5 takeaways from UNLV’s loss to Colorado State on Saturday

Five takeaways from UNLV’s 42-23 loss to Colorado State on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium:

1. Need for Sneed to be accurate.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Dalton Sneed struggled with his accuracy, especially in the first half, when he completed only 1 of 8 passes for 14 yards and threw an interception when the ball floated on him. He finished 7-for-23, throwing low balls, high balls and having several balls batted down. In his first four collegiate starts, Sneed is 37 of 79 (46.8 percent) for 608 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s been solid in wins over Fresno State and Hawaii but has been brutal in losses to San Diego State and Colorado State, going 9-for-35 (25.7 percent) with the two picks and two touchdowns. Rebels coach Tony Sanchez said he’s sticking with Sneed as his starter on Saturday at San Jose State and beyond.

“He’s still figuring things out,” Sanchez said. “He’ll be fine. We’ve just got to keep working with him and moving forward.”

2. Running on empty.

So much for UNLV’s 17th-ranked rushing offense exploiting the Rams’ No. 90 run defense. The Rebels were held to 175 yards rushing, 73 yards below their average. Sneed led the way with 96 yards rushing and Charles Williams added 41. Leading rusher Lexington Thomas was a virtual no-show in the running game, finishing with 13 yards on four carries, though he did have a 37-yard touchdown catch.

3. Offensive line pushed around.

UNLV’s offensive line didn’t allow a sack — it’s allowed only four this season after surrendering 33 last year — but it was still manhandled for the second time in three games (San Diego State).

“It’s kind of a ripple effect,” Sanchez said. “They were more physical than we were up front. That was evident as we struggled to create running lanes. When those things happen, it makes it tougher on the quarterback.”

4. Fourth downers.

For the second consecutive game, UNLV opted for a field goal rather than go for it on fourth-and-1. While the decision worked out well for the Rebels in a three-point win at Hawaii, it resulted in a missed field goal against Colorado State. After giving up a touchdown to the Rams on the opening drive of the game, UNLV drove 49 yards to the Colorado State 24, where it faced fourth-and-1. Evan Pantels then missed a 41-yard field goal attempt wide right. It was Pantels’ first miss in seven tries this season.

After the Rebels scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half to make it 35-7, they recovered a fumble and drove to the Rams’ 10, where they faced a fourth-and-6. Rather than go for it, UNLV settled for a 27-yard field goal that cut the deficit to 35-10 with 10:15 left in the third quarter.

5. Defense doesn’t show up.

Aside from the aforementioned fumble recovery, the Rebels’ defense failed to deliver a key play, giving up 230 yards rushing and 237 yards passing and allowing Colorado State to convert 10 of 18 third downs and 3 of 4 fourth downs. Nick Stevens, who lost his starting job after an awful outing in the opener against Colorado, completed 21 of 28 passes and two touchdowns. The Rams scored touchdowns on five of their six first-half possessions and compiled three drives of at least 71 yards and one of 61. UNLV is on pace to allow more than 30 points and 400 yards per game for the ninth consecutive season.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.