UNLV coach Tony Sanchez to stick with Kurt Palandech at QB

UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez promised in the spring that the quarterback position would be up for grabs on a weekly basis, even though senior Blake Decker had pulled away from the competition.

Sanchez wasn't kidding.

Decker is ready to go after missing a game because of a separated non-throwing shoulder, but sophomore Kurt Palandech will be the starter when the Rebels visit Fresno State at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

"If need be, if the situation presents itself, we can put (Decker) in," Sanchez said this afternoon at his weekly news conference. "We're fully confident. He did full practices today. He's just not 100 percent. He's probably 90. That shoulder ... is going to bother him the whole season. I think he's accepted that and we'll see where we go from here, but right now, Kurt's got the ball."

Palandech received his first career start in Saturday's 33-27 overtime loss to San Jose State. He overcame early struggles to throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and nearly rallied the Rebels to the victory.

"I said at the beginning of the year, the competition's open, and it will be all 12 weeks," Sanchez said.

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