NFL
By: Brock Vierra
Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas is a dude. The 5’9, 180-pound true freshman running back from Atlanta, Georgia powered the UNLV Rebels to a comfortable 45-28 win against UTEP. The Rebels improved to 3-1 on the year with their only loss being against #2 Michigan in Ann Arbor. Looking to take their first step towards a Mountain West title when they play rival Hawaii this week at Allegiant Stadium, UNLV will be trying to avenge a shocking loss in Manoa last year. In order to do that, Jai’Den Thomas will be crucial against the Rainbow Warriors.
Hawaii hosts a high passing attack with their QB Brayden Schager being one of the top passers in all of college football in terms of passing yards. Thomas will be key in both keeping UNLV’s offense explosive and maintaining a solid time of possession, limiting the Rainbow Warriors’ opportunities for quick scores. Now for Thomas himself, he has proven to be a reliable ball carrier and the most exciting running back UNLV has had since Charles “Chuck Wagon” Williams’ departure after the 2021 season. Establishing himself as the Rebels’ go-to man after the Vanderbilt victory, Thomas went off at the Sun Bowl. On 13 carries, he had 100 rushing yards and an astonishing 4 touchdowns on the day. With QB Jayden Maiava continuing to show youthful struggles and the health of Doug Brumfield being relatively unknown, Barry Odom and OC Brennan Marion will be able to use Thomas in the run game and his success will freeze up Hawaii’s linebackers via play action and RPO.
Thomas can run north to south and east to west, allowing Marion to use him in both the pistol and Marion’s preferred shotgun formations. Now what I love about Thomas is his intelligence. He is a confident runner because he studies. He understands how his offensive line operates and their blocking assignments. He continually hits holes as they develop and you rarely see him hesitate. He has lightning speed and his hip movements are NFL quality. He is so dangerous out of the pistol so expect Marion to use that continuously against Hawaii and their flex defense.
Now the offensive line of UNLV that dominated UTEP will have a tough assignment against Hawaii. Hawaii’s Daniel “Sauce” Williams is a force to be reckoned with and the 330-pound defensive tackle looks to put in another dominant performance. Hawaii’s hybrid 3-3-5 defense will cause matchup nightmares as they can blitz from multiple positions and angles while allowing their linebackers to bail out at any time. However, Hawaii isn’t a big, physical team so as long as UNLV brings the hammer, they should be okay.
Offensively, UNLV needs to spread the field with their speed and allow both Thomas and Ricky White to eat underneath. Playing within the defensive structure is critical to the Rebels’ defensive efforts. Despite their massive yardage gained, Hawaii only averages 22.6 points per game so limiting big plays and making tackles will give UNLV the win. The big thing will be stopping Hawaii’s Pofele Ashlock. The young pass catcher is Hawaii’s WR1 and he has 439 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Koali Nishigaya is a monster out of the slot as well so UNLV needs to bring the heat and make Schager uncomfortable so his passes go array. Hawaii’s star player Tylan Hines has missed the past two games so perhaps he will be one less thing for UNLV to worry about.
I have UNLV winning this one comfortably 38-20 behind a solid defense and a balanced offensive effort. Since entering the Mountain West, Hawaii has struggled in Vegas, going 1-4 against the Rebels at both Allegiant and Sam Boyd Stadium. Hawaii’s only win came in a sloppy effort in 2019, winning 21-7. Keep in mind that it was Hawaii’s best year of the decade so I have the utmost confidence in the Rebels. In UNLV’s four home wins against Hawaii since 2012, they’ve averaged 34.5 points per game, and with Thomas and the Rebels averaging 43 points per game in their three wins this season, maybe 38 points is too low for a prediction. Either way, a win is a win, and should UNLV play sound football, their fourth is on the horizon.
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