AKRON, Ohio — In times of need, you count on the stars.
Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas is one for UNLV’s football team.
He was needed Saturday and, wow, did he ever come through.
Thomas led the way for an offense that for the most part found itself here, the Rebels rolling to a 38-10 victory against Akron at InfoCision Stadium.
It was a team effort to rid UNLV of the bad taste a 44-6 loss to North Texas had left two weeks ago. It was about making plays on both sides of the ball, about also a defense that totaled three interceptions and played as fine a second half as we have seen all season from that side of the ball.
So the Rebels are 2-2, and Thomas had much to do with elevating the record. He went for 113 yards rushing on 15 carries and caught three passes for 54 more.
He would score three times, twice via the air with receptions of 40 and 2 yards and then on a 16-yard run.
All the while, Thomas moved into a third-place tie with Tim Cornett for career touchdowns (38) while posting his 11th career 100-yard rushing game.
The Jet was his old self. His second score gave UNLV a 14-7 lead. It eventually ran away.
More detailed
“What happened at (North Texas) happened,” Thomas said. “We’re not worried about that any more. I just needed to be more detailed on my runs and pass protection. I really needed to get back to my game and play football.
“Yes, it was important to bounce back from a loss. Very important. I hate losing. It’s no fun. So coming here with the guys having more detail about what we’re doing is going to make us more focused. I just wanted to know, ‘What can I do better for this team?’”
He did more than enough, combining with quarterback Jackson Arnold and wide receiver Taz Reddicks for all the firepower the Rebels would need.
UNLV coach Dan Mullen had talked about the lack of explosive plays for his team over the opening three weeks of a season. But the coach saw such things Saturday, guys stepping forward and coming through when needed most.
Examples: Arnold completed 17 of 29 attempts for 290 yards and three scores while Reddicks became the first 100-yard receiver for the Rebels this season, catching four balls for 116. He even hauled in a 59-yard touchdown.
Yep. Those kinds of explosive plays.
“It’s a lot easier to coach hard and get things done with a big ol’ giant smile on your face,” Mullen said. “Then it’s about staying focused and being the team we know we can be. I still think we missed some plays during the game. Jackson made some great throws but missed some he should have had. We just need to continue to take steps and play the way we need to.
“Jet had a big game, which we rely on. It was good to see our wideouts make plays down the field. They’re a talented group, but they’re really young. As they grow and mature, hopefully that confidence builds to make plays I know they can make.”
It’s not as if Thomas hadn’t produced so far. He still averaged 5.3 yards per rush entering Saturday. But his average per game was 74.7 yards, meaning the breakout effort at Akron was something for which UNLV had waited.
He had scored one touchdown this season before arriving here.
You knew it was coming. He has been too good for too long to believe teams could continue limiting him.
Keep fighting
“We got through this one, but there is still a lot of push left in us,” Thomas said. “Just keep fighting. We’ll do that. It’s a great win for us but I believe we can do much more. We’re a better team than we even showed today. I want us to put everything together. There’s always room for improvement. I’m not satisfied at all. I want more.”
The offense can certainly be better and Arnold certainly missed some throws but there is promise in what transpired Saturday. You can’t overstate how important Thomas is to the big picture for UNLV, how much he means to the overall scheme of things.
The Jet was his old self, and the Rebels rolled.
This, of course, is not a coincidence.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
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