1988 UNLV Rebels football team

1988 UNLV Rebels football
Conference	Big West Conference
Record	4–7 (3–4 Big West)
Head coach	Wayne Nunnely (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Carl Ferrill (2nd season)
Home stadium	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl
Seasons ←  1987 1989  →

1988 Big West Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Fresno State $	7	–	0	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Cal State Fullerton	5	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Utah State	4	–	3	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
San Jose State	4	–	3	–	0			4	–	8	–	0
UNLV	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Long Beach State	3	–	4	–	0			3	–	9	–	0
Pacific (CA)	2	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
New Mexico State	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1988 UNLV Rebels football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as a member of the Big West Conference during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their third year under head coach Wayne Nunnely, the Rebels compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the Big West. The team played home games at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Whitney, Nevada.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	at Baylor *	Baylor Stadium Waco, TX	L 3–27	25,610	[1]
September 17	Cal State Fullerton	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	L 10–20	18,865	[2]
September 24	Ohio *	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	W 26–18	16,266	[3]
October 1	at No. 9 Nebraska *	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	L 6–48	76,398	[4]
October 8	at Pacific (CA)	Pacific Memorial Stadium Stockton, CA	W 30–16	6,233	[5]
October 15	New Mexico State	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	W 28–20	18,729	[6]
October 29	Tulsa *	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	L 7–33	18,425	[7]
November 5	at Utah State	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	L 10–17	8,606	[8]
November 12	Fresno State	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	L 14–31	23,408	[9]
November 19	San Jose State	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	L 0–42	3,260	[10]
November 26	at Long Beach State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Long Beach, CA	W 42–41	2,014	[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

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References

1. "Swarming defense paces Baylor". San Angelo Standard-Times. September 4, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. Robyn Norwood (September 18, 1988). "Fullerton downs Las Vegas, 20–10". The Los Angeles Times. p. III-10. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. "UNLV 26, Ohio U. 18". The Fresno Bee. September 25, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Osborne irked despite romp by Nebraska". The Des Moines Register. October 2, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
5. "UNLV defeats Pacific". Reno Gazette-Journal. October 9, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
6. "UNLV rekindles NMSU misery on the road, 28–20". Albuquerque Journal. October 16, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Hurricane, desert sky rain on UNLV, 33–7". Tulsa World. October 30, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Aggies upend UNLV Rebels in Bog West grid matchup". The Daily Spectrum. November 6, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. "FSU clinches Cal Bowl berth". The Fresno Bee. November 13, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Spartans' last motto: 'Lutz have some fun'". The Peninsula Times Tribune. November 20, 1988. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. Dick Wagner (November 27, 1988). "Last play spoils the day for Long Beach, Graham". The Los Angeles Times. p. III-11. Retrieved May 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "1988 UNLV Rebels Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
13. "UNLV 2020 Football Guide" (PDF). University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 2020. p. 129. Retrieved December 20, 2020.