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FBS teams playing FCS opponents isn’t the most entertaining thing in the world.

It’s also a very high-risk, low-reward situation.

If you lose, think Michigan vs. App State; you look terrible.

If you win a close game, like Colorado this past weekend, you look bad.

If you win big, like usually happens, nobody cares.

There are really only two potential advantages to games like these.

• They are low-risk situations to make and fix mistakes
• They are an opportunity to rest players at a crucial part of the season

Neither of those reasons applies to UNLV in week two.

So why are they playing an FCS team this weekend?

Low-Risk Situation to Make and Fix Mistakes

The reason so many teams like to schedule FCS opponents in week one is to work out the kinks, so to speak.

No matter how good your preseason preparation is, you always have unforced errors in week one.

Playing an FCS team in week one allows the team to make and fix those mistakes in a game they will probably win anyway.

UNLV already had the opportunity to do that in week one, so that doesn’t apply here.

Rest Players

Some teams like to schedule a weaker opponent in the middle or back half of their season to rest players. There aren’t many bye weeks in college football, so by the second half of the season, most teams are pretty beat up.

Playing an opponent several levels below you can serve as an extra bye week.

Alabama is well-known for doing this in the middle of their tough SEC schedule.

It’s only week two, so that doesn’t apply to UNLV’s situation.

UNLV’s No-win Situation

UNLV is in a no-win situation because winning doesn’t give them anything, and it would look terrible if they struggled or even lost.

The game also doesn’t really help them improve as a team.

Houston didn’t put up much of a fight in week one, and Utah Tech won’t in week two.

Before you get mad, I’m not saying that FCS teams can’t beat FBS teams; it happens. But I am saying that Utah Tech won’t put up much of a fight.

Utah Tech lost 31–7 in their first game. That’s after a rough 2–9 2023 season.

With two easy wins in the first two weeks, UNLV will enter the September 14th game against ranked Kansas untested.

So, regardless of the outcome this weekend, UNLV is wasting an opportunity to get better.