UNR’s Fajardo tweets that Fremont Cannon is going back north

It’s only July, but UNR quarterback Cody Fajardo already is thinking about November.

It’s on Nov. 29 that the Wolf Pack play at UNLV and hope to recapture the Fremont Cannon. The Rebels won the cannon last year in Reno, beating UNR 27-22 to end an eight-year skid in the rivalry.

That loss didn’t sit well with Fajardo, who tweeted July 16: “The greatest part of the 2014 schedule is ending our senior year bringing back the cannon! #Cannonwillbeblue #seniors #justwatch”

His coach, Brian Polian, defended the tweet at Mountain West football media days Wednesday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

“I don’t care that we’re pointing at the UNLV game,” Polian said. “I don’t care about that whatsoever. I encourage it. I have heartburn about that game. I know what that games means to the University of Nevada and our fans and our alumni, and I have no problem with our guys talking about the cannon during the offseason. I’ve been talking about it. Now if he was talking about the UNLV game the week we were playing Southern Utah (Aug. 30), I’d have an issue.

“He wasn’t disrespectful. That was not bulletin-board material.”

Fajardo said his intention wasn’t to fire up the Rebels.

“I was not trying to call (out) UNLV at all,” he said. “I was stating my confidence in the team, just letting them know, ‘Hey, we’ve busted our butts this offseason. We’ve really laid everything on the line.’ Everyone knows how it feels to lose the cannon, so we want to step up and get the cannon back.”

UNLV’s two players at media days downplayed the tweet.

“People are going to say a lot of things,” wide receiver Devante Davis said. “We’re focused on playing football. Our first game isn’t against them, so we’re focused on Arizona (Aug. 29). So the tweet doesn’t really do anything to us or make me feel some type of way about him or about the game or anything like that.”

Offensive tackle Brett Boyko added: “You can post whatever you want on social media, but it comes down to the game. So we’ll be ready when the time comes, and the Reno game is always in the back of our mind. ... Writing it down on a piece of paper right now doesn’t really mean much.”

■ NEW FACES — Signing day was Feb. 5, but recruiting for this year’s class wasn’t over for UNLV.

The Rebels signed four junior college prospects since that day — kicker Jonathan Leiva (6 feet, 175 pounds), linebacker Ryan McAleenan (6-2, 230) and running backs George Naufahu (6-0, 215) and Jamal Overton (5-9, 205).

They brought in Leiva from Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif., after Green Valley High product Conor Perkins decided to go on a two-year Mormon mission.

McAleenan, who played at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., already is listed on the depth chart as even with sophomore Iggy Porchia (6-2, 210) at middle linebacker.

“With our linebacker position, coming out of recruiting we felt good,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. “Then we kind of felt we were short-handed.”

Running back is especially wide open with Tim Cornett having ended his four-year record-breaking career. Naufahu rushed for 1,183 yards and 17 touchdowns last season at College of San Mateo (Calif.), and Overton had 882 yards and six TDs at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.

■ NOT KICKING IT — San Diego State coach Rocky Long made his feelings known last year that he would rather go for it on fourth down than kick a field goal or punt, and the Aztecs’ lousy kicking situation allowed him to take some chances. Long wants to be aggressive even with dependable kickers, but has held back from going all in with the idea.

“Someday I wish I was tough enough to say that we’re not kicking,” he said. “That would give me three more scholarships, and a deep snapper, that would give me four more scholarships I could use for offense and defensive guys. And then maybe lose a whole bunch of games and be out the door.”

Long also knows such a decision wouldn’t be popular on his own staff, saying every assistant opposes it. “So I’m fighting a battle in the staff room, too,” he said.

■ TROUBLE IN PARADISE — Hawaii lost five games by a touchdown or less last season, including two in overtime, in going 1-11, causing some fans to want the Rainbow Warriors to bring in a priest.

“Honestly, a couple of people wanted us to go hire a Hawaiian kahuna and get rid of the evil spirits because the university’s cursed, the athletic program is cursed and the ballclub is cursed,” coach Norm Chow said, laughing.

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