5 burning questions for the UNLV-Air Force game

Five burning questions for UNLV’s football game at Air Force at 11 a.m. Saturday:

1. Where are the Rebels mentally?

That remains to be seen. It was pretty clear they weren’t quite there last week, especially in the second half of Saturday’s 41-10 loss to San Diego State when the Aztecs outscored them 21-0 over those final 30 minutes. Given what the valley has gone through, hitting the wall was completely understandable. But now UNLV must find a way to focus.

2. How important is this game?

At this point, they are all important. UNLV always figured to cut it close on bowl eligibility, so any victory the Rebels (2-3) can get is crucial. Getting one Saturday won’t be easy at Air Force, which is a 7½-point favorite, but it’s not an impossible task.

3. What about for Air Force?

The Falcons (1-4) are largely in the same situation as UNLV, and this is their only home game in a five-week stretch. So the Rebels have Air Force’s attention. According to the Colorado Springs (Colorado) Gazette, Air Force linebacker Grant Ross mentioned the Rebels three times unasked in an interview following the Falcons’ loss at Navy on Saturday.

4. How good are the Falcons?

Much better than their record. Air Force’s four-game skid includes a 29-13 loss at Michigan, 28-24 to San Diego State, 56-38 at New Mexico and 48-45 at Navy. Only the New Mexico performance sticks out as a problem game. The Falcons were in the others against quality opponents.

5. Will either team play defense?

Probably not. Both teams give up more than 32 points per game, and Air Force leads the Mountain West in scoring offense at a 36.4-point clip. UNLV is fifth at 31.2. The total has been set at 67 points.

More Rebels: Follow all of our UNLV coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Rebels and @RJRebels on Twitter.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.