Rebels seek improvement first, then victories

Now it's not about new uniforms or the changes to Sam Boyd Stadium or how many national media outlets have interviewed UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez.

None of that matters when the Rebels open their first season under Sanchez on Sept. 5 at Northern Illinois.

Can they get it done on the field?

This season, probably not. Almost certainly not.

Sanchez still doesn't have the pieces to be competitive in the Mountain West, and his team faces a daunting schedule that includes home games against UCLA and Boise State and a trip to Michigan along with that tough opener.

"Since the day I got my job, I haven't cared less about the schedule," Sanchez said. "They're the games that you've got to play, and they're great teams, great atmospheres that are going to push us to be better. So I don't see any point wasting any energy on this, 'Oh, I wish it was a little different.'

"Our preparation would be no different today if the schedule was any different."

The schedule has some soft spots, such as home games against Idaho State and San Jose State, but little has come easy for the Rebels over the years. So no game should be considered a gimme.

Maybe this season will be different. The ones who matter most, the players, believe change is coming.

"We know we can be scary good when we put it all together," senior quarterback Blake Decker said. "There's not a single game on our schedule we look at and think we're not going to have a shot. With that mentality, I think we can go out and pull out some wins and surprise some people."

The preseason polls haven't been kind to UNLV, which was picked by the Mountain West media to finish last in the West Division.

"It's just all predictions," senior safety Peni Vea said.

Here are the major questions entering the season:

— Which Decker will show up?

He comes off a season in which he passed for 2,886 yards, the third-highest total in UNLV history. He also threw 18 interceptions, also the third-highest total in UNLV history.

Decker looked sharp for most of training camp, and he has one of the Mountain West's best wide receivers in sophomore Devonte Boyd. If Decker can make better decisions and get more time to throw, he is capable of putting together a strong season.

But if Decker turns over the ball as he did last season, the offense won't go anywhere. And neither will the Rebels' season.

— Will the defense improve?

It would be difficult not to show some sort of improvement after giving up 38.5 points and 513.5 yards per game last season. The Rebels simply couldn't stop the run, allowing a 293.8-yard average.

Coaches improved the line by bringing in four new players who should make an immediate impact, but questions still remain throughout that side of the ball. So expect more blitzes to try to create big plays and get the ball back in the offense's hands. That strategy could lead to more big plays for the opponent, but the Rebels have little choice.

— Will the freshman running backs make a difference?

If they play as they did in training camp, no doubt. Lexington Thomas was dynamic, and he will be used in many different ways. Fellow freshman Xzaviar Campbell is more of a bruiser.

But to put such a load on young players is asking a lot, and the running game will be by committee. No doubt coaches feel better about that attack than they did in the spring, but until those players perform in a game, it's difficult to know what to expect.

If they produce, however, it will be a major boost to a run game that averaged 129.2 yards last season.

— Will the offensive line be effective?

It wasn't last season, and three of those starters are gone. This season's starting line has looked good in practice, but depth is badly lacking, so the Rebels can't afford injuries up front.

It remains an open question, however, whether even the starters will get it done. Last season's line, after all, was expected to be a strength, and it was far from that.

— So how many victories this season?

Two has been the magic number in recent seasons, with UNLV landing on that figure in eight of the past 11 years.

Two could be the number again, and if the Rebels take advantage of their middle portion of the schedule, they could get to three or four.

More than that? Likely not this season.

This is a building project for Sanchez and a waiting game for UNLV fans.

"I think that's the biggest thing for us is can we see a continual, gradual progression as far as us getting better?" Sanchez said. "I think with a continual progression of getting better, wins come with that."

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