UNLV and Wyoming Face Off in Las Vegas After Last Year's Punt Block Meltdown

UNLV blocked two punts for touchdowns last October in Laramie, a feat that has occurred only three times in the history of college football.

The Rebels used those scores to defeat the Wyoming Cowboys 31-17 inside a hail-covered War Memorial Stadium. Jaden Bradley and Kayden McGee both ran around the edge of the kicking team to intercept the ball directly from punter Bart Edmiston's foot.

Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel described the special teams performance from last season as too slow. He noted that the snap direction pushed Edmiston into the rushing defenders. The coverage unit barely moved, allowing the two receivers to score.

Sawvel told reporters Monday that those two plays accounted for a large portion of the point differential. "Those two breakdowns that's a big chunk of the game right there, you know?" he said. "So, we have to get better with it, and we have to address it."

UNLV has not blocked a punt in its eight games this season. However, the team has remained active on special teams. In a 31-24 win over Northern Illinois last Saturday, safety Logan Christensen ran a successful fake punt for seven yards. The Rebels also executed a fake punt in a home victory against Cal.

Coach Dan Mullen, in his first year at UNLV, credited special teams for the previous season's win in Wyoming. "Our special teams were huge tonight and the conditions were tough," Mullen said after that game. "You have to win with offense, defense and special teams, and our special teams certainly won us the game."

Wyoming first-year cornerbacks coach JB Hall handles duties on the kicking game. He acknowledged the previous season's performance but stated the unit has executed well this year. "It's just about execution," Hall said. "I think, to this point of our season, special teams units have done a really good job attacking people, but also being very sound and fundamentally executing the game plan."

The Cowboys and Rebels meet Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Both teams enter the game with a 5-3 overall record. Wyoming is 4-1 in conference play, while UNLV is 3-1.