One drive, one fumble, one touchback, and one benched quarterback. What do all of those have in common? Well, they're exactly what happened in Alex Orji's debut for the UNLV Rebels.
Orji, who hit the transfer portal after his lackluster season for the Michigan Wolverines in 2024, took his talents to Las Vegas and had the chance to redeem his collegiate career in Week 0 as the Rebels faced the Idaho State Bengals.
UNLV head coach Dan Mullen (yes, the one who used to coach the Florida Gators) announced that both Orji and Anthony Colandrea would play snaps at quarterback for the Rebels. Orji got the nod as the starter, but his tenure in the role quickly ended after an abysmal ending to the first drive.
Orji and the Rebels took seven plays to gain 66 yards to find themselves on the 9-yard line. On a quarterback keeper, Orji attempted to leap over Idaho State safety Mason Young, who was able to make contact, but the UNLV quarterback ended up fumbling the ball in the end zone.
Noa Calaycay recovered the ball for the Bengals in a play that resulted in a touchback. Idaho State then drove the ball 80 yards for a touchdown to go up 10-0 on the Rebels.
Alex Orji fumbles right at the goal line on UNLV’s opening drive and Idaho State recovers in the end zone 😳 pic.twitter.com/1jwrfjjs3R
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) August 23, 2025
The first play of the game actually featured both Orji and Colandrea, with the former Wolverine tossing the ball back to his fellow quarterback, who then attempted a downfield pass, which fell incomplete.
UNLV struggles to score against Idaho State
After his brutal ending to the Rebels' first drive, Orji was quickly benched, Colandrea playing the quarterback role as Mullen's squad struggled to put points on the board.
It took until 14 minutes remained in the first half for UNLV to get close enough to the end zone again for a field goal attempt, which kicker Ramon Villela missed by a hair. The first quarter and the few minutes that followed were a disaster for Orji and the Rebels.
As the Wolverines reflect on their... less-than-memorable time with Orji holding the reins of Michigan's offense, they should be beyond grateful that freshman Bryce Underwood is the new QB1.