5 things to look for in the UNLV-San Diego State game

Five things to look for when UNLV’s football team plays No. 19 San Diego State at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium:

1. Expect the Rebels to play with more emotion than usual. That can be good or bad. As coach Tony Sanchez said, you don’t want them emotionally spent on game day, but Sunday’s mass shooting that killed 58 people figures to be a rallying point for the team to give all they can for the city.

2. Coming out emotional is one thing, but sustaining it is another. So even though UNLV will come out playing with plenty of passion, at some point the game will settle into being more about football and executing playing. So it’s important the Rebels also play smart and disciplined. If they do, they should have a chance to beat San Diego State.

3. Both teams have dynamic running backs capable of going to the distance at any time. San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny (164.6 yards per game) and UNLV’s Lexington Thomas (142.8) are the top two backs in the Mountain West. Penny averages 7.1 yards per carry and Thomas 8.4. Astounding numbers.

4. UNLV has the offense. The Rebels lead the Mountain West with 36.5 points per game, to keep up with the Aztecs, but faces two problems — San Diego State’s defense and its own. The Aztecs are second in the conference in total defense (318.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (21.2-point average). UNLV is second to last in total defense (489.8) and ninth in scoring defense (31.5).

5. Oddsmakers expect a somewhat close game. It has been labeled with San Diego State a 10½-point favorite even though the Aztecs are ranked. That’s a line that would have been considerably higher in prior seasons, but shows the betting experts are impressed with the Rebels’ progress. So a UNLV victory would be an upset, but not an enormous one. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, do the Rebels believe they can make the plays to win?

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

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