UNLV freshman QB Kenyon Oblad gaining confidence as starter

Liberty football coach Rich Muraco didn’t question Kenyon Oblad’s physical ability to play quarterback when considering whether to start him as a freshman in 2014.

Muraco wanted to see if Oblad could lead his older high school teammates, and it didn’t take long as the Patriots prepared for that season to put any unease to rest.

“At the one position of being a quarterback, you have to have the respect of the team,” Muraco said. “You have to have guys that are willing to fight extra hard for you. When he was here at Liberty, he always had that command and that aura about him.”

Oblad now is a redshirt freshman at UNLV and preparing to make his second consecutive start when the Rebels (1-4) play Vanderbilt (1-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound Oblad had a shaky first half in last Saturday’s 38-13 loss to now No. 14 Boise State, completing 5 of 17 passes for 32 yards. But he played much better in the second half and finished 24 of 55 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

“It’s a confidence booster for sure,” Oblad said. “When you play, you see their defenses more. You see their blitzes, their coverages. You know what to expect more as the game goes on, so naturally most people get better throughout the game.”

Oblad is primarily in the lineup because usual starter Armani Rogers is recovering from a sprained knee. Rogers will play only in an emergency situation Saturday. Max Gilliam, who started seven games last season, is the No. 2 quarterback this weekend.

Coach Tony Sanchez said he could see playing Oblad and Gilliam to take advantage of their different talents. Vanderbilt allowed 165 yards rushing to Mississippi quarterback John Rhys Plumlee last Saturday, so Gilliam, a much better runner than Oblad, could be used to provide UNLV with a rushing threat.

“There’s definitely some validity to having some quarterback run game involved,” Sanchez said.

Should Oblad play well and even deliver an upset victory — the Rebels are 14½-point underdogs — Sanchez could have a difficult decision at the position.

Oblad made it a simple decision when he played for Muraco, whose choice to start him as a freshman was vindicated when the quarterback wound up setting the state passing record with 11,828 career yards. The Patriots went 44-9 and won four Sunrise Region titles with Oblad.

Muraco said Oblad was initially asked to run a zone-read offense, but his lack of mobility forced the staff to quickly change strategy and run a lot of run-pass option sets.

UNLV also runs a lot of RPO, and Sanchez has said that system was ideal for Oblad.

“We changed our system to fit his skill set, and he was able to be very successful slinging the ball downfield in setting records and leading us to a lot of big wins,” Muraco said. “I’m hoping he can do the same thing at UNLV. He’s definitely got a lot to learn at that level, but I think the things that he has in his toolbox as far as arm strength and decision-making is going to help him be successful at that level.”

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