In his first game under head coach Dan Mullen, running back Jai’Den Thomas, known to teammates as Jet, turned in one of the day’s defining moments with a 70-yard touchdown burst down the sideline. Thomas would finish the game with 147 yards and three touchdowns.
For Thomas, the play carried a deeper meaning. “It felt great…after I came off to the sideline, I started crying. Just emotional, you know, just knowing seeing my dad always [on the] sidelines. It was just emotional. But hey, I’m glad I got the 70 yard run!” Thomas lost his father earlier this year and is dedicating the season to him.
UNLV RB @Jaiden_Thomas9 is determined to finish the season as Mountain West Champions. 🏆
“For the past 2 seasons, we were just that inch, right there.”
Thomas tells me he’s dedicating the 2025 season to his father who passed away earlier this year. ❤️
📺 @fox5vegas RebZone pic.twitter.com/aiiHC8YyXX
— Paloma Villicana (@PalomaFOX5News) August 14, 2025
The head coach praised the resilience of his players in grinding out a season-opening win despite some obstacles. “It’s so hard to win,” he said. “There’s so many things we’ve got to fix, but the exciting thing is this team stuck together and found a way to win when it was important. That’s what’s so fun. We won, and we’re going to celebrate every time we win.”
Asked if he knocked off some rust after his return to the sideline, Mullen grinned, “I’m really pleased with myself. I don’t think I went ballistic once during the course of the game. That’s really good for my health. My kids are here, they can tell you I didn’t throw my visor.”
Defensively, captain Marsel McDuffie came up with a late interception to help seal it. “We weren’t playing the way we wanted to, but I knew personally somebody had to make a play, so why not me?” he said.
Mullen summed up his squad’s feelings, “If you’re not jumping up and down and celebrating after a win, you’re playing the wrong game.”
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