Matt Marton / Associated Press
UNLV running back Charles Williams (8) runs for a touchdown against Northwestern during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, in Evanston, Ill.
Published Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Updated Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 | 9:24 p.m.
The Rebel Room
Must-win conference opener
Mike Grimala and Case Keefer try to look at UNLV's trip to Wyoming from all angles, while also briefly touching on the start of basketball practice.
The second half didn't get any better for the Rebels, and UNLV is now 1-3 on the season after dropping its third straight contest, this one a 53-17 drubbing at the hands of Wyoming.
The talk after the game will center on the Rebels' quarterback position, as redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad played the second half and finished 16-of-31 for 176 yards with one rushing touchdown and two interceptions. Junior Armani Rogers went 6-of-13 for 87 yards with no TDs and one interception.
The QB battle will mean nothing unless UNLV figures out a way to fix its run defense. Wyoming rushed for 337 yards on the night at 8.2 yards per attempt.
UNLV will next play a week from today when Boise State visits Sam Boyd Stadium.
Rebels down 30 points at Wyoming
The change at quarterback hasn't made much of a difference for the Rebels, as Wyoming just pounded in another touchdown to extend its lead over UNLV to 40-10 with 14:49 left in the fourth quarter.
Freshman Kenyon Oblad has thrown a few nice passes, but they haven't amounted to anything on the scoreboard as the Rebels came up empty on all three drives in the third quarter. On their most recent possession, they advanced the ball to midfield before the Wyoming defense stuffed consecutive run plays on 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1.
For the game, Oblad is now 8-of-15 for 84 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Armani Rogers has not taken a snap in the second half.
Rogers out, Oblad in as Rebels trail 33-10 at Wyoming
UNLV is down 33-10 at halftime, but the big story for the Rebels is now the quarterback situation. With two minutes left in the half and starting QB Armani Rogers unable to get anything going, redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad got the call to action. Oblad went 0-of-2 on his two attempts and the Rebels punted on the drive.
Rogers was struggling when Tony Sanchez made the move, as he tossed an interception that was nearly returned for a touchdown to end UNLV's previous drive. Rogers is 6-of-11 on the night for 87 yards with one touchdown and the interception.
After Oblad's stalled drive, Rogers came in for the Rebels' final possession of the half and threw an incomplete pass leading to another punt.
Down by 23 points, the Rebels figure to be passing a lot in the second half, and there's little question Oblad is the more accurate thrower. It will be interesting to see how Sanchez decides to handle the quarterback situation in a game that has likely already been decided.
UNLV down 20-10 at Wyoming; Charles Williams out
Things have taken a decided turn toward disaster for UNLV since taking a 10-7 lead five minutes ago.
Wyoming has scored touchdowns on each of its last two possessions to go up 20-10, and to make matters worse UNLV has lost star running back Charles Williams to an apparent leg injury. The junior appeared to take a hard shot to the knee and had to be carried off the field, unable to walk under his own power.
Wyoming is asserting its will on the UNLV defense, as the Cowboys are averaging 9.5 yards per rush and now have 162 rushing yards on the game.
Gutsy call gives UNLV 10-7 lead at Wyoming
Faced with a 4th-and-1 at midfield late in the first quarter, UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez got aggressive. Not only did the Rebels go for it, they called a play-action jump pass and Armani Rogers hit tight end Giovanni Fauolo for a 54-yard touchdown.
Fauolo slipped past the line of scrimmage, caught the short pass and raced past the final Wyoming defender (with assistance from a referee's pick) to give UNLV a 10-7 lead.
Wyoming is in the process of answering, as the final play of the first quarter saw Cowboys running back Titus Swen run 59 yards down to the UNLV 14.
Wyoming leads UNLV early, 7-3
UNLV got on the board first with a 40-yard field goal, but Wyoming responded with a dominant 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter.
Wyoming kept it simple. After going 3-and-out on the game's opening drive, the Cowboys ran the ball seven straight times, capped off by a 7-yard scoring run by Xazavian Valladay. So far Wyoming is averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
Armani Rogers did most of the work for UNLV on its opening possession, completing two passes for 15 yards and running for another five yards to get the Rebels into field goal range.
Three keys for UNLV football at Wyoming
The Rebels are on the field at War Memorial Stadium, going through pregame warmups as we're about 90 minutes from kickoff for UNLV's must-win showdown at Wyoming.
Three keys to watch:
Offenses grounded
Not that either of these teams were planning to come into this contest throwing the ball around, but there is a vicious wind blowing through the stadium that should further limit the passing game as the night goes on. Whichever team is driving toward the open end of the stadium is going to be handing off almost exclusively.
Playmakers
When UNLV does throw it, the receivers are going to have to play better than they have in recent weeks. Sophomores Tyleek Collins and Randal Grimes are capable of big plays, but so far this season we haven't seen much wiggle or explosion from them after pulling in screen passes. If they can't turn short passes into long gains, it's hard to see the Rebels having a productive day between the hash marks against this Wyoming defense.
Defensive pressure
Wyoming is coming into this game at less than full strength, as the Cowboys' starting right tackle and right guard are both out with injuries. Their backups are a freshman and a sophomore, so if there was ever a time for UNLV edge rusher Gabe McCoy to have a big day, it's today. It may not come in the form of quarterback sacks, as Wyoming passes on just 35.2 percent of its plays (the 12th-lowest rate in the nation), but McCoy and linebackers Javin White and Rayshad Jackson should be able to take advantage of the backup blockers and make some stops behind the line of scrimmage.
