UNLV cruised to a 38-21 victory over Sam Houston in Week 1, with the Rebels establishing control early and holding off a late Bearkats rally.

UNLV jumped out to a 14-7 first-quarter lead behind Anthony Colandrea's offense, including a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Bradley. The Rebels extended their advantage to 24-7 by halftime with a 10-point second quarter, then added another score in the third to reach 31-7.

Sam Houston mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 14 unanswered points to cut the deficit to 10 points. The Bearkats nearly completed the improbable rally, with quarterback Mabrey Mettauer orchestrating two major scoring drives—including a 59-yard touchdown pass to Tim Burns Jr. and a 53-yard run by Landan Brown—but ultimately fell short.

JoJo Earle led UNLV's receiving corps with 66 yards, while Jaylon Glover rushed for 9 yards for the Rebels. Mettauer completed 86 yards passing for Sam Houston in the losing effort.

The victory saw UNLV cover the 9-point spread comfortably.