Armani Rogers remains iffy as UNLV visits Colorado State

UNLV coach Tony Sanchez had a big announcement Monday that junior quarterback Armani Rogers, who hasn’t played the past four games because of a sprained knee, had been cleared.

But there also was a whiff of frustration in Sanchez’s voice.

He said he wanted to see Rogers on the practice field before determining his playing status.

Sanchez knew he had to see it to believe that Rogers could play in Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. game against Colorado State (3-5, 2-2 Mountain West) in Fort Collins, Colorado. As the Rebels (2-6, 0-4) fight to keep their slim hopes alive for bowl eligibility, Rogers’ availability again is in question.

“I still think there’s a level of discomfort running,” Sanchez said. “You can see it sometimes. He grabs (the knee). He’s definitely well enough to play. He and Max (Gilliam) have split the two reps, so they’re both ready to go. He’s looks OK, I just don’t know if he looks 100 percent running.”

Redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad increasingly has taken hold of the position. He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in all four starts, becoming just the fourth UNLV quarterback to accomplish that. Oblad has completed 51.9 percent of his passes for 1,251 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Rogers, whose accuracy has often been shaky, actually has the same completion percentage, though his average passing yards per game (98.2) is about half of Oblad’s 178.7. Rogers is a much better runner, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.

That dual-threat quality is what attracted Sanchez when he signed Rogers, who originally committed to California and chose the Rebels over Fresno State. Rogers, who has gained 1,549 yards, is the Rebels’ career leading rusher among quarterbacks.

He was seen as the key player to help Sanchez turn around a program that has had three winning seasons since 1993.

But the adage about the best ability being availability holds true here. Rogers missed seven starts last season, three the year before. The Rebels came within two victories of bowl eligibility last season and one the year before.

“You’ve got to go out there and still give it your all regardless of the outcome or what the outcome can be,” Rogers said. “Just go out there and keep competing every single snap and don’t let it tear you down.”

Rogers could try to play at some point this season, but he also could sit out in hopes of obtaining a medical redshirt. That would be a risky proposition because the NCAA is strict about awarding those.

Sanchez won’t know until perhaps game time how much he can use Rogers at Colorado State. Rogers’ running ability could serve as an effective complement to Oblad’s superior down-field passing skills.

“I’m still trying to get to 100 percent or close to it,” Rogers said. “I’ve been out here getting treatment every day and trying to get healthy.

“When I go full speed and I’m cutting on it, I feel discomfort right now. If you go out there with hesitation, that’s how people tend to rehurt their injury or sometimes make something happen worse.”

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