Pressure is on as 0-3 Rebels expected to win for first time this season

UNLV didn't have much pressure when it played at Northern Illinois, against UCLA and at Michigan.

The Rebels weren't expected to win any of those football games. They weren't even expected to make those opponents sweat much.

Now the pressure is on the Rebels. They have to win tonight.

If first-year UNLV coach Tony Sanchez is going to keep the momentum going with the local fan base — and maybe even his own team — he and the Rebels can't afford to lose to Idaho State when the teams meet at 6 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium. The game will be streamed at unlvrebels.com.

A loss to a Football Championship Subdivision team for a program that is showing signs of improving would be a major setback for the 0-3 Rebels.

But a victory over Idaho State (1-2) would be a significant move forward, turning the potential shown in the first three games into tangible results. It also would be a boost needed heading into Mountain West Conference play, which begins next Saturday at UNR.

"We want to get some momentum going," Sanchez said. "Three weeks in a row, we played tough, but we're walking away with nothing.

"We play a tough Bengal team that's going to be ready to go, so we've got to be focused to go out there and fight for a win. They're not going to give it away, so we have to go out there and earn it and hopefully take that momentum into conference."

UNLV is only a 3½-point favorite on the offshore line, and much of that probably is because of the Rebels' recent struggles against FCS teams. They lost to Southern Utah in 2011 and Northern Arizona in 2012, and last season barely escaped with a one-point victory over Northern Colorado.

"It's imperative that we get this win," UNLV defensive end Sonny Sanitoa said. "We haven't had good games with FCS teams in the past, so this motivates us to kind of have a little chip on our shoulder to go out on Saturday and get the 'W.'"

Those other games were played under previous UNLV coach Bobby Hauck. Sanchez has promised the arrival of a "new era." To prove times have indeed changed, the Rebels need to take care of business against Idaho State, which has lost 23 games in a row to Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

UNLV is trying to break its own nine-game losing streak dating back to last season. It's the nation's second-longest skid; New Mexico State has lost 13 in a row.

Nothing would help the Rebels more than a fast start. They were aggressive in the season opener at Northern Illinois, building a 17-3 lead before eventually losing 38-30. UNLV played more conservatively in the following two games in an effort to control the clock and keep the UCLA and Michigan offenses off the field.

Expect a commitment from UNLV to a balanced attack with a more healthy quarterback Blake Decker, who has been dealing with an injury near his groin, and a run game that will better involve freshman running backs Lexington Thomas and Xzaviar Campbell behind starter Keith Whitely.

The Rebels have the opportunity to find success on the ground because Idaho State allows 217.7 yards per game and 4.6 per rush.

"We have not thrown the ball well in the last couple of weeks," Sanchez said. "It's been hard to hold up with our protections. Our receivers haven't gotten off the ball. I know they're frustrated. We're going to continue to run the football. We're going to stay committed to that, but we have to make some plays in the passing game to take some pressure off that run game and generate some excitement and get our guys going again."

On defense, the Rebels will try to build on the effort from last Saturday's trip to Michigan in which the Wolverines were held to 144 yards and seven points in the second half. Michigan had 377 yards and 17 first downs for the entire game, season lows for UNLV's defense.

That defense will have to stop a Bengals offense still trying to find its way. First-year quarterback Michael Sanders has thrown for 624 yards and seven touchdowns but has received criticism because the offense has scored 14 points in the past two games combined. Idaho State averaged 40.3 points per game last season.

Sanders isn't helped that running back Xavier Finney is off to a slow start, having rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown. He had 1,495 yards and 14 TDs last season.

Idaho State hopes this is the game the Bengals return to dynamic offense from last season. UNLV can't let that happen.

"I'm excited about this group," Sanchez said. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate how fast they've bought in and how hard they've worked and the things they've changed and done better. I know that once they taste (victory), they're not going to want to let it go.

"I mean, it's one hell of a sweet taste."

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