5 questions ahead of UNLV-Michigan

Five burning questions as UNLV's football team prepares to play at Michigan at 9 a.m. PDT Saturday:

1. Will UNLV quarterback Blake Decker play? Probably not. Though listed as day to day, hamstrings tend to recover slowly.

2. Should Decker play? Unless he is close to completely healed, no he shouldn't. The Rebels are big underdogs this weekend, and their real season begins next week. That's when they will need Decker the most.

3. Can backup Kurt Palandech get it done? Not if he tries to be a dropback quarterback. Palandech's strength is his athleticism, and the Rebels needed to tailor their offense to take advantage of his ability to run.

4. Should the redshirt be pulled on freshman quarterback Dalton Sneed? Only if coaches believe Decker will be out for several weeks. If Decker is likely to return in a week or two, keep the redshirt on Sneed and give him the extra year.

5. No matter who is the quarterback, what's the best-case scenario for UNLV at Michigan? To be competitive and hope no one else gets injured. UNLV can't have players going down with the winnable part of its schedule coming up soon.

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