The Battle for the Fremont Cannon and four other UNLV football games will be shown on national TV this season, though all the times and channels haven’t been announced.
UNLV Football
UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez grew up 22 miles from the Oakland Coliseum, where he attended countless Raiders games. If Raiders owner Mark Davis has his way, Sanchez might eventually need only take a short stroll across campus to reach the NFL team’s new stadium in Las Vegas.
Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis on Thursday told the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee that he wants to move his NFL franchise to Las Vegas, and he pledged $500 million toward the construction of a $1.4 billion domed stadium if a public-private financing plan is approved by the Legislature.
Former UNLV quarterback Blake Decker has been named a member of the 2016 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
UNLV’s football game this season at Boise State will be televised on ESPN2 on Nov. 18, starting at either 6 or 6:30 p.m. PT, the Mountain West announced Monday
Johnny Stanton and Kurt Palandech were both listed as the starting quarterback on UNLV’s post-spring, two-deep depth chart released Thursday, though second-year coach Tony Sanchez said Stanton has a slight edge in the competition.
Aside from a few fun facts — including one that coach Tony Sanchez is a country music fan who always ensures the hip-hop-heavy practice playlist includes the stylings of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash — here are five other things we learned during UNLV’s spring practice.
UNLV scored the only touchdown of its spring game and, as if on cue, the skies opened up Saturday afternoon at Johann Memorial Field. The heavy downpour sent the announced crowd of 2,800 scurrying for cover.
After a slow start to spring practice, UNLV quarterback Johnny Stanton has come on strong. But, heading into today’s spring game, coach Tony Sanchez isn’t ready to anoint the former Nebraska player as the Rebels’ starting quarterback over incumbent starter Kurt Palandech.
That sequence of plays took place at UNLV’s practice Friday morning at Rebel Park, where crowd noise blared from speakers and the energy was palpable as the team geared up for its annual spring game, scheduled for noon Saturday at Johann Memorial Field.
The NFL’s Oakland Raiders plan to play some preseason games at Sam Boyd Stadium, and possibly one regular-season game per year, to help build their fan base in Southern Nevada if a deal is reached to build a new domed stadium near the Las Vegas Strip.
In the most emotional moment of UNLV’s spring football practice, Rebels coach Tony Sanchez made a surprise announcement to the team after its final workout before spring break that junior walk-on linebacker Roscoe Kalilikane would be awarded a scholarship.
The entire UNLV football team crowded around kicker Nicolai Bornand at the end of Wednesday’s practice at Rebel Park and tried to distract him, but the senior stayed focused and calmly booted a 35-yard field goal.
Following Saturday’s football practice at Rebel Park, Johnny Stanton said UNLV’s quarterbacks, including himself, needed to step up their games.
Confidence is key to being a successful quarterback. After three weeks of spring practice, UNLV quarterback Johnny Stanton could use a confidence booster.