Thursday, August 3, 2017
Las Vegas, NV -- The Rebels worked their magic once again in what was their biggest uphill battle of the season. It seems that teams have adjusted to the high powered passing attack, but UNLV still finds ways to win. And that got them into the BCS National Championship game.
Things looked bleak in the beginning as Boise State intercepted quarterback Nick Sherry's first play from scrimmage deep in Rebels territory. The Broncos scored on the next play to go up early. Sherry shook off the early game jitters and led a slow drive down the field, finding tight end Tyler Bergsten on many third down conversions. They finally got to the goal line, and Niko Kapeli, back from injury, scored on a 1 yard run. But that was the last time they would score in the first half as Boise State locked them up and ran at will, scoring twice more before halftime.
Getting the ball back in the third quarter and leading 21-7, Boise State seemed to lose momentum and went 3 and out. UNLV capitalized on the Broncos' stagnating offense and chipped away at the lead with a field goal and another touchdown run by Kapeli. But the Broncos weren't done and the fourth quarter lord wide for scoring. Both teams scored again, and by that time the score was 28-24 Broncos. With a little over two minutes left in the game, Boise State had the ball and looked to run out the clock. But they threw a wide receiver screen which was intercepted by strong safety Peni Via, who ran it back for a touchdown.
Like a knife in the heart, Boise State was now the wounded. They tied the game at 31 with a field goal kick, which left 42 seconds on the clock. Enter Sherry and tight end Jake Phillips, in for the now injured Bergsten, who together contrubited to nearly all of the 72 yards of the drive for the winning score.
"I'm so proud of this team", said Rebels head coach Sean O'Bradovich. They always find a way to win and I think we deserve to test that one more time."
This victory has ensured that UNLV will play in the BCS National Championship. Lots of people will have something to say about that, but I don't think these guys have any more to prove. We'll hear enough about it for the next month. But for now, the Rebels have good reason to celebrate.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
These teams have played before. And UNLV didn't have much trouble beating the Broncos. But that was then, Boise State has gotten better, and teams are starting to catch up on UNLV's passing tactics. If Boise can take a page out of San Diego State's playbook, so to speak, and shut down the pass, all they need to worry about is a suspect running game. Sure, the Aztecs couldn't do it. But Boise State has been in big games recently. There is a chance that they can be a spoiler and knock UNLV out of the BCS National Championship.
But nobody has been able to do it yet. And as long as that's the case, UNLV is still on top. Quarterback Nick Sherry needs to get in his groove and pick apart the defense just like he did all season long. And with a defensive showing like last week against the Aztecs, I don't see how UNLV can lose.
Las Vegas, NV -- The gameplan for San Diego State was clear: shorten the game and beat UNLV on the ground. It's a smart strategy considering the Rebels have had trouble stopping a lot of running attacks this year. But tonight, the defense made the stops when it counted and the offense made just enough plays to ensure a victory.
In the first half, the Aztecs' plan was working to an extent. They made long drives down the field, eating up the clock on the ground. The problem was that when they got to the red zone, they could only manage one field goal before halftime. UNLV also had trouble scoring, but managed to get into the end zone in the second quarter. 7-3 UNLV at halftime.
It was more of the same in the second half, but the Rebels were getting the upper hand. The defensive stops were quicker. Strong safeties Brandon Baker and Peni Via made plays in the backfield on several occasions, as well as linebackers Iggy Porchia and David Moffitt. Defensive lineman Sonny Sanitoa made a huge sack on a fourth down late in the game to prevent San Diego State from making this a close game.
"You're interviewing the wrong guy tonight", said Rebels quarterback Nick Sherry to the reporters flocked around him. "It was all about the defense. If they didn't step up, we didn't have a chance." Sherry was right, as it was the first game this season where he didn't put up more than 200 yards passing. He did find tight end Tyler Bergsten in the end zone twice, but these were after methodical drives leaning heavily on the run.
"San Diego State played really well and shut down what we're good at", said Sherry. But just like a true team, our other guys stepped up and did what it took to win."
