The Memphis Tigers and UNLV Rebels face off in a key Group of Six matchup on Saturday, Aug. 29 to close out the first day of the 2026 college football season. It marks the first-ever meeting between the teams as they begin a home-and-home series, with the Rebels hosting to start things off. UNLV went 10-4 in its first season under Dan Mullen in 2025, losing to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship Game.
Memphis will play its first official game under coach Charles Huff, who succeeded Ryan Silverfield, now the head coach at Arkansas. The departed coach led the Tigers to an 8-5 mark last season, and they went 4-4 in the American Athletic Conference. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m.
ET on Aug. 29 at Allegiant Field in Las Vegas. Bet on college football games with the latest FanDuel promo code and get $350 in bonus bets: The Rebels are 5.5-point home favorites in the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, and the total is set at 57.5. Fans who want to try betting on college football can sign up and get betting promos at any of the best sports betting apps to place wagers on Memphis vs.
Here, we're looking at everything bettors should know before the Memphis vs. For even more college football analysis, check out what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code and get $200 in bonus bets with a $5+ wager now: The Rebels finished last season tied with multiple teams atop the Mountain West at 6-2, and UNLV and Boise State owned the tiebreakers, putting both in the championship game for the third straight year.
The Broncos hosted for the title game and came away with a 38-21 victory for their third straight championship win over UNLV. The Rebels went on to play in the Frisco Bowl, where they lost 17-10 to Ohio to end a run of 35 games when the Rebels scored at least 20 points, which was the longest active streak in the nation at the time. The Rebels' success should run through the offense, and they will need to replace quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who transferred to Nebraska.
Senior Jackson Arnold, a former five-star recruit for Oklahoma, left Auburn to take over a Rebels attack that led the Mountain West in total offense (446.4 yards per game) and scoring (34.0 points per contest). The new signal-caller will have the benefit of a strong rushing attack led by Jai'Den Thomas, who totaled 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Jaylon Glover also played a big role, rushing for 384 yards (6.0 per carry) as the Rebels rushed for 195.5 yards per game in 2025, ranking 23rd in the nation.
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