One team will leave Allegiant Stadium with its first loss in Mountain West play on Saturday when UNLV hosts undefeated North Dakota State in the first-ever meeting between the programs.

The Bison (5-0, 2-0) are coming off a 28-0 rout over Wyoming for the team’s first conference win since leaving the Football Championship Subdivision’s Missouri Valley Conference in the offseason. They are one of 15 remaining undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

NDSU’s defense held the Cowboys to 162 yards of offense and was led by linebacker Donovan Woolen, who recorded a team-high nine tackles, a sack and an interception on the first play of the game and was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Rebels quarterback Jackson Arnold, meanwhile, propelled UNLV (3-2, 1-0) to a 39-31 home victory over Cal and was named this week’s Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after finishing 11-for-22 on attempts with three passing touchdowns.

Rebels coach Dan Mullen said he is unsure whether the Bison have a weakness his team could exploit. But, he said, UNLV will need to find some against a team that has emerged as an early contender for the Mountain West.

“I don’t know how they’re not ranked,” Mullen said Monday at his weekly press conference. “They’re undefeated, probably looking like a Top 25 team for us. So (they’re) a great team coming here to town.”

Bison coach Tim Polasek said on Tuesday his team’s game plan will be centered around containing Arnold, who leads the Mountain West with 13 total touchdowns and is second in the conference with eight touchdowns through the air and a 146.4 pass efficiency rating, behind only NDSU’s Nathan Hayes. Arnold, a senior transfer from Auburn, also ranks third in the conference in both rushing touchdowns (5) and passing yards (1,063).

“I do think it all does start with No. 11 for them,” Polasek said of Arnold. “He extends plays, and he’s a totally capable runner.”

Polasek said redshirt freshman running back Myles Mitchell, who has rushed for 214 yards in four games and did not play against Wyoming due to an ankle injury, is probable for Saturday.

The Bison’s coach also complimented Mullen and his coaching staff, who he credited being particularly keen at exploiting defensive matchups.

“It’s a pretty sharp outfit down there with a lot of coaching experience,” Polasek said. “This is a group defensively that understands how to cultivate matchups. Our targeting and our ability to communicate and be connected up front is going to be critical.”

Hayes has a steady target in receiver Jackson Williams, who has recorded a conference-best 358 receiving yards this season, including a 134-yard performance against Sacramento State on Sept. 19. As a whole, the Bison are averaging 33.6 points per game and have limited opponents to six touchdowns through the first five games of the season.

Success is nothing new for the Bison. They’re 31-3 in Polasek’s first three seasons and won the FCS championship in 2025.

“They’re the top offense and the top defense in the league,” Mullen said. “Special teams — they do a great job with it. So, you know, they’re a program that’s used to winning.”

Rebels safety Jake Pope, who leads UNLV with five pass breakups, said Monday he’s motivated by the fact his team is considered as an underdog against the Bison, especially with this week marking UNLV’s homecoming.

“Whoever’s on that field is going to be disciplined,” Pope said. “I know that they’re coached up very well, so I just know we have to be on our A game regardless.”

The Rebels have won four straight Mountain West home openers and the Rebels are 6-2 at home under Mullen, who is in his second year at the helm. A win Saturday would put UNLV at .500 all-time in homecoming games.

Mullen said he’d like to see Allegiant Stadium full for Saturday’s game. Polasek said he heard that upward of 10,000 NDSU fans could make the trek to Las Vegas.

In either event, both coaches are hoping their programs escape with a win. But a win would also give the Rebels confidence throughout the rest of their conference slate, according to Mullen.

“I think confidence is such a huge deal on any team on any roster, and I think the confidence comes with your expectations of expecting to win football games,” Mullen said. “This one is not bigger or smaller than all of them, it’s the next conference game.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow@Casey_Harrison1 on X.