November 1, 2026 - 12:41 am

Defense wins championships.

Which is why the chaotic ebbs and flows of the UNLV football program through the first nine weeks of the 2026 season have made it difficult to determine where the Rebels stand defensively with four regular-season games remaining.

There have been matchups in which the UNLV defense has shown it is capable of playing at the level necessary to help the program claim its first conference championship. Then there have been games in which struggles on the back end have played a role in the Rebels’ setbacks.

That contrast was on full display on Saturday against the winless Northern Illinois Huskies in UNLV’s 31-24 victory , the Rebels’ fifth win of Dan Mullen’s second season at the helm.

The first half was a back-and-forth track meet, with the two teams combining for 41 points and 529 yards.…