UNLV, now 12-0, waits to see who they will face in the Mountain West Conference Championship.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
San Diego State was one win shy of a national championship last year. And now they've had to hear all season long about how good UNLV is. You better believe they'll be ready on Saturday when they come to Sam Boyd Stadium and face the Rebels. They boast the country's second longest win streak this season, only behind UNLV. So if there was ever a challenge that causes concern, it's this one.
Rebels quarterback Nick Sherry cannot start out of the gate cold. UNLV is going to need all the scoring help they can get. They will have trouble stopping the Aztecs, plain and simple. They run hard, and if the Rebels had trouble stopping Colorado State, they haven't seen anything yet. The #1 is placed firmly on their backs like a target, and they need to bring everything they've got if they want to advance to the conference championship.
"The wins at Michigan and against UCLA really helped this team in the polls", said college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit. "Undefeated doesn't always get you the number one spot, but wins against Power 5 schools can certainly magnify that."
There's still some doubt among a lot of people looking at these polls. But next week's test against #20 San Diego State should give us a more clear look at the situation.
"I'm going to be honest, I don't like it", said UNLV head coach Sean O'Bradovich. "Maybe somewhere down the line I can look at this and marvel at the accomplishment it truly is to be ranked number 1 in the nation, but it gives the sense that we've made it. We need to remember that we haven't made it yet. There is still a lot of work to be done to get the true number 1 title and I think everyone knows that."
The Rebels haven't faced any ranked teams this season, so there's some merit to what O'Bradovich is saying. Luckily, we have less than a week to see how accurate the polls really are.
Fort Collins, CO -- The Rams almost pulled off the upset. But UNLV quarterback Nick Sherry finally found his rhythm in the second half to save the day.
In the first half, Colorado State employed a heavy dose of the run, led by Donnell Alexander who finished with 217 yards on the ground. UNLV had no answer for it. And on the other side of the ball, the Rebels offense looked like they had been out partying the night before. Sherry's passes were off target, and it didn't inspire confidence in the receivers as they dropped whatever was thrown accurately.
"I hate to make excuses because there was no good reason we came out so flat", said Rebels head coach Sean O'Bradovich. "Whether it was the cold weather or worrying about the week after this one, we just weren't ready for this game."
By halftime, the Rams were up 27-14 and UNLV had shown no indication that they could recover. But in the third quarter, Sherry found his groove and started to make some good throws. He found Davonte Boyd for a touchdown to cut the lead. Then the Rebel defense stepped up and finally made a stop as Alexander was injured on a run, knocking him out of the game. This was time for the Rebels to capitalize, and they did. Sherry found Anthony Williams for another touchdown. The score was now 28-27 UNLV.
At this point Colorado State looked to be losing momentum, but they didn't give up as they scored another touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed and the Rebels took it from there. They rattled off two more touchdowns to preserve the victory.
"I think we learned a lesson today", said O'Bradovich. "But next week, we won't have the opportunity to get back in the game this way with San Diego State."
Sherry, although having a poor showing in the first half, finished with 327 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He now holds the school records for career touchdowns, touchdowns in a season, career passing yards, and passing yards in a season.
