UNLV could be catching Southern California at a good time as both teams open their football seasons at 1 p.m. Saturday in Los Angeles. Even so, the 15th-ranked Trojans are 26-point favorites.
UNLV Football
A breakdown of Saturday’s non-conference UNLV game at USC.
Bubba Bolden, who went to Bishop Gorman and won the starting job at strong safety for Southern California, will not play against UNLV on Saturday. Trojans coach Clay Helton would not elaborate.
UNLV appears to have an excellent chance to make a bowl this season. But the Rebels have some obstacles to clear to get there.
Boise State is expected to win the Mountain West, but Hawaii’s upset of Colorado State on Saturday showed nothing is a given in the league. UNLV opens Saturday at Southern California.
Southern California named freshman JT Daniels its starting quarterback for Saturday’s season-opening football game against UNLV at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. UNLV has its own young promising quarterback in sophomore Armani Rogers, who hopes last season’s experience pays off.
UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois saw a lot of positives in her first year, with five conference championships coming from Olympic sports. But she knows most of the focus is on football and men’s basketball.
UNLV safety Dalton Baker does more than play with passion. It’s his attention to detail — the less glamorous but perhaps more important stuff — that elevated him to team captain as a senior.
UNLV has policies and protocols for offseason football conditioning and training camp designed to increase player safety. Maryland football player Jordan McNair died after offseason workouts due to heatstroke.
UNLV quarterback Armani Rogers grew up in Los Angeles, but he cheered for Texas against USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. He hopes to lead UNLV to what would be a shocking victory over the Trojans on Sept. 1.
UNLV junior defensive end Nick Dehdashtian will miss the football season because of a Lisfranc fracture on his left foot. He was expected to compete with senior Jameer Outsey for the starting spot.
UNLV sophomore quarterback Armani Rogers made up for a shaky showing a week earlier in a scrimmage. He had only one incomplete pass Saturday, and that was a drop in the end zone.
UNLV will receive $1.15 million for its Sept. 1 football trip to Southern California. The Rebels must balance the importance of such high-payout games against the needs of moving the program forward.
Saturday evening is the final chance for UNLV football players fighting for jobs to state their case before the team heads full time into preparation for the Sept. 1 season opener at Southern California.
UNLV redshirt freshman offensive left tackle Ashton Morgan figures to be in the rotation this season. His dad, Sean, is the mayor of Chico, California.
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