October 16, 2026 - 1:41 pm

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Here’s what they always say about playing Air Force in football: There is never enough time to fully prepare for all the Falcons present in their triple option offense.

Never enough time to totally understand the final details of how Air Forces marches down a field.

“You always feel (that way),” UNLV defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “But we worked on some stuff in training camp and during the bye week and came out to practice (this week) and got right to it. Our guys understood the calls. The scout offense understood the plays. So it’s all good.”

The Rebels meet Air Force on Saturday in a key Mountain West matchup at Falcon Stadium, two teams expected to contend for a conference championship.

You figure two league losses might have you in the running for a spot in the league final but in no way guarantees such a reality. Air Force (4-1, 2-1) has already dropped a Mountain West game while the Rebels (4-2, 2-0) sit alone atop the conference standings.

Now, if they can create enough stops to depart town a winner.

It won’t be easy.

These teams last year at Allegiant Stadium played to a 51-48 final in which UNLV prevailed. The Rebels are unquestionably better on defense this season but practicing to slow the speed by which Air Force runs things and seeing the real thing up close are two totally different matters.

“It’s just style of play for me,” UNLV coach Dan Mullen said. “We have so many new faces you have to go back and look at who actually played in that game last year. Just understanding the style.

“It’s going to be about efficiency of possessions. Last year’s game was whoever had the ball last was going to win and it almost came out that way. They ran out of time. I’m sure in their locker room they were saying, ‘We just ran out of time.’”

It’s an offense that makes opposing coaches just nervous enough.

An offense that threw the ball just once in beating Northern Illinois last week.

An offense that just when you get comfortable stopping the run …

“Air Force is, ‘We’re going to run the option, run the option, run the option,’ and then pull up and throw it to a guy on the post or a wheel route or something like that,” Guenther said. “It’s about everybody understanding what kind of blocks you’re going to get and knowing your responsibility for all the option plays.

“These types of things are going to be really important. They do the same concepts but use a lot of different formations and personnel. Just have to understand how we’re going to attack them. You have to be able to stop the run and have eyes on the back end and depending on what the coverage is, you need to be in the right spots.”

UNLV is a young team, and some of its better players reside on the defensive side of the ball — players who might not yet have experienced playing the triple option.

Mullen says he sees those players growing and maturing weekly. He just wants to keep them around, is all.

“Go look at our roster and the eligibility we have after this year,” Mullen said. “I don’t want people to try and steal all our players. We need people in this city to donate money to keep all these great players. When you’re young, you talk about development and growth and reaching your potential every day. You’re starting to see that with us.”

He can’t remember coaching much against Air Force before last year but did encounter a then-triple option team in Georgia Tech a few times when Mullen was coach at Mississippi State.

A wild game saw the Bulldogs actually run for over 300 yards and the Yellow Jackets throw for 300-plus.

“One of the craziest you’ve ever been part of,” Mullen said. “I just know the (Air Force) passing ability. That’s where they can hit you with explosive plays. It’s always in the back of your mind.”

Tell you what: If the Rebels run for 300 yards and the Falcons throw for 300, this thing is going to be far nuttier than 51-48 ever was.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.