5 things to watch for in UNLV-San Jose State

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

1. Will the Rebels finally play mistake-free football? They have no lost fumbles, but have at least one pass intercepted in each game. Those turnovers have really hurt UNLV, as well as other mistakes such as untimely penalties.

2. Will UNLV be able to pass against San Jose State? Rebels quarterback Blake Decker twice has thrown for more than 300 yards, but the Spartans give up just an 83-yard average, second nationally. San Jose State has the Mountain West’s secondary.

3. Will UNLV be able to produce in the red zone? The Rebels have scored touchdowns on only half their trips beyond the 20-yard line, and that number has to come up for them to have any kind of real success.

4. Will San Jose State quarterback Joe Gray build on his debut performance? He passed for 276 yards against UNR on Saturday, but was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter. Gray did enough, however, to provide hope he is the answer the Spartans need at that position.

5. Will the Rebels finally win the battle for possession time? They haven’t yet, one of the reasons for their 1-4 start. UNLV needs to extend drives and keep its beleaguered defense rested.