Previewing UNLV football at Wyoming with reader questions
Week 4 figures to be a pivotal moment for UNLV football, as the Rebels (1-2) are desperate for a road win that would get them back to .500 on the season and on track for a bowl berth.
In advance of UNLV’s must-win game at Wyoming today, let’s run through some reader questions:
When are we gonna see Oblad at QB?? He is a better passer and I think his abilities will open up the game more and take pressure off Williams having to make all the big plays in the game to save the offense.
@MikeGrimala
Redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad is indeed an intriguing passer, but I think the ship has sailed (for now) on making a change at quarterback. The coaching staff feels Armani Rogers is the best option for winning now, and unless the season becomes a lost cause (which means seven losses) I don’t see them going away from the veteran in any meaningful situations.
As to the point about Charles Williams, he is having a stellar season (455 rushing yards, six touchdowns, 9.1 yards per carry) and all of his production has come with Rogers at quarterback. It would help if the passing game could loosen up defenses a bit, but that hasn’t slowed Williams yet.
Last year Blair started off the year shooting decent from 3, can we expect a pick up in that with the change in coaching philosophies?
@MikeGrimala
Nick Blair was one of the most pleasant surprises for UNLV basketball last year, as he rose from walk-on to valued rotation player during the course of the season. He proved he could defend bigger than his 6-foot-5 frame and finished the year shooing 33.3 percent from 3-point range, which is just about average for a college basketball player these days.
New coach T.J. Otzelberger was impressed enough to put Blair on scholarship for his senior season, and he could be in store for a lot of playing time — if he can improve that 3-point percentage. He shot 36.1 percent in conference play, so the ability is there; if Blair can improve to the upper 30s for a full season as a small-ball forward, he’ll play a role on this team.
Both Blair and Otzelberger have keyed in on that aspect of his game over the offseason, with both mentioning improved 3-point accuracy as a focal point in his summer workouts. So Blair seems to understand how much his playing time will be tied to providing that outside shooting threat.
Why is UNLV so bad at merchandising? You can’t get a legit football or basketball jersey. Nike makes both, but you can’t buy them. You can only get Walmart-like knock off versions.
@MikeGrimala
I’m not a jersey expert, but let’s take a step back before we start bashing knockoffs. The best pair of $4 mesh shorts I ever bought came from Walmart! Why not give the ugly, shiny, cheap “UNLV” jerseys a chance before casting aspersions on all bargain sports apparel?
If UNLV losses on Saturday is there a viable pathway to a bowl game?
@MikeGrimala
Not really. A loss at Wyoming drops the Rebels to 1-3, and at that point you’re looking at a 5-3 finish just to gain bowl eligibility, and a 6-2 finish in order to guarantee postseason play. That’s unlikely to happen.
The schedule is a serious impediment. After Wyoming, the next four games are vs. Boise State, at Vanderbilt, at Fresno State and vs. San Diego State. The Rebels will be big underdogs in each of the those contests; if they lose at Wyoming, they’ll have to win at least one of the next four games just to stay alive mathematically.
That path is too narrow. The Rebels’ chance for a bowl berth has to include a win at Wyoming on Saturday.
Talk to me about “mechanics.” Everyone says Rogers mechanics are bad. Can we explain that more or get examples?
@MikeGrimala
I’m not a quarterback guru, so I can’t break down Rogers’ throwing motion point-by-point, but it’s not hard to see that his windup and delivery lack fluidity. But that’s not the main problem, as QBs with funky arm action find a way to succeed all the time.
The issue is his lower body. Coach Tony Sanchez often talks about Rogers’ footwork and his tendency to “lock” his front leg when stepping into his throws. That leads to stiffness in Rogers’ motion and causes his passes to miss the target.
It’s something Rogers has been fighting and trying to smooth out since he got to UNLV, so after four years it’s hard to expect a ton of improvement, especially in-season. It’s up to the Rebels coaching staff to figure out how to work around his limitations and feature his strengths.
Who is the biggest pleasant surprise and biggest disappointment for UNLV football so far? Armani can’t be an answer for either.
@MikeGrimala
It’s not exactly a “surprise,” as he was expected to be a strong contributor on defense, but I don’t know if anyone pegged linebacker Rayshad Jackson to be this good. He was a bit player at Florida, but he’s been a superstar through three games for the Rebels and currently leads the team in solo tackles (18), passes defensed (3) and hits that are so hard you feel it in the press box (several). He’s been excellent.
As far as disappointments, fellow transfer linebacker Vic Viramontes hasn’t made a noticeable impact despite being one of the biggest recruits in UNLV history. He picked up his first solo tackle of the season in Week 3 against Northwestern.
Offensively, I was expecting a breakout season from wide receiver Tyleek Collins after he posted 422 yards and six touchdowns on 31 receptions as a freshman last year, but right now he’s on pace for 24 catches, 96 yards and zero scores. A good chunk of his production came with backup quarterback Max Gilliam throwing the ball last year, however, so the dip in numbers may not be entirely Collins’ fault.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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