UNLV line shifting appears permanent

UNLV coach Bobby Hauck was so concerned about his interior offensive line that he took his best player up front, senior left tackle Brett Boyko, and moved him to left guard for last Saturday’s 31-28 loss to New Mexico.

Redshirt freshman Kyle Saxelid took Boyko’s place at tackle.

Both players are slated to again start at those positions when the Rebels play Air Force at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium, and they possibly will finish the season at those spots.

“Brett didn’t look completely comfortable in there at guard, but if you talk to the NFL guys, they’re excited we’re playing him in there because that’s how most of them see him,” Hauck said. “So I think this week will be another good look at it. (Saxelid) did an admirable job, but he looks like a freshman playing on the offensive line. He’s going to be a good player, a really good player.

“In general, it certainly wasn’t a disaster, but it didn’t look anywhere near flawless, for sure.”

Both players found out early last week about their new responsibilities.

For Boyko (6 feet 7 inches, 315 pounds), the largest adjustments were taking shorter steps and getting used to going into a three-point stance.

“I felt like I had a better second half than first half, but I didn’t feel I had the best game,” Boyko said.

He said he hoped getting that game of experience will help him going forward.

“That’s the thing about offensive line is everything is repetition,” Boyko said. “I’ve got to use as many reps as I can and get used to it.”

Saxelid (6-7, 270) was nervous before his first start, but he also didn’t lose any sleep. “It was the best experience of my life,” he said. “I loved it.”

THREE-STEP DROP

■ When UNLV plays Air Force, expect the winning team to score lots of points. The winning side, in fact, has averaged 38 points and never scored fewer than 24. Since 2002, the winning team scored more than 40 points six times, including last season when UNLV won 41-21.

■ Air Force and UNR are the only opponents UNLV has played each of the past 18 years, but because of Mountain West divisional scheduling, this will be the Rebels’ last meeting with the Falcons until 2017.

■ The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a camouflaged UNLV hat as part of what the school terms its Military Salute.

FOR THE RECORD

■ Devonte Boyd is closing in on Ryan Wolfe’s UNLV freshman receiving records. Boyd is 12 catches and 242 yards from breaking Wolfe’s marks of 55 receptions for 911 yards in 2006. The Basic High School graduate has tied the Rebels freshman record of three 100-yard receiving games, matching Carlos Baker (1995) and Wolfe. Boyd’s 670 yards rank fifth nationally among freshman receivers, 58 yards behind leader Desean Hamilton of Penn State.

■ New Mexico passed for 5 yards against the Rebels, the second-lowest total UNLV has ever allowed. Louisiana-Lafayette passed for zero yards against the Rebels in 1985.

■ Air Force has scored in 266 consecutive games, the nation’s third-longest active streak behind Florida (329) and Texas Christian (275). Air Force’s streak, which began in 1993, is ninth all time and the best ever among current Mountain West members. Brigham Young, second all time with 361 consecutive games from 1975 to 2003, and TCU with its current run that began in 1991 were in the conference during parts of their streaks.

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