UNLV’s Dalton Sneed brings swagger, creativity to QB position

When he spun left and nearly stumbled in his own end zone, a near disastrous play avoided by mere inches, Dalton Sneed might have been at his best.

Sometimes, the greatest quality a quarterback can have is creativity.

Rationale thinking is overrated when everything else breaks down.

UNLV’s football team approached its Mountain West opener against Fresno State on Saturday night as a clean slate, a chance for the Rebels to rid themselves of the stink that was losing to Idaho last week and at the same time regain some traction in a season that was rapidly heading the wrong direction.

The Rebels did that and more in beating the Bulldogs 45-20 before a sparse homecoming crowd of 17,811 at Sam Boyd Stadium, and in the process offered the sort of quarterback play that wins games far more times than not.

The signature snap for Sneed, a redshirt freshman making his first college start, came midway through the third quarter, the Rebels facing third-and-11 from their 9 and having just avoided a major issue when an apparent catch-and-fumble was overturned on replay and ruled an incomplete pass.

Sneed stepped up in the pocket, stumbled backward and turned left, momentum carrying him into the dreaded black paint of the end zone, where he nearly fell for a safety. He gained solid footing, sprinted right toward the sideline and headed up field.

It was at UNLV’s 35-yard line where Sneed found an extra gear to split the blocks of two teammates and was never touched on his way to the longest offensive play from scrimmage — 91 yards — in school and stadium history.

It increased the Rebels’ lead to 28-10 and proved true the notion that magic is often produced most amid madness, as well as making the day’s top 10 plays on “SportsCenter.”

After the game, Sneed while sitting next to coach Tony Sanchez: “I got a few blocks and turned on the jets.”

Sanchez: “You got jets now, huh?

“I tell you what. (Sneed) put us on his back and made an unbelievable play. It wasn’t a call. It wasn’t something we work on. That was just his heart and spirit stepping up and doing something special. If you’re going to win football games, you have to have a couple of those each Saturday. The game is about players making plays. That’s what is great about college football.

“It’s great to be in this room after a win, to see the boys in there spirited and excited and celebrating all the hard work they have put in. They have played their tales off since the beginning of the year and didn’t have much to show for it coming into tonight. I’m really proud of the way they responded.”

More than anything else, and that includes Sneed’s breakaway run off a broken play, the number that most impressed from his starting debut is this: zero.

That’s how many times the young quarterback turned the ball over, an issue that found Johnny Stanton far too often in the first four games before the junior was lost to a knee injury.

It’s all relative. Fresno State is a dreadful side that ranks 104th nationally in total defense and 125th in rushing defense, but when you are a UNLV team that entered 1-3 and next travel to preseason favorite and defending conference champion San Diego State, losing to the Bulldogs is not allowed if you harbor any thoughts of eventually getting six victories and bowl eligibility.

Sneed played with the swagger on the field that he displays off it. He wasn’t allowed to speak with the media leading up to the game, but past interviews certainly showed a young man assured in his ability to lead the Rebels.

He doesn’t lack for confidence.

He rushed 15 times for 147 yards and the historic score while also completing 8 of 16 passes for 129 yards and a 61-yard touchdown to freshman Elijah Trosclair, who made the most of his first career catch. Charles Williams, yet another freshman, rushed 18 times for 153 yards, including a 42-yard score.

UNLV has exciting young talent at multiple skill positions, something that should entertain while producing points in conference as the Rebels continue trying to evolve into a more complete team, one whose defense still has major issues defending the pass and getting opponents off the field on third-and-long.

Sneed was far from perfect — he chose the wrong target and missed open receivers more than once — but his ability to manage things without giving an inferior opponent hope with turnovers is the kind of production UNLV desperately needs at the most important position.

And it never hurts to have a guy who can turn a near safety into a 91-yard touchdown.

“It looked a little hairy for the throw, so I decided I would get out of the pocket,” Sneed said. “As soon as I saw that black paint, I thought, ‘Oh, my God,’ I have to get out of here and run to the other sideline …

“The whole team rallied around me and settled me down (this week). Obviously, the nerves were there in the beginning, but football is football, no matter what level you play at.”

He’s right, even when everything breaks down and madness ensues.

Often, that’s when magic happens.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney.