Rebels not overmatched in dreadful conference

The Mountain West, like most nonpower conferences with limited strengths and obvious shortcomings, always has been a football league with the look of an orphan.

Meaning, there continues to be this endless sense of abandonment, left to chase the dream of one day enjoying the same sizable slice of wealth and autonomy from the sport’s richest pie.

One it probably will never taste.

Some years, the Mountain West has more than held its own when competing against those from the Power Five, winning more than its share of matchups in the regular season and then bowl games.

Some years, it’s fairly even.

Some years, like this one, it’s embarrassingly one-sided in favor of the other guys.

Translation: UNLV’s forgettable 1-3 start doesn’t mean it can’t compete for wins when the Rebels begin league play Saturday at San Diego State.

Reason being, there is every chance the Mountain West is at its weakest point in football since the league was formed 15 years ago. Seasons have passed, and accomplished programs in Brigham Young and Utah and Texas Christian have departed. The overall product has suffered for it.

Boise State remains the class of the Mountain West, but its dominance is slipping. The gap between the Broncos and everyone else has closed. Every now and then, a Fresno State of last season will make a name for itself on the national scene, but those are short-term visits.

There isn’t the depth of talent across Mountain West rosters to maintain such a high rate of results.

UNLV this week lists 31 players on its injury report, including 14 as “out” for San Diego State.

Alabama might be able to overcome such a list. You usually can’t in the Mountain West, a catch-lightning-in-a-bottle-with-Derek-Carr-at-quarterback sort of conference more than anything else.

As the first college playoff looms and those from the Power Five continue to extend their advantages in budgets and facilities and recruiting and influence, conferences such as the Mountain West are left with this reality: This might be as good as it gets.

And this isn’t all that good.

Consider: Mountain West teams are 3-16 against Power Five opponents this season, having been outscored by an average of 37-18. There have been lopsided defeats such as 58-13 and 52-13 and 59-27 and 59-13 and 58-23 and 55-19 and 48-14 and 38-7.

The three victories have come against Colorado, Washington State and Wake Forest, a bottom-feeder trio in their leagues that are a combined 5-7.

For the most part, teams from the Pac-12, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference have eaten the Mountain West alive this season.

“Those numbers don’t necessarily surprise me,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. “I can’t speak for everyone, but those people have advantages we don’t. But in terms of (conference play), we feel like we can win games. We can’t just play well for a couple series or a quarter or a half. We need to put things together for 60 minutes.

“The head coach needs to do better. That’s it. We haven’t changed as a team. I have to do a better job putting our guys in a better position and then we all have to execute better. But it starts with me.”

UNLV hasn’t won in San Diego since 2000, a streak of six straight road losses to the Aztecs. But the Rebels routed San Diego State 45-19 last season at Sam Boyd Stadium when both teams were still trying to impress those bowl officials determining which Mountain West teams to invite.

San Diego State lost to North Carolina 31-27 this season.

North Carolina then lost to East Carolina 70-41.

There isn’t a game remaining on UNLV’s schedule — save perhaps a Nov. 15 meeting at Brigham Young — in which the Rebels face a team with that large an advantage in skill.

That’s how bad the Mountain West is this season.

How bad?

ESPN releases a Bottom 10 ranking each week of what it perceives the nation’s worst teams. On Tuesday, the “others receiving votes” section included everyone in the West Division of the Mountain West except UNR.

Makes sense. The Wolf Pack are the only West school with a winning record at 2-1.

The others — UNLV, San Diego State, San Jose State, Hawaii and Fresno State — are a combined 5-13.

“We need to look at conference as a new season,” UNLV offensive lineman Brett Boyko said. “Winning the (Mountain West) is always one of our goals, so we want to get it going. It’s time. San Diego State is a good team that has proven (in recent years) that it can beat the better teams in this conference, so we want to go out there and show UNLV can, too.”

No reason to believe it can’t.

This is, after all, Mountain West football of 2014.

Oliver Twist in a helmet.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on “Gridlock,” ESPN 1100 and 98.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.