Graney: UNLV unable to hide defensive deficiencies in loss to Lobos

Whatever is happening schematically on the defensive side, however they’re preparing to compete, whichever way they’re teaching, isn’t working.

UNLV’s football team lost a game Saturday because it was outprepared, outplayed and outcoached.

Because it again couldn’t stop the other guys enough.

New Mexico won 40-35 before 25,972 at Allegiant Stadium because it was a mismatch when comparing the Lobos’ offense to that of UNLV’s defense.

The Lobos schemed the heck out of things.

UNLV couldn’t answer when it needed to most.

This, coming off a bye for the Rebels.

They continue to allow points and yards and chunk plays that even the most competent of opposing offenses have a difficult time overcoming.

No communication

UNLV (6-2 overall, 2-2 Mountain West) tried again to outscore an opponent for victory and, even with a valiant performance from an ill quarterback in junior Anthony Colandrea, couldn’t this time muster enough points to better such defensive deficiencies.

New Mexico (6-3, 3-2) would roll up 532 yards, including 401 through the air. The mistakes in UNLV’s secondary over 60 minutes can’t rightly be explained.

Communication doesn’t just appear lacking.

It appears nonexistent some snaps.

I can’t begin to count how often this season opposing receivers have just run free.

“It’s my responsibility to make sure we perform the way we need to perform,” UNLV coach Dan Mullen said. “There are a lot of things we can look at. To me, the consistency of our performance is not where it needs to be and that goes to the head coach 100 percent.

“Of making sure we’re doing everything the right way all the time comes down to me. Right now, we’re not doing a good enough job with that.”

Big plays are killers. The Lobos had four first-half touchdowns, with three coming from 30, 84 and 80 yards.

They led 21-0 in a blink.

One score came via a simple screen, where New Mexico running back Damon Bankston ran untouched for 84 yards.

UNLV defenders are far too often out of position. There’s a high level of confusion. They don’t play instinctively enough.

It’s true that you can overthink the room in such situations.

UNLV didn’t make players available for interviews Saturday, so it was on Mullen to explain what transpired.

And even though he fell on the proverbial sword, you have an entire defensive staff of coordinator Paul Guenther and assistants that needs to fix things.

If that’s even possible.

“We have to make sure schematically that we’re in the right looks and we don’t ask guys to do things they can’t do,” Mullen said. “We’re not causing enough confusion on defense right now. We’re making things too easy on the offense. That’s on me. We have to make sure to just not allow them to have explosive plays.”

But such has been a consistent theme for UNLV. It has struggled mightily with the variations of offenses Mountain West teams employ. Struggled grasping different styles weekly. Struggled following their own rules of execution.

“We’re going to see things we haven’t seen before,” Mullen said. “They ran some things today they hadn’t run before in all three phases. But you should be aligned and take care of where you’re going to be. We’re not doing a good enough job of making those adjustments.”

Run game

Colandrea was a gamer given he missed practice Friday while suffering from the flu. He threw for 382 yards and three scores on a day New Mexico sold out to stop the run and allowed just 88 yards on the ground. UNLV came all the way back from down 21 to lead 35-34 with 6:35 remaining.

But then the Lobos marched 75 yards in eight plays to take the lead for good. Then the Lobos did what led to them scoring 31 first-half points. And the Rebels couldn’t stop it from occurring.

“It’s a tough league where we have to battle every single week,” Mullen said. “We know it. We see it. I have to make sure we don’t make the mistakes and errors that cost us that game today.”

Nothing new. They’ve been making them all season.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.