# 2021 UNLV Rebels football team

The 2021 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels were led by second–year head coach Marcus Arroyo and played their home games at Allegiant Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference.

## Preseason
### Mountain West media days

The Mountain West media days were held on July 21–22, 2021, at the Cosmopolitan in Paradise, Nevada.

#### Media poll

The preseason poll was released on July 21, 2021. The Rebels were predicted to finish in sixth place in the MW West Division.
West :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Nevada | 141 (19) |
| 2 | San Jose State | 121 (5) |
| 3 | San Diego State | 96 |
| 4 | Fresno State | 85 (1) |
| 5 | Hawaii | 56 |
| 6 | UNLV | 26 |
Mountain :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Boise State | 148 (23) |
| 2 | Wyoming | 115 (2) |
| 3 | Air Force | 104 |
| 4 | Colorado State | 72 |
| 5 | Utah State | 47 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 39 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 11 (FCS) Eastern Washington* | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV | Stadium | L 33–35 $^{2OT}$ | 21,970 |
| September 11 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 23 Arizona State* | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ | ESPN2 | L 10–37 | 42,918 |
| September 18 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 14 Iowa State* | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV | CBSSN | L 3–48 | 35,193 |
| September 24 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 22 Fresno State | Bulldog StadiumFresno, CA | CBSSN | L 30–38 | 35,093 |
| October 2 | 3:00 p.m. | at UTSA* | AlamodomeSan Antonio, TX | ESPN+ | L 17–24 | 20,154 |
| October 16 | 4:00 p.m. | Utah State | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV | CBSSN | L 24–28 | 21,322 |
| October 21 | 8:00 p.m. | San Jose State | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV | CBSSN | L 20–27 | 19,318 |
| October 29 | 7:00 p.m. | at Nevada | Mackay StadiumReno, NV (Battle for the Fremont Cannon / Silver State Series) | CBSSN | L 20–51 | 28,960 |
| November 6 | 4:00 p.m. | at New Mexico | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | Stadium | W 31–17 | 14,007 |
| November 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Hawaii | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV (Island Showdown) | SPEC PPV | W 27–13 | 19,623 |
| November 19 | 8:30 p.m. | No. 19 San Diego State | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV | CBSSN | L 20–28 | 16,713 |
| November 26 | 12:30 p.m. | at Air Force | Falcon StadiumColorado Springs, CO | CBSSN | L 14–48 | 18,226 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Pacific time |||||||

## Game summaries
### No. 11 (FCS) Eastern Washington

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| No. 11 (FCS) Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 35 |
| Rebels | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 33 |

### At No. 23 Arizona State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 23 Sun Devils | 0 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 37 |

### No. 14 Iowa State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Cyclones | 7 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 48 |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |

### At No. 22 Fresno State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 14 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
| No. 22 Bulldogs | 0 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 38 |

### At UTSA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Roadrunners | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |

### Utah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Rebels | 17 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 |

### San Jose State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Spartans | 3 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Rebels | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |

### At Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Wolf Pack | 10 | 10 | 21 | 10 | 51 |

### At New Mexico

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Lobos | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

### Hawaii

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rainbow Warriors | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Rebels | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |

### No. 19 San Diego State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Aztecs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Rebels | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |

### At Air Force

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Falcons | 14 | 10 | 17 | 7 | 48 |