QB Decker injured as Rebels mauled by No. 13 Bruins

UNLV quarterback Blake Decker stood on the sideline from the beginning of the second quarter until the brutal end with no helmet covering his shoulder-length locks.

It was a sight Rebels football fans had hoped they wouldn’t see this season.

Now the question is whether it’s a sight they will see all season.

Decker suffered a right high hamstring injury on the final play of the first quarter of the Rebels’ 37-3 loss to No. 13 UCLA on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, and coach Tony Sanchez said he wouldn't know his quarterback's status until at least Monday when the tests are completed.

"That's the nature of football," Sanchez said. "It's unfortunate, but next man in. You move on."

But UNLV (0-2) will need Decker for any kind of hope, especially with a trip to Michigan on Saturday. That was painfully evident as UNLV’s offense seldom threatened to reach UCLA’s end zone. The Rebels finished with 237 yards and 11 first downs.

UNLV backup quarterback Kurt Palandech completed 4 of 15 passes for 4 yards, and he threw an interception and lost a fumble.

"I'm not just going to forget about it," Palandech said. "I'm going to watch the film and learn from it, but there weren't many positives there."

If Decker is gone for an extended time, Sanchez said he would have to get freshman Dalton Sneed ready because previous No. 3 quarterback Kevin Thomson is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery last week. The plan had been for Sneed to redshirt, and that remains the coaches' preference.

On the other side, sensational UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen was solid, but not as sharp as his debut the week before when he has passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns against Virginia. Against UNLV, he completed 22 of 42 passes for 223 yards and two TDs, with one interception.

Paul Perkins led the Bruins with 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

That all added up to a convincing victory by UCLA (2-0) in Sanchez’s home debut. He has billed this as the “new era,” but there was so much of the old Rebels that was evident in front of the crowd of 31,262, the largest since UNLV hosted UNR on Sept. 27, 2008.

UNLV coaches called for a fake field goal that was a throwback to the Bobby Hauck era. The Rebels had finally mounted a promising drive after opening with three consecutive three-and-outs, and three points would have given them something positive when the series stalled.

Instead, holder Troy Hawthorne tried to throw a pass, and he was pressured and forced to throw away the ball.

"We said we were going to take some chances," Sanchez said. "The first couple of games, we're going to give people stuff to think about. We're the big-time underdog in games like this.

"We're going to take our shots. We're not going to be afraid to do so."

Then later in the first half with UNLV appearing set to go into the locker room down only 10-0 thanks to a staunch effort by its defense, Palandech threw a panicked pass under pressure straight into the arms of UCLA linebacker Kenny Young, who had 23 yards of open turf in front of him.

Just like that, it was a 17-0 deficit.

Whatever slim hope remained quickly vanished.

"We're in a great situation down 10 points at the end of the half," Sanchez said. Palandech was "trying to do too much, trying to put too much on himself. We talked to him about that. He'll get better about that."

And in the fourth quarter, the Rebels nearly broke up the shutout, with safety Kenny Keys intercepting a pass and returning it to UCLA's 11. But nickelback Darius Mouton was called for a personal foul on the return, a spot penalty that moved the ball back to the 41. UNLV wound up turning over the ball on downs.

Another long interception return, 61 yards by linebacker Trent Langham, finally allowed UNLV to get on the scoreboard. Nicolai Bornand made a 32-yard field goal with 3:04 left.

By then, the outcome was long out of doubt.

UCLA blew open the game in the third quarter, scoring 17 points to take a 34-0 lead. Perkins scored on runs of 7 and 56 yards, and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 34-yard field goal.

The only question that remained was about Decker's health. It still remains.

NOTE — UNLV thought it had possession of a muffed punt early in the game, but the officials didn't see UCLA returner Randall Goforth touch the ball, so possession stayed with the Bruins. And video review? "They said they watched it," Sanchez said. "They said he didn't (touch the ball). ... I don't want to get fined my second week."

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