5 players to watch during Saturday’s UNLV-Wyoming game

Five players to watch when UNLV's football team plays at Wyoming at 11 a.m. PST Saturday:

1. Blake Decker, QB, UNLV. In his final game in a Rebels uniform, Decker needs to deliver through the air to force Wyoming to defend both aspects of UNLV's offense. His presence gives UNLV its best chance to win.

2. Brian Hill, RB, Wyoming. He has rushed for more than 200 yards three times and likely will set the school record for most yards in a season. Hill will get his yards, but the Rebels must make sure he doesn't dominate and help open up the rest of Wyoming's offense.

3. Keith Whitely, RB, UNLV. The Cowboys allow 229 yards rushing per game and 5.3 per carry, so the opportunities should be there for Whitely as well as Lexington Thomas and Xzaviar Campbell to establish a strong running game.

4. Andrew Wingard, S, Wyoming. What's scary about Wingard is he's an incoming freshman. He is off to a great start in college career, leading the team with 113 tackles. His 10.3 tackles per game is second in the Mountain West and 10th nationally.

5. Mike Hughes Jr., DT, UNLV. With defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga and linebacker Tau Lotulelei probably out, the Rebels are missing players with a combined 16 tackles for loss. That puts the onus on players such as Hughes, who has 3½ tackles for loss, to contain Hill.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65