Monday, July 31, 2017
| Mountain West Conference (West) Conference Standings - Updated: Nov 20, 2015 | ||||||
| TEAM | REC | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STRK |
| UNLV | 10-0 | 1.000 | 6-0 | 356 | 236 | |
| San Diego St. | 9-1 | .900 | 6-0 | 307 | 205 | |
| Fresno St. | 6-4 | .600 | 4-2 | 295 | 229 | |
| Hawaii | 4-6 | .400 | 2-4 | 244 | 266 | |
| Nevada | 4-6 | .400 | 2-4 | 255 | 282 | |
| San Jose St. | 0-10 | .000 | 0-6 | 220 | 400 | |
Sunday, July 30, 2017
| UNLV Rebels Recruiting - 2015 | ||||||
| NAME | POS | CLASS | HOMETOWN | HT | WT | CALIBER |
| Darren Henry | TE | HS | Paradise Hills, NM | 6'3" | 242 |  |
| Richard Capps | TE | HS | Santa Monica, CA | 6'6" | 238 | |
| Dylan Roach | CB | HS | Tuscon, AZ | 6'1" | 186 | |
| Justin Douchette | CB | HS | St. George, LA | 6'1" | 182 | |
| Jabari Hill | DT | HS | Forest Park, OH | 6'3" | 288 | |
| NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Nov 20, 2015 | |||||
| RK | LW | TEAM (VOTES) | W | L | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Oklahoma State (58) | 9 | 0 | 1522 |
| 2 | 4 | Stanford | 9 | 1 | 1271 |
| 3 | 3 | Texas A&M | 9 | 1 | 1257 |
| 4 | 5 | Ohio State | 9 | 1 | 1170 |
| 5 | 10 | UNLV (3) | 10 | 0 | 1112 |
| 6 | 7 | Oklahoma | 8 | 1 | 1083 |
| 7 | 8 | Notes Dame | 7 | 3 | 1024 |
| 8 | 2 | Miami | 8 | 2 | 1010 |
| 9 | 9 | Iowa | 8 | 2 | 1003 |
| 10 | 13 | Virginia | 9 | 1 | 943 |
| 11 | 11 | Northwestern | 7 | 3 | 910 |
| 12 | 14 | Alabama | 8 | 3 | 786 |
| 13 | 18 | Nebraska | 8 | 2 | 734 |
| 14 | 6 | Michigan State | 7 | 3 | 693 |
| 15 | 16 | LSU | 7 | 3 | 689 |
| 16 | 17 | Wisconsin | 6 | 4 | 649 |
| 17 | 19 | Florida State | 7 | 3 | 567 |
| 18 | 20 | Clemson | 7 | 3 | 538 |
| 19 | 22 | Louisville | 6 | 4 | 450 |
| 20 | 23 | Arkansas | 7 | 3 | 406 |
| 21 | 24 | Arizona State | 8 | 3 | 381 |
| 22 | 25 | San Diego State | 9 | 1 | 355 |
| 23 | -- | Auburn | 6 | 4 | 271 |
| 24 | 15 | USC | 6 | 4 | 269 |
| 25 | -- | Kentucky | 7 | 3 | 206 |
"The bigger teams that have beaten up on each other feel that they deserve it more than UNLV", said college football analyst Charles Davis. "When teams like USC lose to teams like Stanford, they have solid arguments that UNLV hasn't played that level of competition all year, and in turn, aren't actually better than them."
The Rebels can make the argument, however, that they've beaten strong teams like Michigan and UCLA. But until they do that to a team like Oklahoma or Michigan State, people will continue to be up in arms.
Here are the rankings with two weeks to go.
| NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Nov 20, 2015 | |||||
| RK | LW | TEAM (VOTES) | W | L | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Oklahoma State (58) | 9 | 0 | 1522 |
| 2 | 4 | Stanford | 9 | 1 | 1271 |
| 3 | 3 | Texas A&M | 9 | 1 | 1257 |
| 4 | 5 | Ohio State | 9 | 1 | 1170 |
| 5 | 10 | UNLV (3) | 10 | 0 | 1112 |
| 6 | 7 | Oklahoma | 8 | 1 | 1083 |
| 7 | 8 | Notes Dame | 7 | 3 | 1024 |
| 8 | 2 | Miami | 8 | 2 | 1010 |
| 9 | 9 | Iowa | 8 | 2 | 1003 |
| 10 | 13 | Virginia | 9 | 1 | 943 |
| 11 | 11 | Northwestern | 7 | 3 |
Saturday, July 29, 2017
The Rebels have made it all the way to #5 in the national rankings whether they deserve it or not. National pundits have all chimed in and given the BCS flack for putting this team in the top 5 because they play in the Mountain West. They need to keep the focus on this week. They play a horrid Colorado State team that will have a hard time even thinking of themselves as a team that can play spoiler. OBinKC
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