3 takeaways from UNLV’s 41-10 loss to San Diego State

Three takeaways from UNLV’s 41-10 loss to No. 19 San Diego State on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium:

1. The emotions of the week played at least a small part.

How could it not? The shooting on Oct. 1 that claimed 58 lives and injured nearly 500 people threw the entire valley into mourning.

Coach Tony Sanchez wouldn’t use the tragedy as an excuse, and he shouldn’t, but acknowledged the players were “flat in the second half.” Of course they were.

“I told the team tonight I just didn’t see a lot of emotion,” Sanchez said. “I didn’t see a lot of energy. There are a lot of people dealing with a lot of stuff, and you’ve got to be mature about it, and you’ve got to move on. We’re not going to be about excuses here. You’ve got to go play a football game, and you’ve got to be better than we were tonight.”

The key for UNLV now is how it responds moving forward. The Rebels’ trip to Air Force on Saturday will be quite telling.

2. San Diego State won the game up front.

Which is how the Aztecs win games. They use their offensive line and stout running game to control the clock and wear down opposing defensive fronts. And they use their aggressive defensive front to hit opposing offensive lines with all kinds of looks.

UNLV quarterback Armani Rogers was under constant pressure. He was sacked three times and hurried often in competing 12 of 27 passes for 177 yards. Running back Lexington Thomas rushed for just 54 yards on 14 carries.

“The amount of looks that San Diego State gives is a lot,” UNLV offensive left tackle Kyle Saxelid said. “You definitely have to get the film and prepare for (more) than most teams, but we had a good game plan going into this game. We just need to execute.”

The good news for the Rebels is they still have a quality offensive line, and they won’t face as tough a defensive front again this season.