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UNLV football team looks to respond after crushing loss

Being 2-4 is not what UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez envisioned midway through the season, and it’s true the Rebels should be 4-2 and on the verge of qualifying for the postseason.

“But that’s just not our reality,” he said. “I think the big lesson for us as we go forward and continue to build, it’s all the details. We’re literally three, four, maybe five plays away from running away with two games. And those are tough lessons to learn. We’ve got a great senior class, and time’s running out for these guys.”

If UNLV wants to make a serious push at becoming bowl eligible, the Rebels need to beat Utah State at 3 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium. AT&T SportsNet will televise the game in which the Rebels are 4-point favorites.

If the Rebels lose, they will be mathematically alive for the postseason, but getting there will be as difficult as a third-grader trying to solve a calculus problem.

UNLV, 1-2 in the Mountain West, has only itself to blame for being in this predicament entering the game against the Aggies (3-4, 1-2). The Rebels opened the season with a 43-40 loss to FCS member Howard, the equivalent of missing an open layup. Then came last Saturday’s 34-30 loss at Air Force in which UNLV blew a 27-0 lead.

“Look at the craziness of the flip of that score and the flip of that game,” Utah State coach Matt Wells said. “How does Air Force win committing five turnovers? They messed up a field goal, I think they missed a field goal, and snapped one over the holder’s head. You don’t win many games like that. How does that happen?”

The Rebels also would like to know.

“That’s an emotional roller coaster for a team to go through,” Wells said. “To have that big of a lead, lose it and try to get it back. At the end, you think you have it back and Air Force scores at the end to win the game.

“I can’t predict how Vegas feels, but I know that’s hard. That drains you.”

Utah State brings in an offense that averages 29.9 points and is led by quarterback Kent Myers. He has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 1,199 yards and seven touchdowns, but with seven interceptions. Myers also has rushed for 246 yards and a team-high five touchdowns.

On defense, the Aggies are led by cornerback Jalen Davis, who made three prominent midseason All-America teams. He is tied nationally with five interceptions, three that were returned for touchdowns. Davis also has broken up six passes.

“That’s probably the strength of their defense is the secondary,” Sanchez said. “They’re going to play a lot of one-on-one coverage, and they’ll get really aggressive at times. You’re going to see a lot of different pressures.”

And the pressure is on UNLV to respond yet again to another potentially crushing loss. The Rebels followed the defeat to Howard with a 44-16 victory at Idaho.

“I definitely believe that this team is capable of making that kind of (4-2) run and possibly even a better run,” UNLV offensive left tackle Kyle Saxelid said. “It doesn’t just have to be 4-2. Why not win it out? As Coach said, every single game on this schedule is winnable, and we’re definitely going to go in with that attitude.”

Sanchez agreed the second half of the season was there for the taking.

“I like where we’re going,” he said. “I’m frustrated where we’re at right now. I know we’re better than this. Eventually, it’s all going to come through, but for us, it’s staying the course. It’s keeping your nose down, grinding away, doing the little things, getting better execution. When it’s all said and done, it’ll be a good deal.”

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.

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