Late in the second quarter of UNLV’s 39-31 win over Cal at Allegiant Stadium last Saturday, Rebels punter Matt Choules was presented with an opportunity he had never seen before in his young football career.

The redshirt freshman from Canberra, Australia, was lined up on the right hash mark with 5:32 left in the second quarter on fourth down ready to boot his fourth punt of the game. There was also a massive gap on the left side of the field.

Needing four yards for the first down, Choules called for the snap. Four Cal rushers converged on Choules but were eaten up by UNLV blockers, clearing the way for the Kennesaw State transfer to rush 14 yards for a Rebels first down.

Choules’ punt fake kept the drive alive for UNLV (3-2), resulting in a 31-yard field goal from kicker Ramon Villela that extended the Rebels’ lead to 17-7 with 1:52 remaining before halftime.

Choules said after practice on Monday he and the coaching staff are always prepared to execute a fake punt if the opportunity presents itself, but that actually going for it gave him the jolt of adrenaline he’s been waiting for since arriving in the U.S. two years ago.

“We went out and saw (Cal’s formation), in my head I was like, ‘Aw, we’re going to check out of this,’” Choules said. “Then the look was there. I went, ‘Finally, giddy up,’ and I got the ball.”

“Growing up, I played rugby, so running the ball wasn’t really a stress,” Choules continued. “It’s probably easier for me to run the ball than punt it at times.”

Mitch Singler, UNLV’s first-year special teams coordinator, credited Choules for quickly taking an opportunity that had presented itself. His only critique, however, was that his punter didn’t extend the play any more.

“The unfortunate thing was that there was probably a little bit more yardage there for him, but he’s getting used to football and getting used to the game,” Singler said of Choules. “Matt did a heck of a job knowing where the first down marker was.”

Singler, who was elevated to coordinator in the offseason after joining coach Dan Mullen’s staff as a special teams analyst in 2025, added that while there was much to like about the Rebels’ special teams showing in their win against the Bears, there is also much room for improvement.

Cal successfully blocked a Choules punt late in the first quarter, with the ball landing out of bounds at the UNLV 33. But two plays later, senior defensive back Quandarius Keyes intercepted a pass from Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Cal also executed an onside kick to begin the third quarter, which gave the Bears possession on their own 49. Later in the third, after a Cal touchdown to cut UNLV’s lead to 24-15, freshman Peyton Zachary ran into Rebels linebacker Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu on the ensuing kickoff return.

The contact from Alualu-Tuiolemotu caused Zachary to fumble at UNLV’s 16, and Cal recovered the ball. Despite the miscue, the Rebel defense held the Bears to a 38-yard field goal to make it a 24-18 game late in the third quarter.

“They get two extra possessions because of special teams,” Mullen said of Cal at his press conference on Monday. “Two drives start inside our own 35 because of special teams. So, I mean, think of how good our defense played despite that.”

Both Mullen and Singler said UNLV’s special teams errors should be fixable with some minor adjustments. They also both said it will be imperative for UNLV (1-0 in Mountain West play) to make sure those adjustments are made in time for Saturday’s homecoming game against North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0).

The 2026 season is the Bisons’ first in the Mountain West after previously competing in the Football Championship Subdivision’s Missouri Valley Conference, and Mullen was quick to point out that Saturday’s matchup will be tough for the Rebels.

The Bison are averaging 33.6 points per game, second in the conference behind only New Mexico, and have limited opponents to a conference-best 236.2 yards of offense per contest.

Singler said strong special teams play will be critical against NDSU. He added that avoiding repeat mistakes will be an absolute must.

“They’re not going to beat themselves, so we have to be locked in and dialed into our assignments,” Singler said. “And our punters, our kickers, our snappers have to be on point and operationally be sound because if there’s a hiccup in anything that we do, they’ll take advantage of it.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X.