Tony Sanchez: UNLV is healed enough to counter Wyoming’s late-season bye

Wyoming received a unusual late-season bye, but coach Craig Bohl was happy to get it.

The Cowboys were coming off a 38-3 loss at San Diego State on Nov. 14, and they needed to time off.

"We've taken advantage of that bye to get healed up and work on some fundamentals and spend some extra time working on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas," Bohl said.

UNLV also is coming off a one-sided defeat to the Aztecs, losing 52-14 at home on Saturday, and it was a physical game. The Rebels play at Wyoming at 11 a.m. PST Saturday.

So do the Cowboys have a little bit of edge by having the week to rest?

"Based on the number of guys we didn't have play in the (San Diego State) game that got beat up before the game, maybe they got healthy during the game," Rebels coach Tony Sanchez said. "I know what (Bohl) is saying. They're a big, physical football team, and they like to run the ball downhill, and it can wear on you.

"We're getting guys back, but we didn't lose anybody in the game."

YOUNG GROUP — UNLV honored 19 seniors before the game against San Diego State, the final one at Sam Boyd Stadium for those players.

Wyoming's pregame ceremony won't last as long. The Cowboys have just five seniors.

"These seniors have done a great job of laying the foundation and modeling strong character and resolve," Bohl said. "It will be heartwarming for me as a head football coach to send them out on the War Memorial Stadium field the last time."

UP THE HILL — Wyoming's Brian Hill was one of 11 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's best running back. He was the only one from a Group of Five league.

But Hill didn't reach the finalists list, with Louisiana State's Leonard Fournette, Alabama's Derrick Henry and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey making the cut.

Hill is only a sophomore, so Wyoming will make a big push for him to become a finalist next season if he builds on this year's success. He has rushed for 1,399 yards, only 56 yards from the school record set by Ryan Christopherson in 1994.

WEATHER FORECAST — Snow is expected to fall today in Laramie, Wyo., but the weather will clear after that and the temperatures will begin to warm slightly. The Saturday forecast calls for temperatures to 26 degrees at War Memorial Stadium, where the altitude is 7,220 feet.

"At the end of the day, when you're in a cold environment, you've just got to be a tough guy," Sanchez said. "You throw on your long johns, and you go out there and hit the guy in front of you. If you can't do that, you probably shouldn't be playing.

"They're playing in the same weather, too, and a lot of those kids didn't grow up in Laramie."

It hasn't been a welcoming place for the Rebels, though. They haven't won at Wyoming since 2003, ending that season with a 35-24 victory.

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