former head coach to lead their program moving forward in one-time Missouri head coach Barry Odom.

Odom, who played at Missouri, spent over 20 years in the state, working his way up from the high school ranks to a position coach with the Tigers, and ultimately being tabbed to succeed Tigers' legend Gary Pinkel as he had risen to defensive coordinator.

He wasn't able to find success with the Tigers in the SEC, going just 25-25 (13-19 SEC) in four seasons before being dismissed. He then joined Arkansas as a defensive coordinator for several seasons before ultimately being tabbed by UNLV several weeks later.

A program that certainly doesn't have a tradition of winning, UNLV had gone to just four bowl games in its entire existence before Odom's arrival.

Yet, Odom helped oversee one of the biggest turnarounds in mid-tier history as he took a 5-7 squad in 2022 and turned them into a 9-5 winner with an appearance in the conference championship game. The nine wins were UNLV's most in 40 years, so Odom was certainly able to push a lot of the right buttons in year one.

One of the major reasons for success right out of the gate was the emergence of freshman quarterback Jayden Maiava. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder dominated the MW competition, throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Running back Jai'den Thomas (500 yards, 10 TDs) and wide receiver Ricky White (1,483 yards, 10 TDs) were explosive in the running and passing game, respectively.

The Rebels showcased great offensive versatility, leading the Mountain West in scoring (34.4) and ranking fourth in total offensive yards per game (412). They were also great with pace as they could go very quickly under OC Brennan Marion.

Defensively, the Rebels were solid against the run (163 yards per game allowed, 3rd MW), but had some issues in pass coverage, allowing nearly 240 passing yards per game which ranked eighth in the conference.

UNLV's schedule fell very favorable for them in 2023, only facing one ranked opponent (Michigan) in regular season play. They opened the year with a win over Bryant before falling to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

The Rebels then rattled off five straight wins, including an impressive win over SEC foe Vanderbilt, UTEP, Hawaii, Nevada, and Colorado State. Their streak was snapped with a one-score loss to Fresno State but responded with three straight wins to clinch a spot in the MW Championship.

They closed the regular season with a loss to San Jose State, before losing to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship. They were selected to play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Kansas, falling to the Jayhawks 49-36.

Best Win: vs Wyoming (34-14)

Worst Loss: vs Boise State (45-20)

2023 Schedule

UNLV 2024 Outlook

After going 9-3 in the regular season and reaching the conference title game in year one of the Odom era, the expectations will be for the Rebels to take the next step and win the conference crown.

However, they were dealt a sizable blow in the offense when Maiava announced he was departing Las Vegas after just one season as the starter to go to USC to play for QB whisperer Lincoln Riley.

The Rebels added Hajj-Malik Williams from Campbell and Mathew Sluka from Holy Cross to join 2023 third-stringer Cameron Friel in the quarterback battle.

Any one of these guys could win the job, so it's hard to predict exactly how the offense will look under center. But make no mistake, neither of those guys is Maiava so there will be a slight step back in QB production, at least early on.

In terms of skill position guys, whoever starts at QB will have one of the better receivers on the West Coast to throw to, or a running back who is very capable of making big plays.

Defensively, if the Rebels want to take the next step, they'll have to be more consistent. The run defense was certainly something to build on as it was top four in the conference, but they allowed too many passing yards per game (239) and points per game (27).

They return a good amount of depth, experience, and versatility on defense, with DL Jalen Dixon leading the way in the trenches, and DB Cameron Oliver (5 INT in 23) carrying the secondary with strong play from a season ago.

Linebacker Jackson Woodard is also back to lead the defense in the middle after tallying a team-high 116 tackles a season ago. He also added 2.5 sacks, one interception, and three pass breakups...

Once again, the schedule shakes out pretty well for the Rebels. Outside of the matchups against Houston, Kansas, and Oregon State, all of which are on the road, there isn't another game where you couldn't or wouldn't pick UNLV.

If the Rebels can find consistent quarterback play, and the defense maintains the level from a season ago, I don't see why another bowl season that features seven or eight wins isn't realistic. They'll be right in the thick of the MW title race if that's the case, so that'll also be something to keep an eye on...

Season Projection: 8-4

Key Players: RB Jai’Den Thomas, WR Ricky White III, DL Jalen Dixon, LB Jackson Woodard, DB Cameron Oliver

Early Prediction

Oregon State's first matchup against UNLV since the 2009 campaign and just the sixth meeting overall, these are two programs whose paths haven't crossed all that often.

On the surface, this is a game I expect Oregon State to win, especially being at home.

That being said, Barry Odom is a good coach, and one who has a ton of SEC experience, and I think that'll serve him and the Rebels quite well in the Mountain West in the seasons to come.

If UNLV had returned Maiava I think this game would have been closer to a pick-em, but with the Rebels having to break in a new quarterback, I think that's the advantage the Beavers need to feel very comfortable in this matchup.

Defensively the Beavers will need to keep White III under wraps, and not let Thomas get going on the ground. Offensively, there should be some room to make plays in the passing game against UNLV's defense, but the Beavers will also need to get Jam Griffin/Anthony Hankerson going as well...

UNLV was a good team last season, and a solid amount of those players returned after experiencing a taste of success. The Beavers should come out on top in this matchup, but I think UNLV finally found a coach who can utilize the Las Vegas culture to their advantage.

Look for the Beavers to win this one by a couple of scores, but it will be tougher than expected as the Rebels give the Beavs everything they can handle.

PREDICTION - Oregon State 34, UNLV 24

Previously

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