Rested Rebels ready for BSU
If the UNLV Rebels football program was looking to make a statement to show that it is on the verge of arriving, Saturday afternoon's tilt against perennial Mountain West heavyweight Boise State is a great spot to do it.
Playing in front of a national audience before the East coast part of the country heads out to trick or treat, the Rebels will have their opportunity to compete with the Broncos on their field in what is, essentially, UNLV's national championship game.
The stars are coming together for UNLV in this one. Blake Decker will return to be the starting quarterback after missing the previous two games, which were both heartbreaking losses. Head coach Tony Sanchez and his staff have had 15 days to prepare an already well coached team. Finally, BSU will be heading into a bye week after its tussle with the Rebels, so the Broncos could be on vacation early from a mental standpoint.
Also, despite only having two losses, this isn't the same Boise State team that we've seen in recent years past. The Broncos aren't nearly as explosive at the skill positions, except for running back Jeremy McNichols, and freshman quarterback Brett Rypien has thrown as many interceptions as he has touchdowns on the road.
Boise State's last road contest was a complete disaster. The Broncos fell behind 45-10 at halftime against Utah State, turning the ball over seven times in the first two quarters.
UNLV has to follow the same recipe as the Aggies did during their upset of BSU. The Rebels must force turnovers on defense and control the ball on offense, while also striking while the iron's hot with some big plays.
Getting Decker back should help the offense get back on track from a passing standpoint. UNLV has been able to move the ball effectively enough the past two games with Kurt Palandech under center, but when the Rebels need to make a big play through the air, it's difficult.
Decker is a much more seasoned quarterback that can make plays with both his arm and legs. The only game he has played pretty much the entire way through was the first game of the season against Northern Illinois, a game he threw for over 300 yards in.
This is not to say that UNLV's chances of winning are solely pinned on Decker. The Rebels' defense has been stingy enough throughout the season that they should be able to, at least, slow down Boise occasionally. Forcing Rypien to throw earlier than he wants to would be a step in the right direction. UNLV has struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks all season, but the Broncos will be competing with a patchwork offensive line.
UNLV, which is just 2-5 on the year, hasn't competed with a loser's mentality. The Rebels have been right there in all but two of those games (UCLA and Michigan). This is UNLV's opportunity to put the past behind it and show that they are ready to take on the top teams in the MWC.
For more in-depth information, analysis and discussion, be sure to check out Rebel-Confidential.
Click Here to view this Link.