5 things to watch for in UNLV-San Diego State

Five things to look for when UNLV’s football team plays at San Diego State at 5 p.m. Saturday.

1. UNLV listed 31 players on its injury report, including 14 ruled out. Which Rebels play will go a long way toward determining how the game plays out. If wide receiver Devante Davis spends more time on the sideline than on the field, it could be a long night for the Rebels.

2. The Rebels allow 305.2 yards rushing per game, and they can’t let San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey, who went to Canyon Springs High School, to have a big night. UNLV must improve its rush defense to have much of a chance.

3. UNLV quarterback Blake Decker has been up and down. He followed a 397-yard, two-touchdown performance against Northern Illinois with 113 yards and two interceptions at Houston. It’s the good Decker’s turn to show up, and the Rebels badly need him to.

4. Keith Whitely has become the Rebels’ best running back, and he will need to be a workhorse with three backs out and another doubtful. But Whitely is listed as questionable with a leg injury, so how much he has to give is questionable.

5. UNLV is one of the nation’s most penalized teams, and the Rebels can’t afford to allow the Aztecs to extend drives or kill their own series because of personal fouls and other infractions.