Mediocre would be good goal for UNLV defense

Mediocre would be a good goal for UNLV’s defense.

First-year defensive coordinator Kent Baer probably would take mediocre without hesitation.

Becoming mediocre would do more than represent improvement. It would be nearly miraculous for a side of the football that has been a liability for many years.

Don’t look for miraculous next season, but if UNLV’s defense can make a key stop here and there, intercept a pass while the opponent is driving and avoid jumping offsides on third-and-3, that will be something for the Rebels to build upon.

The Rebels have a core of players capable of taking those incremental steps during this transition period under a new coaching staff.

“I feel strong about the group we’ve got back,” senior safety Peni Vea said. “I think we’ve improved a lot (in spring), and there are some noticeable things, and if we keep grinding, there should be more noticeable things.”

UNLV, which concludes spring practices with Saturday’s spring game at noon at Johann Memorial Field, doesn’t have to do much to improve. The Rebels allowed averages of 38.5 points and 513.5 yards last season. They couldn’t stop either the run (293.8-yard average) or the pass (219.6).

The Rebels have allowed more than 30 points and 400 yards per game every season since 2008. They have given up north of a 30-point average in 10 of the past 11 seasons.

Even in an era of offense-skewed rules in which some of the traditional factors for measuring a defense no longer apply, those are still astounding — and troubling — numbers.

That’s why Baer won’t pretend there isn’t a lot of work to do.

“You’ve got to rely on the guys who have had their foot in the fire and understand how fast the game is and understand how to get ready for a game and all those things that are important,” he said. “I wish we had a few more.”

Many previous UNLV defensive coordinators wouldn’t take many chances because they were afraid of putting their defensive backs in single coverage. So instead of inviting such trouble, they hoped to make enough plays to get the opposing offense off the field, a strategy that often failed.

Coach Tony Sanchez said the Rebels can’t afford to be so conservative.

“I don’t know if we’re going to be talented enough to sit back and play a lot of base,” Sanchez said. “We’re probably going to have to be more aggressive than we’d like to be in a lot of situations, so you’ll probably see high-pressure defense. … We’re going to have to be able to make plays to get people off schedule.”

UNLV returns all three starters at linebacker, including junior Tau Lotulelei (6 feet 1 inch, 220 pounds), who led the Rebels last season with 99 tackles, including 10½ for loss. This should be the Rebels’ best set of linebackers since 2004 when five players were integral parts of the defense, including Adam Seward and Ryan Claridge, two of the program’s top five leading career tacklers.

The secondary also could be an asset, returning Vea (6-1, 205), who was second on the team with 88 tackles last season, including 7½ for loss. Senior safety Blake Richmond (6-3, 190) and junior cornerback Torry McTyer (6-0, 180) also have shown promise.

Where junior college transfer Jay’Onn Myles (5-8, 175), who chose the Rebels over Baylor, fits into the secondary when he joins the team in August remains to be seen, be it at safety, cornerback or nickelback.

“He might be a guy that can play all three,” Baer said.

Baer has a lot of holes up front even with the return of senior tackle Sonny Sanitoa (6-3, 260), who recorded 44 tackles last season. Sophomore end Mark Finau (6-3, 230), a junior college transfer, has performed well in practice, and junior Iggy Porchia (6-2, 225) has shown potential after moving from linebacker to end.

Coaches have far more questions than answers on the line, where constructing a starting lineup is difficult enough, forget trying to establish depth.

“I just don’t know who the top four are,” Baer said. “I know who are the top two or three.”

Baer and the other coaches are trying to instill a new mindset, and they’re using the practice field this spring to begin that process.

Previous coach Bobby Hauck ran high-tempo practices, too, but the new staff has taken it to another level.

“I’m getting tired like crazy on individuals (drills), and so are the other guys,” Lotulelei said. “You know what, I kind of like that because that’s going to prepare us for what’s coming.”

Will it result in an improved defense? That’s a question that won’t be answered until September.

■ NOTE — UNLV’s game at Fresno State has been moved from Oct. 17 to Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2, which means a $300,000 payday for UNLV.

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