Take 5: Rebels need explosive plays to corral Boise State

By Taylor Bern

Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 | 2 a.m.

If you’re one of the first 5,000 fans at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday you can get a free hat, if you’re a kid dressed in costume you can pack up a duffel bag with candy and if you’re the Rebels you can hope that this game goes as well as the giveaways.

UNLV (2-5, 1-2) hosts Boise State (6-2, 3-1) for a 12:32 p.m. Halloween kickoff. The game will air on ESPNU.

Because they’re in separate divisions, the Rebels and Broncos haven’t played since a 2012 Bronco blowout. They’ll play next year in Boise, and then they won’t meet again until 2019, unless they would happen to face each other in the Mountain West championship game.

First-year coach Tony Sanchez would like to have this program light years ahead of where it’s at now by the next time they would host Boise State. Getting there requires progress in games like this one, when everyone on the outside has them counted out.

1. Big Dog

It was a familiar position to start the year, but since that historically tough stretch to open the season the Rebels haven’t been double-digit underdogs.

Now they return to Sam Boyd Stadium for the first of consecutive home games and UNLV is plus-20.5 against Boise State. When getting at least 20 points this year the Rebels are 2-1 against the spread and over the last five years they’re 6-7-2 in those situations, never finishing within two touchdowns of the opponent.

2. Decker Back at Quarterback

Following two weeks watching from the sidelines, senior Blake Decker is back as the starting quarterback.

Decker went down with an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder near the end of the first half at UNR, and after that UNLV went on to win the Fremont Cannon before losing back-to-back close games. While several of his numbers haven’t been demonstrably better than sophomore Kurt Palandech, there’s no question who presents more of a threat in the passing game.

“I definitely think Blake gives us the best chance to be successful throwing down the field,” Sanchez said.

Decker has nine fewer passing attempts than Palandech this season, yet he has 205 more passing yards. Obviously the receivers’ yards after catch comes into play here, but the stark difference backs up the eye test that Palandech has struggled mightily to throw the ball down the field. The quarterbacks’ average yards per rush are also almost identical.

3. Inside the Tackle Box

UNLV’s pass rush has been mostly ineffective, and the few times they have gotten home it’s been with a blitz that generates the pressure they need while leaving the unit vulnerable to the run game and one-on-one matchups in the secondary.

The Rebels’ six total sacks this season rank bottom 10 in the country — three Broncos have at least half that total each — but that hasn’t prevented the secondary from creating one of the nation’s 20 best turnover margins thanks largely to the team’s 10 interceptions by nine different players. Against Boise State, the Rebels could have a chance to add some sacks or interceptions to that tally because the Broncos might start two different offensive tackles.

Sophomore Archie Lewis started the year at right tackle before losing his job and last week he was called into service again because junior Mario Yakoo was out. Yakoo is a game-time decision this weekend but Lewis already knows he’ll be starting, this time over on the left side in place of senior Rees Odhiambo, who went down with a broken ankle.

Whether Boise State ends up starting one or two backups at the tackle spots, there’s an opportunity there for the Rebels to attack.

4. Get Set

The goal is always to perform the little things right on every play, but that takes on extra importance when the opposition is targeting any little slips. One way that Boise State takes advantage of its depth, Sanchez said, is shuffling in a lot of different offensive packages and then looking for mismatches.

“People that struggle getting lined up or try to do too much defensively give up big plays,” he said.

It’s a difficult balance between staying in your lane and creating the type of big plays the Rebels need to hang close as a big underdog, but that’s the task at hand.

5. Surprise!

What kind of tricks (or treats?) will Sanchez pull after having two weeks to prepare for the best team remaining on the schedule? The Rebels know they’re not going to win by trying to grind out a victory, so they’re going to take some shots.

Something with Decker and Palandech both on offense? Onside kick? Use of ghosts as extra defenders? All we know is there’s nothing in the rulebook against it.

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