Take 5: Both teams’ most important game is up for grabs in Reno

By Taylor Bern

Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 | 2 a.m.

UNR is expecting a sellout for Saturday’s Battle for the Fremont Cannon, and while Wolf Pack coach Brian Polian is excited about packing Mackay Stadium he’s hoping fans leave their obscenities at home.

“I want them to cheer loudly, but I really hope that we can keep it classy, that we can cheer for our team as opposed to attacking the other and frankly that we leave the profanity at home,” Polian told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Uh, good luck with that Coach. It’s been a particularly lively week of social media between the sides, and last time the Rebels were in Reno they heard every curse word in the book, plus a few new ones, as they left the field with the cannon.

On the other side, many UNLV students’ preferred T-shirt slogan, FUNR, offers a gentle counter to that of some UNR supporters' FUNLV signs. It doesn’t stand for fond or friendly, so while neither side would rationally advocate any physical violence at the game, the verbal and textual jabs are going to keep coming.

The game kicks off at 4:05 p.m. Saturday and won't air on TV. It can be watched online at unlvrebels.com or through certain other devices.

1. Defense Wins Rivalries

UNLV’s last trip to Reno was also its lone victory in the series since John Robinson’s five-year winning streak ended in 2004. The path to that 27-22 victory was paved mostly by the Rebels’ offensive stars — running back Tim Cornett, receiver Devante Davis and quarterback Caleb Herring — but it was the defense that really ratcheted things up and turned a halftime deficit into a win.

In the second half of that game, UNR gained only 165 total yards, it didn’t tally a first down in the entire third quarter — for the game the Wolf Pack went 2-of-15 on third downs. With the game on the line it was the defense that came up with a stop to seal the victory.

A similar second half performance could net similar results.

2. Yates Out of the Pack

UNR senior defensive tackle Rykeem Yates, who was ejected from last year’s rivalry game for attacking former Rebel Brett Boyko, will miss Saturday’s game because of a league suspension.

Yates, who’s one of UNR’s best defenders, was penalized for targeting against Buffalo. That earned a half-game suspension from the league, and since he was already in a probationary period for his actions last year vs. UNLV he won’t be allowed to play at all this weekend.

In addition to the league penalties, Yates has been suspended by UNR three times during his career. After the game last year, a clearly upset Boyko said that Yates had tried to break his arm like they were fighting in the UFC.

“Cheapest play I’ve ever seen,” Boyko said.

A pair of redshirt freshmen — Kalei Meyer and Korey Rush — are listed behind Yates on the depth chart.

3. Big Play Defense

About three minutes apart towards the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s game at Buffalo, the Wolf Pack got a 91-yard rush from sophomore James Butler and a 55-yard touchdown run from senior Don Jackson. More than any other factor, those two plays were the key to UNR’s 24-21 victory, and both times Buffalo’s defenders barely laid hands on the Wolf Pack running backs.

Sanchez has stressed all year limiting explosive plays and so far that’s what the Rebels have been able to do. Michigan running back Ty Isaac broke free for a 76-yard score but the next longest rush allowed this season is 17 yards in last week’s victory.

In the passing game, UNLV has yet to allow a completion of more than 48 yards and the yards per catch allowed (11.8) is 2.9 yards fewer than last season. Overall the defense is allowing almost a full yard less per play, and while yardage isn’t always the best way to judge a team it can be an indication that the improvement people have seen on the field is real.

4. Daydream in Red

In the last 10 years the cannon has been red for only 13 months, but there are many on UNLV’s roster who only know it that way. Including the starting quarterback.

“I haven’t seen it blue yet, so I don’t know,” Blake Decker said when asked what it was like to see the new paint job.

Rebels who joined the program in the last two years will get their first look Saturday at what the trophy has looked like for the majority of its life. Most of them will probably take only a quick peak pregame, because imagining it red is preferred to looking at it blue.

5. Control the Ball

Penalties, third down conversions and big plays — some of the biggest factors in every game — will matter this weekend but Sanchez said on Tuesday that turnovers would likely be the biggest key to the game.

UNR has the fewest turnovers in the Mountain West while UNLV’s defense has forced the most in the league. A guy with one of those interceptions, senior cornerback Fred Wilson, is still day-to-day with an ankle injury but redshirt freshman Tim Hough filled in for him last week and came away with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Junior safety Troy Hawthorne also snatched his first career interception and took it back for a touchdown. UNR quarterback Tyler Stewart will test UNLV’s secondary far more than last week but through four games, which includes better quarterback competition than Stewart, that group has been one of UNLV’s best units.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.