Boise State brings in program we aspire to build at UNLV

We are really excited this week coming off a big win over Colorado State. Every facet of our team contributed in the victory over the Rams, so our guys were fired up to get to practice this week and get back to work. As I've said before, every practice opportunity is extremely valuable toward the development of this young team.

We trailed in the game four times Saturday. Our team showed a lot of fire, character and resilience. Coming back with the winning drive late in the fourth quarter showed a lot of desire by our guys, as did the defensive stop to seal the 38-35 win.

It was great being at home and especially for a day game at Sam Boyd Stadium. Winning is fun and contagious. When you work as hard as our guys have, you deserve a win. We savored the victory for a night, but then our staff and players got right back to work Sunday, which is what you do in college football -- you go to the training room to get healthy, redshirts lift weights, coaches pore over game film, and in the evening on Sunday, you start to break down the next opponent.

Our team has a tremendous task ahead of us this week in facing fifth-ranked Boise State, but it is also a tremendous opportunity.

We are excited not only to play the Broncos but also for the chance to get better in the long term. We need to go out and play our best game. That's what we control. We won't concede anything. We need to hang our hat on what we do well and get better. We can't turn the ball over. We need to play as close to perfect as we possibly can.

Boise State is a fine football team and obviously has a lot of firepower at its disposal. The Broncos have talent at every position and feature one of the better defensive lines in the nation. They have a lot of guys on the NFL watch lists -- probably 10 seniors being evaluated by scouts.

Of course, they have a Heisman Trophy candidate playing the quarterback position in Kellen Moore. He's an impressive young man. He lost two of his receivers that were NFL draft picks, but the Broncos haven't slowed at all, because Boise State is at the point in its program where it can replace big-time players with big-time players. The thing about Moore is that he's an even better guy than he is a football player. I can't say enough about him. The Broncos' top running back, Doug Martin, has had a big year and, week after week, makes opposing defenses look as if they can't tackle.

Coach Chris Petersen and his staff have done an amazing job, especially in recruiting. They've built a great program, and it will be quite a challenge for our team to match up with them. Boise State has become a program that we aspire to be as we build our team. The Broncos are confident, and they don't beat themselves. They play with consistency and adhere primarily to assignment football, driven by elevated effort. The Broncos are a cohesive team with a ton of pride, and with 20 of their 22 starters being juniors and seniors, they are not only experienced but also mature.

We have another unusual kickoff time this week with a 7:30 p.m. start for our annual homecoming game. Come out to Sam Boyd Stadium and enjoy the festivities. We hope to see you there.

Go Rebels!

UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck writes a weekly column for Rebels Report.