Boise State offense exposes UNLV as team without a pass rush

Tony Sanchez wouldn't answer the question, which usually means if you give him a few minutes and attack the point in a different manner, he will have something to say.

Usually, a lot.

His focus remains on the UNLV football program of today, on those seniors he inherited when hired as head coach last December, on making sure the Rebels finish this first season under him with focus and preparation and perhaps a few more wins.

But his must also be an eye towards the future.

"How do you create a pass rush with four guys?" Sanchez said. "We need to find a way. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. And then when we do bring pressure, we give up big plays. It's not a put-down to any of our guys, but we don't have that dynamic pass rusher. We don't have that one guy who everyone has to double team and worry about that helps create a pass rush.

"It is what it is. When I took the job, we knew we weren't taking over a Rolls-Royce. But that's our mission, to turn it into that."

Then he better recruit the heck out of any available defensive linemen and backs.

A final score of 55-27 will tell you Boise State on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium covered a near-three touchdown spread and then some against UNLV, but those who watched will know it was a 7-point game with 11:07 remaining.

The Rebels aren't yet built to finish against better teams, and they certainly are not good enough defensively to hold up against anyone near as physical as the Broncos. It's all relative. UNLV has played with a fanatical effort Sanchez talks about often on defense this season. Desire isn't an issue.

Talent is.

The Rebels need a lot more of it.

Numbers can be misleading, and while the fact UNLV has 10 interceptions this year confirms the Rebels have been an opportunistic bunch at times, it conceals several areas of weakness that haven't allowed them to hold up late.

Consider: UNLV has just six sacks through eight games, ranking them 123rd nationally.

Across the country, 39 players have as many or more, led by Carl Nassib of Penn State with 12½.

The Rebels also before Saturday ranked 80th nationally in pass defense, 90th in total defense and 76th in scoring defense, all numbers that should worsen after Boise State going for 55 points and 705 yards.

Brett Rypien has a look of the next terrific Boise State quarterback, and the Rebels will definitely remember his effort of 35-of-52 passing for a Mountain West freshman record 469 yards and two touchdowns.

He completed balls to 10 different receivers, and his jersey was as white at game's end as it was when he trotted out for warm-ups.

"It's really frustrating, not being able to pressure a quarterback in general," UNLV senior defensive end Sonny Sanitoa said. "We haven't executed well enough, haven't transitioned from run to pass like we need to. We have to start playing better, beginning with me as the leader. We have to execute better up front to help our secondary in the back."

It's not easy to identify and then sign the sort of dynamic pass rusher Sanchez speaks of, not once Power 5 conferences have their pick of the best ones out there. Boise State owns the league's second-rated pass defense and yet allowed 387 yards through the air to the Rebels and also recorded no sacks. Everyone seems to move the ball at some point in 2015.

UNLV's first recruiting weekend is scheduled for Dec. 4-5, and there is every chance the majority of prospects will be from the junior college ranks. The Rebels need players everywhere, but it's imperative they land those who can either apply pressure or cover in space, and do so beginning next season.

It's ironic that UNLV's top NFL prospects this year — likely the only two — are Sanitoa and safety Peni Vea. The defense had stretches on Saturday where they limited Boise State, but stretches here and there won't translate into much of anything.

"You can't give up 700 yards and expect to win any game," Vea said.

There are potential victories remaining for UNLV, beginning with hosting Hawaii on Saturday, more opportunities to fly above the predicted win total of 2½. The Rebels probably will be favored against the Rainbow Warriors and perhaps at Wyoming on Nov. 28.

But no matter how the final four games play out, an obvious recruiting need continues to show itself weekly. UNLV might be playing harder defensively this season, might be creating more turnovers, might appear better on that side of the ball, might have lost a few players because of injury, but reality can always be found in results.

"We didn't play well defensively today," Sanchez said. "Every time we chipped away, they kept extending and extending. It was tough personnel wise. We just couldn't match up with them."

Which is another way of saying the Rebels aren't yet, in any form, a Rolls-Royce.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney.