Players and coaches won’t agree — and they shouldn’t — but the Raiders should be playing for the future, and that means losing games and getting a high draft pick.
Ed Graney
Sports columnist
Email: egraney@reviewjournal.com
Phone: (702) 383-4618
X: @edgraney
Ed Graney came to the Review-Journal in May of 2006 as its lead sports columnist. He has covered all major sporting events, including Super Bowls to NBA championships to every Final Four since 1995. Graney also covered the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). A graduate of San Diego State University, he is a five-time Nevada Sportswriter of the Year and past winner of Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 for columns. He and wife Bonnie have two children, a son (Tristan) and daughter (Bridget).
UNLV will take a 10-3 record into the game under first-year coach Dan Mullen. It’s the third straight season the Rebels will participate in a bowl game.
UNLV will learn its bowl destination Sunday at a news conference at Allegiant Stadium. Opinions vary on where the Rebels will play.
UNLV football coach Dan Mullen says he wants to play the best teams. That’s why the Rebels should schedule the Broncos after they leave the Mountain West.
UNLV lost to Boise State 56-31 in October, but its defense has improved dramatically under coordinator Paul Guenther entering the Mountain West championship game.
UNLV and Boise State have explosive offenses, so the Mountain West football championship game might be decided by which defense makes stops at crucial times.
Quarterback Derek Garcia of Ventura (California) High School highlighted a recruiting class of 24 players signed by Rebels coach Dan Mullen on Wednesday.
Gloria Nevarez’s league had a four-way tie for first place in football, and computer metrics decided UNLV would meet Boise State in the title game.
Dan Mullen admits to being a little calmer from his previous coaching stops as college football has become a world of NIL dollars and the transfer portal.
UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea led the Mountain West in almost all statistical categories and was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Jai’Den Thomas is nearing a 1,000-yard rushing season and doesn’t even average 11 carries per game. It’s one thing that makes UNLV’s offense so powerful.
Chip Kelly was fired as offensive coordinator by the Raiders and deserved blame for the offense’s struggles, but other factors have led to this level of failure.
UNLV will meet Boise State for the third consecutive season in the Mountain West football championship game after the two teams were selected by computer metrics.
The Rebels (10-2) beat UNR for a fourth straight season and assured the Fremont Cannon will remain red for yet another year.
A win Saturday at UNR would place UNLV in a four-way tie for first place in the Mountain West. Computers then would decide who plays in the championship game.