A forgettable start to his final college season hung in the air before an announced crowd of 5,107 at T-Mobile Arena, but when Noah Robotham’s fallaway 3-pointer fell, the Rebels had a 92-90 overtime victory over Brigham Young.
Ed Graney
Ed Graney is a sports columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, covering a variety of topics and the Las Vegas sports scene.
egraney@reviewjournal.com … @edgraney on Twitter. 702-383-4618
In a game they never led and, well, one you really never thought they would win, the Rebels fell to Cincinnati 65-61 before an announced gathering of 9,572 at the Thomas Mack Center.
UNLV’s basketball team continues its seven-game homestand to open the season Wednesday night against Valparaiso, when senior Shakur Juiston will take his usual place in the starting lineup and once again pursue rebounds like a cat might a feather on a bobbing string.
The Rebels on Saturday night began what they hope will be a wave of momentum heading into next football season in the most memorable and impressive of ways, rallying from a 23-point deficit to defeat UNR 34-29 before an announced gathering of 19,921 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
One of the main problems with UNLV athletics, perhaps the central one, is the fact it either doesn’t realize or accept its place in today’s world of collegiate athletics.
Here’s the part often lost in the suggestion that UNLV would be better off without major college football: Such a move wouldn’t come without serious consequences.
UNLV played better than that forgettable loss to Loyola Marymount, walking away a winner on Tuesday night before an announced gathering of 7,327 at Thomas Mack Center.
The talk of losing out is over, and the uncertainty of Tony Sanchez’s job status unquestionably should be paused, after the Rebels rallied to defeat 23-point favorite San Diego State 27-24 on Saturday night.
Lorenzo Fertitta doubles down on support for Sanchez receiving a fifth season and time in the football complex that will bear the family name.
UNLV dropped its fifth straight Saturday, this a 50-37 decision to San Jose State, after which a majority of the announced gathering of 16,165 were able to cheer victory for the first time in 2018.
Thoughts of regaining its footing and possibly again creating a legitimate path to bowl eligibility were pretty much crushed Friday night when UNLV fell to Air Force 41-35 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Losing starting quarterback Armani Rogers indefinitely this week to a toe injury is hardly a desired reality, but this is the sort of moment coach Tony Sanchez has prepared for through recruiting.
Nick Robone doesn’t question attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival last Oct. 1, doesn’t believe he should have left his recreation hockey league game and simply went home, doesn’t regret agreeing to meet his younger brother and friends to watch country star Jason Aldean perform.
If you were to put pen to paper and describe the hopes and dreams of those at UNLV when it comes to building football at a Group of Five institution, it would likely resemble more of the Red Wolves than you might imagine from a place so far away and dissimilar.
UNLV amassed 414 yards rushing in drilling Texas-El Paso 52-24 on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium.
