Take 5: Former coach Hauck returns to UNLV with favored San Diego State

By Taylor Bern

Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Only two games remain for UNLV, and the last one at Sam Boyd Stadium is Saturday evening as San Diego State comes in looking to remain undefeated in Mountain West play. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and air on CBS Sports Network.

The Rebels (3-7, 2-4) are 15-point underdogs to the Aztecs (7-3, 6-0), who won this meeting last year by 17 in San Diego. Two years ago at Sam Boyd Stadium it was the final victory for UNLV’s bowl, a 45-19 romp that served as one of the high points for a coach who this weekend returns to Sam Boyd for the first time in a year:

1. Return of the Hauck

Less than a year ago, Bobby Hauck was preparing for the final two games of the regular season. They would turn out to be the last two of his UNLV career.

Hauck led the Rebels for five years, compiling a 15-49 record before a resignation that wasn’t exactly his idea. Hauck coached his last game at Sam Boyd Stadium on Nov. 29, 2014, and on Saturday he returns as San Diego State’s special teams coordinator.

Special teams was Hauck’s primary background and he served as his own coordinator while at UNLV. That made him an extra easy punching bag when fake punts or field goals would fail, but things have generally gone well with that unit in San Diego.

The Aztecs lead the league in kickoff return average at 29.5 yards per return — UNLV is last at 18.6 — and they also allow the third-shortest returns in the Mountain West with a net average of 41.8 yards gained per kickoff. Perhaps without the extra burdens, Hauck has been able to focus more on the task at hand, or maybe the only thing that’s changed is perception and Hauck (good, bad or average) is the same coach he has always been.

Either way, it will be interesting to see if the Aztecs special teams have anything special in store for Hauck’s return. As for what they’ll say to their former coach, the Rebels said they’ll worry about that after the game.

“We’ll cross that road when we get there,” said senior receiver Anthony Williams.

2. The Aztec Way

Four games into the season, San Diego State was having an offensive identity crisis. The Aztecs weren’t competitive at California, they lost at home to South Alabama and a defeat at Penn State dropped them to 1-3 entering Mountain West play.

The preseason favorite to win the West Division was facing an uncertain future, and then SDSU decided to back up its stout defense by running opponents into the ground.

In four nonconference games, the Aztecs averaged 37.5 rushing attempts per game. In six league games that number has jumped to 54, and Canyon Springs High grad Donnel Pumphrey has been the biggest benefactor.

SDSU’s junior running back eclipsed 100 rushing yards only once in the nonconference, but in league play he has yet to turn in less than 121, averaging 144.3 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game.

“They’ve really decided that we’re just going to run the football, not make mistakes and play great defense,” Sanchez said.

That emphasis on the run isn’t good news for a UNLV defense that’s struggled to tackle and in losses to Boise State and Colorado State has allowed an average of 6.7 yards per rush attempt.

3. Quarterback Shuffle

UNLV’s uncertain situation at quarterback carries into another week as senior Blake Decker might be sidelined.

“It doesn’t look likely that he’ll play,” Sanchez said.

Decker was knocked out of last week’s loss at Colorado State on a hit in the second quarter. It’s the third time this season he’s left a game in the first half and not returned.

Sophomore Kurt Palandech, who has played about 40 percent of the snaps this season, is listed at the top of the depth chart and true freshman Dalton Snead is listed as the backup. Although they don’t want to, Sanchez said the Rebels would be willing to pull Snead’s redshirt if that’s what they deem necessary.

“If we have to take the redshirt off to fight for a win that’s what we’ll do,” he said.

4. Senior Day

This is the last home game for 20 Rebel seniors, and it’s been quite a career for those who have been on campus the entire time.

Including a fifth, redshirt year, it’s been three two-win seasons sandwiched around the fourth bowl game in program history with a coaching change and at least three victories thrown in at the end. One of the focuses for this group during this transitional season for the program has been to set a standard that persists after they’re gone.

“We want to be that class that left a legacy,” said safety Peni Vea.

Their success in that category won’t be known for years, but one thing they know will last is the plaque that will hang inside Rebel Park commemorating the Fremont Cannon victory. Every senior class that wins the rivalry game gets one and it will stand out as the group’s best on-field accomplishment from their final season.

The bowl game and the Cannon victories are nice, but both Vea and Williams said it’s the life lessons they’ve learned from the game and from both coaching staffs that will stick with them.

“It’s everything together as a whole that has made a difference in my life,” Williams said. “That’s the big thing you take out of this.”

5. What’s Left?

Other than the seniors trying to finish off their careers on a high note, there are no big goals remaining for UNLV. The loss at CSU ended their already unlikely shot at a bowl game and the Rebels have the Cannon. So what kind of effort will people see?

A lot has been made this season about UNLV playing hard until the end for a change, but that was also something last year’s roster credited as a positive. Last year’s team wasn’t as good at keeping conference games close, though, so it will be interesting to see if last week’s 14-point loss turns into a similar result at home as San Diego State is a 15-point favorite.

A good way to prove that things really are different now would be a strong showing in this game and a season-ending victory at Wyoming.

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