BYU cut still feels cruel to Decker

Blake Decker is about to live out a dream, even if the details aren’t quite what he expected.

He grew up wanting to play at Brigham Young’s LaVell Edwards Stadium, and in his mind, Decker wore the home blue jerseys.

Now, though, Decker will run out onto that field at Provo, Utah, in UNLV’s visiting white uniforms with scarlet and gray trim. He will go out there as the Rebels’ starting quarterback when the teams meet at 4 p.m Saturday.

And he’ll run out there with a purpose. Decker walked on at BYU in the winter of 2013, but was cut by his beloved Cougars before spring practices began.

“From a team mentality, it’s another game on the schedule,” Decker said. “It’s another game as a team, collectively, we want to win, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some personal relevance there, that there wasn’t a little fire and added motivation after walking out of the coach’s office telling me I was never going to play there.”

How healthy Decker will be when the game begins remains to be seen. He left late in the third quarter of Saturday’s 48-21 home loss to Air Force, a game in which he was sacked five times.

If Decker is able to play the final three games relatively injury free, he should post the third 3,000-yard passing season in Rebels history and the first since Jon Denton in 1996. Decker has thrown for 2,433 yards and 10 touchdowns, but his 14 interceptions have contributed to UNLV’s 2-8 record.

Given his brief experience at BYU, Decker would love to pad those totals Saturday.

Decker went to Phoenix College after graduating from high school in 2009, but broke his collarbone. He later left for a two-year Mormon mission to Mexico City, and upon returning, he enrolled at BYU in January 2013.

He went through winter conditioning, but BYU demoted offensive coordinator Brandon Doman and brought back Robert Anae for the job, which he had from 2005 to 2010. Anae also was UNLV’s offensive line coach in 1997 and 1998.

“I got called in two days before spring ball that they weren’t going to have any (repetitions) for me and they were letting me go, and that was it,” Decker said.

He returned to the Phoenix area and enrolled at Scottsdale Community College. It was there he dominated the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, throwing for 4,241 yards and 47 touchdowns, with 11 interceptions.

That production led to a scholarship offer from UNLV, and Decker signed in December. He then went through spring practices and won the job in August.

This season hasn’t gone the way Decker and his teammates had hoped, but BYU looms as a big opportunity.

For the team and for him.

“It brings back a lot of memories of all the time I was up there grinding away trying to get on the team,” Decker said. “I was working my tail off up there to try to prove something because you’re a walk-on and you don’t have a scholarship. It’s weird now that it’s BYU week, the team that cut me, that told me I wasn’t good enough to play for them.

“I never thought I would be playing for an opposing team, but this week, I’m glad I am.”

THREE-STEP DROP

■ Brigham Young leads the series 15-3 over UNLV. The Cougars have won the last six meetings, with five of the victories coming by at least 17 points and four by at least 38. Only a 42-35 victory by BYU in 2008 was the outlier. The teams’ most recent meeting was in 2010, when the Cougars won 55-7. BYU then left the Mountain West for independence. The Cougars are scheduled to play next season in Las Vegas, but no other meetings are scheduled.

■ Another history lesson: BYU is the only team the Rebels have played during the regular season on a neutral field. It was their first meeting, and it occurred in 1978 in Japan. BYU emerged with a 28-24 victory.

■ BYU remains an attractive team on a national scale. This is the Cougars’ 10th consecutive game on national TV. ESPNU will televise the game. During this run of TV games, the Cougars also appeared on ESPN six times and one time each on ESPN2, Fox Sports 1 and CBS Sports Network. The streak will end in their next game, Nov. 22 against Savannah State. BYUtv will televise that game.

FOR THE RECORD

■ Wide receiver Devonte Boyd, a Basic High graduate, needs five receptions and 161 yards to break Ryan Wolfe’s UNLV freshman records of 55 catches for 911 yards, set in 2006. Also, Boyd’s 751 yards receiving are second to Penn State’s Desean Hamilton among freshmen nationwide.

■ When wide receiver Devante Davis returned to the lineup Saturday against Air Force, he resumed his move up the Rebels’ career charts. He notched his 10th career 100-yard game, putting him two behind Wolfe’s record, set from 2006 to 2009. Also, Davis’ 2,568 yards are 36 behind Earvin Johnson (2001-2004) for second place. Davis’ 175 receptions are eight behind fourth-place Johnson and 12 behind No. 3 Damon Williams (1995-1998).

■ UNLV has lost two fumbles this season, putting the Rebels in position to set a school record. They tied the mark last season with five lost fumbles.

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