Boise State football’s next opponent is undefeated. But how good are they?

BOSIE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State football’s next opponent may be the most confusing undefeated team in the country right now.

The UNLV Rebels have started the season 6-0 and are one of just 11 teams yet to lose a game this year. Their scoring offense ranks among the nation’s elite at 38.2 points per game (19th), while other key win indicators like turnover margin (plus-9, 2nd) and third-down conversion (48.6%, 22nd) also point toward a high-functioning team.

“They’ve played on the road. They’ve played in different time zones. They’ve been in battles,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said about UNLV on Monday. “And good teams find a way to win, and UNLV has.”

But when you look at those wins? Not so impressive. The Rebels started their season with a fourth-quarter comeback for a 38-31 win over FCS team Idaho State, beat a Sam Houston team 38-21 that’s currently 0-6, and then defeated UCLA 30-23 before the Bruins started 0-4 and fired their head coach.

Those victories have been followed with a come-from-behind win by a field goal at Miami (Ohio), a good 31-17 win at Wyoming and another comeback, a 51-48 win over Air Force in which the Falcons missed a game-tying field goal as time expired.

The six UNLV opponents have a combined record of 11-26, with none sporting a winning record. That means Boise State (4-2) will be a first for the Rebels.

Both of the Broncos’ losses came against teams currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 — South Florida at No. 19 and Notre Dame at No. 13 — making it little surprise that Boise State has opened as a 10.5-point favorite.

Of course, when asked about UNLV’s schedule and tight wins, Danielson brushed off any notions.

“They’re undefeated. You know who’s not undefeated? Us,” Danielson said. “They found ways to win, and hats off to them.”

Could UNLV beat Boise State?

If the Rebels are to leave Boise with a win on Saturday, it’ll take bucking some trends. UNLV has never won at Albertsons Stadium, while its last win over Boise State at any location came all the way back in 1976 in Las Vegas.

The most recent matchup between the two teams occurred on The Blue last December when the Broncos won the Mountain West championship game 21-7 and secured a spot in the College Football Playoff.

But UNLV has made bucking trends a habit under new head coach Dan Mullen. The Rebels’ 6-0 start is their best since 1974, while their win over Wyoming in early October was UNLV’s first road win there since, coincidentally, 1974.

Who’s responsible for all of this success? Dual-threat quarterback Anthony Colandrea is a big reason for UNLV’s impressive offensive stats. He has 1,403 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes and three interceptions on the year, but he also has rushed for a further 323 yards and three touchdowns.

Colandrea’s favorite target, senior wide receiver Jaden Bradley, is averaging 82.2 receiving yards per game, which ranks 23rd in the nation.

“(Colandrea) is a guy that you have to make sure that either you pressure and those rush lanes are correct, so you’re keeping them in the pocket,” Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said Monday, “or when you’re not pressuring him, you’ve got to have eyes on him, because I think he’s really dangerous when he pulls the ball down and runs.”

When Colandrea isn’t keeping the ball, the primary other threat Boise State will have to keep an eye on is junior running back Jai’Den Thomas, who was the Rebels’ returning leading rusher from last season.

Thomas has a team-high 577 rushing yards this season, which ranks 17th in the nation. But the most impressive part about Thomas’ performance in 2025 is his ability to get to the line of scrimmage. He has been tackled in the backfield just once this season, losing a single yard.

“We’re going to have our hands full this week, because I think they’re pretty balanced everywhere,” Chinander said. “I don’t think there’s one position group that you’re like, ‘I don’t have to worry about them.’”

Boise State vs. UNLV

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Albertsons Stadium (33,000, turf)

TV: FS1 (Dan Hellie, Petros Papadakis)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 4-2, 2-0 Mountain West; UNLV 6-0, 2-0

Series: Boise State leads the series 11-3

Vegas betting line: Boise State by 10.5

Weather: 67 degrees, sunny, 3% chance of rain