Battle line drawn for UNLV

The pass rush came all football game and from all places.

It was relentless.

That was Northern Illinois’ defensive effort at Northwestern this past Saturday. That’s what UNLV will face at 4 p.m. this Saturday when the Huskies visit Sam Boyd Stadium.

Much was made of Northern Illinois’ multiple quarterbacks and running backs in the aftermath of its 23-15 victory over Northwestern, but the Huskies’ five sacks and pressure throughout the afternoon had just as much to do with the win.

“It’s certainly a big concern,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said Monday at his weekly news conference. “Their defensive ends (Jason Meehan and Perez Ford) are really good players. They have mixed their fronts. The defensive ends are guys we saw on their film from last year that made a lot of plays. They got after Northwestern pretty good.”

Meehan had two sacks at Northwestern. Linebacker Rasheen Lemon had two more sacks, and end Ladell Fleming and tackle William Lee each recorded half a sack.

UNLV’s offensive line was expected to be the best in the Mountain West, with left tackle Brett Boyko and center Robert Waterman selected to the preseason all-conference team.

The Rebels, though, have been without the guards who started last season. Cameron Jefferson transferred to Arkansas. Ron Scoggins is expected to return at some point, but he didn’t go through summer conditioning and is working to catch up to his teammates. When he gets back is uncertain.

“I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” Boyko said. “Obviously, there are mistakes. That happens. We’ve got to bounce back and have a short memory, but overall, I think assignment-wise and stuff like that we’re doing pretty good. Obviously, the more time we play together, the more continuity we’ll have and hopefully continue to get better.”

Hauck noted the offensive line provided quarterback Blake Decker with solid protection Aug. 29 at Arizona and helped the running game total 211 yards Saturday against Northern Colorado.

Decker, though, was regularly on the run against Northern Colorado, getting sacked three times. One sack resulted in a safety.

“I don’t know it’s necessarily that our line’s let us down,” Hauck said. “I think they’re playing OK. I don’t think we’ve played our best yet, for sure.”

UNLV needs to do more than just keep Decker upright. The Rebels, in general, need to find more consistency for their offense.

The running game was strong against the Bears but had just 119 yards the week before against Arizona.

Decker showed promise against the Wildcats, passing for 252 yards and a touchdown, but he was intercepted three times by Northern Colorado, though one of those picks occurred after the ball bounced off of wide receiver Devante Davis’ hands.

“Last week, it was turning it over,” Hauck said. “There’s no continuity. There’s no consistency. There are no points if you do what we did as far as turning it over. We want to be balanced. In order for us to beat a team like NIU, we’re going to have to have that balance.

“I don’t think we can line up and just pound them. I don’t think we can just drop back and throw it every down and have hope of winning the game.”

■ NOTES — UNLV kicker Nicolai Bornand was named Mountain West special teams player of the week after tying a school record with a 54-yard field goal against the Bears. … The Rebels’ Sept. 20 game at Houston will be at 5 p.m. PDT and will be streamed online at ESPN3.com. … Northern Illinois played three quarterbacks against Northwestern, and the third was the most effective. Drew Hare threw two touchdown passes, and Hauck said he expects that’s who will start against the Rebels. An announcement from the Huskies could be made today.

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