Last year saw the UNLV Rebels in a definite transitional season. New head coach Bobby Hauck had taken the reigns with statements that the Rebels would no longer run the spread offense as instituted by Mike Sanford, but as the season began, Hauck found himself stuck between his own philosophy and vision, and the personnel on his roster.
Hauck was hired because he was a winning coach, amassing an 80-17 record in 7 seasons at the helm in Montana. The Rebels are polar-opposite to Montana. In twelve seasons of play in the Mountain West, UNLV has a total winning percentage of .324, and are just .258 in conference play including Hauck’s first season of 2-11.
All of this means that the Rebels haven’t had a winning season since 2000. Hauck is learning what Mike Sanford could teach seminars on: turning UNLV around is a tall task.
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| Caleb Herring looks to claim the starting QB position and improve the UNLV offense |
The result of the dichotomy between vision and personnel led UNLV to average just 18.4 points per game. The Rebels return seven starters from that offense and should be able to hit a better groove with more time to establish a solid offensive system. Sophomore QB Caleb Herring was tentatively named the starter out of Spring, but will be challenged by JC-transfer Sean Reilly in a battle that may not be resolved until opening week.
The Rebs need a go-to playmaker to take the offense to the next level, and luckily for them they return experience at the top of depth chart in skill positions. Leading receiver Phillip Payne returns as a senior. Payne will need to lead both in the locker room and on the field for UNLV to improve the win column. Leading rusher Tim Cornett returns off his freshman performance of 546 yards on 144 carries looking to make a bigger difference this season.
Defensively the Rebels were nothing short of a train wreck, giving up 40+ points in eight of their thirteen games last season, and surrendering an average of more than 450 yards per game. A key difference-maker in stopping a hemorrhaging run defense could be Blinn Junior College transfer Princeton Jackson. Coach Hauck has said he wants to move away from staffing his roster with JC transfers, so Jackson’s signing to play linebacker is evidence alone of his ability to contribute right away.
The Rebels are set to play four teams who finished last season ranked 11th or better. It won’t be easy for UNLV to improve its win total as they play seven road games, including games at Wisconsin, TCU, and Air Force.
SCHEDULE & PREDICTIONS
Date/Time | TV | Opponent | Zach | Brett |
Thu. 09/01/11 5:00 p.m. PT | ESPN | at Wisconsin | L | L |
Sat. 09/10/11 Time TBA | --- | at Washington State | L | L |
Sat. 09/17/11 7:00 p.m. PT | The Mtn. | HAWAII | L | L |
Sat. 09/24/11 6:00 p.m. PT | The Mtn. | SOUTHERN UTAH | W | W |
Sat. 10/08/11 1:05 p.m. PT | --- | at Nevada | L | L |
Sat. 10/15/11 11:00 a.m. PT | The Mtn. | at Wyoming | L | L |
Sat. 10/29/11 3:00 p.m. PT | The Mtn. | COLORADO STATE | L | L |
Sat. 11/05/11 7:30 p.m. PT | CBS SN | BOISE STATE | L | L |
Sat. 11/12/11 7:00 p.m. PT | The Mtn. | at New Mexico | L* | W* |
Sat. 11/19/11 3:00 p.m. PT | The Mtn. | at Air Force | L | L |
Sat. 11/26/11 7:00 p.m. PT | The Mtn. | SAN DIEGO STATE | L | L |
Sat. 12/036/11 11:30 a.m. PT | Versus | at TCU | L | L |
* Denotes toss-up | 1-11 | 2-10 | ||
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