The UNLV football team conducts their first spring practice of the year on Wednesday, March 1, 2017.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 | 2 a.m.
2017 UNLV football
- How does UNLV's football season play out?
- Reach a bowl game and win — 33.0%
- 5 wins — 25.6%
- Reach a bowl game and lose — 17.3%
- 3-4 wins — 16.3%
- Less than 3 wins — 7.9%
This poll is closed, see Full Results »
Note: This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
The Rebel Room
Setting the expectations for UNLV football
Ray Brewer, Mike Grimala and Case Keefer start thinking about football season with the Mountain West Conference coming to town for media days this week. Where does UNLV fit within the conference? Will Armani Rogers prove the Rebels' savior? Is it bowl game or bust in coach Tony Sanchez's third season?
The UNLV football program has increased its win total in each of coach Tony Sanchez’s initial two seasons by one game. Slowly but surely the program accustomed to repeated seasons of two wins has showed signs of relevance by winning three games in season one and last fall grabbing four wins.
Will this year, with the quarterback of the future firmly cemented atop the depth chart and one of the best offenses in the Mountain West, be a bowl-qualifying season for the Rebels?
It depends, you can argue, on how well that quarterback, first-time starter Armani Rogers, plays. If the redshirt freshman lives up to the “one of the best recruits in UNLV history” billing, then all things are possible.
Well, only if the defense holds up its end of the bargain. It recorded just five interceptions and 19 sacks last season, and surrendered 36.8 points per game.
The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook lists the Rebels' win-total at five victories in the 12-game season, meaning the Rebels have a fighting chance for six wins and their first bowl-qualifying season since 2013.
The Rebels could have a 3-1 record entering their Oct. 7 home game against defending league champion San Diego State, according to the odds.
They are the betting favorite Sept. 9 at Idaho (minus-2.5) and Sept. 30 at home against San Jose (minus-6). They’ll cruise past Howard (no line) in the opening week and collect more than $1 million Sept. 23 at Ohio State, where they are a six-touchdown underdog.
A three-win September means the Rebels would need to post a 3-5 record the rest of the way to reach a bowl.
So, how do you think the season will pan out? Will the Rebels be bowl-game bound?
We'll hear from Sanchez and all-Mountain West preseason picks Devonte Boyd and Mike Hughes Jr. — two UNLV players on the all-league preseason team is a rarity — later today at the Cosmopolitan during the league's media days.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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