UNLV fell short of completing a 20-point second-half comeback on Saturday, resulting in a 41-35 loss to Wyoming that raised questions about the quarterback position heading into a Week 11 matchup against No. 22 New Mexico.
Jackson Arnold, who has started every game under center for the Scarlet and Gray during the 2026 season, struggled to find a rhythm through nearly three quarters against the Cowboys. He completed five of 12 pass attempts for 71 yards in the first half.
After three consecutive empty possessions to open the second half, Rebels coach Dan Mullen elected to make a change, bringing in Alex Orji for his first extended playing time at UNLV since transferring from Michigan before the 2025 season.
For Mullen, the change wasn’t a result of Arnold’s performance but rather an attempt to shift momentum in the Rebels’ favor. UNLV had totaled just 146 yards of offense compared with Wyoming’s 392 with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter.
“I wasn’t saying ‘(the change) is on Jackson,’ we just needed a spark,” Mullen said. “I was looking and we just looked lethargic out there on the field and I was trying to look for a spark within the team.
“Alex (Orji) came in and gave a spark for us there at the end and that was a plus. I was looking for something to get the energy picked up on the team, and I thought Alex came in and he made the deep pass and maybe gave us some energy and I think we performed well after that.”
Orji immediately made an impact, leading the Rebels down the field for their first score in four possessions. The drive included a 48-yard completion to Tavian McNair before Orji punched the ball into the end zone himself from 2 yards out to spark UNLV’s comeback bid.
The score also appeared to breathe new life into the fans at Allegiant Stadium. Wyoming’s next offensive drive stalled after the Cowboys were called for two delay-of-game penalties, forcing a punt.
Orji once again led the Rebels down the field on the ensuing possession, cutting Wyoming’s lead to six points with more than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The 6-foot-3 Sachse, Texas, native finished the night completing two of five pass attempts for 58 yards and a touchdown while adding 25 yards and a rushing score on eight carries.
Despite the spark Orji provided, his night will also be remembered for his second interception of the season. The turnover came in the red zone, 11 yards away from a potential game-winning score.
The decision to throw on consecutive plays during the possession drew attention, particularly after Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas recorded 48 rushing yards on the Rebels’ final drive to put UNLV in position to potentially take the lead.
For Mullen, the issue was execution rather than the decision to throw the ball.
“We were moving the ball right down the field there,” Mullen said. “On the first play they zero blitzed us and we had a guy on the team miss protection and we had a guy wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.
“(Orji) ended up getting hit and on second down he was trying to make a play. … I’ll go back and look at it on film on the interception, but we had three timeouts and it looked like we had a stop on the first play and maybe even another chance to go make a play to win it at the end.”
This would not be the first time that Arnold has been relieved of his starting role if that decision came to pass after he fell on the depth chart in both of his previous stops with Oklahoma in 2024 and Auburn in 2025.
Contact Donovan Hicks at dhicks@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HicksSports on X.
