Rebels face dilemma with Armani Rogers’ injury

It’s bad enough for UNLV that it lost 52-28 to Utah State on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium, but it also lost redshirt freshman quarterback Armani Rogers, who will enter the concussion protocol.

That means getting seniors Kurt Palandech and Johnny Stanton ready to play in next Saturday’s 7 p.m. game at Fresno State.

Stanton has been playing linebacker the past two weeks, an injury-depleted position in which starter Bailey Laolagi (shoulder) didn’t play against the Aggies. But UNLV coach Tony Sanchez might not have a choice but to bring Stanton back to offense.

“For us to go ahead and threaten defenses, you’re probably going to have to see a two-quarterback system,” Sanchez said. “John has got a hell of an arm. He does some really good things in the passing game. Kurt’s a little limited there, but he runs the ball real well. He got all the reps this week, and Johnny was really limited because he was on the defensive side all week and actually last week, too. But we’re going to have to look at that. If we’re going to win games, we’re going to have to score a bunch of points. We’re not shutting people out. We’re not winning games 28-21.”

Palandech said he would be ready to go if called upon.

“I’m going to keep preparing the same way I have been, expecting to play and taking the mental reps,” he said. “But now I’ll be getting out there with the ones (starters) probably.”

Scarver carves up the Rebels

Sanchez offered wide receiver Savon Scarver a scholarship when he was at Centennial High School, but the UNLV coach didn’t have a men’s track team to promise. Utah State does, and Scarver is an elite track athlete, and was the Review-Journal’s Male Track Athlete of the Year in 2016-17.

He can play football, too. Against his hometown university, Scarver caught a 70-yard touchdown pass and returned three kickoffs for 108 yards.

“Coming home, I just wanted to play in front of my friends and family,” Scarver said. “Getting my first touchdown of the season felt really good.”

Surprise start

Utah State redshirt freshman quarterback Jordan Love made his first career start. It wasn’t announced during the week, but he had been sharing the position with senior Kent Myers.

Myers entered the game early in the second quarter but played just one series. Love passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 42 yards and a TD.

Running it up

UNLV junior running back Lexington Thomas rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

The 100-yard game was the 11th of his career, moving him into a tie for third place in the school record book with Dominique Dorsey, who played from 2001 to 2004. Mike Thomas is first on the list with 17 such games in 1973 and 1974, and Tim Cornett (2011-14) is second at 16.

Lexington Thomas has rushed for at least two touchdowns in five of the past seven games.

Not so special

The Rebels had their trouble against a talented Utah State special teams. Scarver returned a kickoff 64 yards to set up a touchdown in the second quarter, and Jordan Nathan’s 70-yard punt return in the third put the Aggies in position to take the lead for good.

More Rebels: Follow all of our UNLV coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Rebels and @RJRebels on Twitter.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.