Dan Mullen Talks UNLV Situational Football, Memphis Prep, QB Transition and Bucket Hat Debate

Dan Mullen spoke with the media after UNLV practice as the Rebels continue building toward the season opener against Memphis.Mullen discussed the Rebels’ work on special teams, two-minute situations and late-game scenarios, saying those situations may not matter until they become the most important plays of the game. He also talked about evaluating which players are ready for game reps, how UNLV is building depth and why established players like Jai’Den Thomas do not need to prove as much as younger players still fighting for roles.Mullen also discussed the adjustment from facing UNLV’s own offense and defense every day to preparing for Memphis, a team with a new coaching staff, a new-look roster and an unsettled quarterback situation. He said UNLV has already studied both Memphis quarterbacks but that much of Week 1 preparation still has to center on the Rebels themselves.The conversation also covered quarterback development, why Mullen is hard to please when evaluating the position, the transition from base installations to a Memphis-specific game plan, situational awareness for wide receivers, DeAngelo Irvin Jr. and Taz Reddicks getting the ball in space, how many receivers UNLV could play early and whether Mullen’s bucket hat could make a game-day appearance.Tap in for the full UNLV practice media availability.00:00 - Dan Mullen on Situational Football00:45 - Two-Minute Drill and Special Teams Work01:15 - Finding Players Ready for Game Reps02:05 - Evaluating Depth and Rotations02:55 - Drawing the Defense Offside03:30 - Preparing for a Different Opponent04:10 - Memphis’ Quarterback Situation04:45 - Scouting Both Memphis Quarterbacks05:15 - Game-Day Communication With Staff05:45 - Preparing for Memphis’ New Staff and Roster06:30 - Quarterback Development and Mullen’s Standards07:20 - Transitioning to a Memphis Game Plan08:00 - Situational Football for Receivers08:50 - Getting Out of Bounds and Clock Awareness09:35 - DeAngelo Irvin Jr., Taz Reddicks and Ball-in-Hand Receivers10:15 - UNLV’s Wide Receiver Production Questions10:55 - Playing Multiple Receivers Early11:35 - Dan Mullen’s Bucket Hat Debate12:20 - Could the Bucket Hat Show Up on Game Day?Follow The Scarlet Standard:Website: https://the-scarlet-standard.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTPBxVqczV4vLqAlivI3FPwSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GJCuyv8rTRu5arNdcjH4vApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-scarlet-standard/id1885404705X/Twitter: https://x.com/SS_MediaLVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ss_medialv/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Scarlet-Standard-LV-61577609316045/#UNLVFootball #UNLVFB #MountainWest