5 burning questions entering Saturday’s UNLV-Wyoming game

Five burning questions as UNLV's football team prepares to play at Wyoming at 11 a.m. PST Saturday:

1. Will UNLV quarterback Blake Decker play? Coach Tony Sanchez will have more information on that this afternoon, but the fact Decker — who has ankle and hip injuries — moved from third to second on the depth chart is a positive sign for the Rebels.

2. Can the Rebels win if Decker doesn't play? They can, but the task would be that much harder. This is a pretty even matchup no matter who is the quarterback, but without Decker, Wyoming gains a significant advantage.

3. Is UNLV motivated? That's to be determined, and it's a question that can be asked of both teams. The Rebels' defense was flat two weeks ago at Colorado State, and their entire team was flat on Saturday against San Diego State. UNLV is tired and beaten up, but it needs the energy it had earlier in the season.

4. What does this game mean, win or lose? Sanchez needs all the selling points he can get with recruiting and the community. A victory gives the Rebels four wins, doubling the number they had last season and eight of the past 11 years. Sanchez can take that to recruits as proof the program is on the rise as well as potential backers for a new football building. Without that victory, his job becomes a little more difficult.

5. How is recruiting and the fund-raising for a new building going? UNLV has 11 commitments, which is unheard of for this program at this point, so it's going well. But the Rebels enter the meat of recruiting season, and they still hope to land a pair of quarterbacks, fill other position needs and hit the junior colleges hard. As for the building, the victory at UNR on Oct. 3 created momentum among supporters, but work remains to be done. An announcement is possible in the next month or two, UNLV officials hope.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65