UNLV on alert for Vigil brothers

UNLV must beware of not just one Vigil linebacker but two when the Rebels play at Utah State.

Brothers Zach and Nick Vigil are the Aggies’ top two tacklers entering Saturday’s 1 p.m. PDT game, having combined for 147 stops that include 20½ for loss and 7½ sacks.

“They’re big, physical players,” UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. “They’ve got a real energy when they’re out there. They love to play the game. They’re hard to block. They’re good with their hands. They shed people, and they get to the ball.”

Zach (6 feet 2 inches, 240 pounds) is on pace for his third successive season with more than 100 tackles. He made 124 last season, including 12½ for loss, to earn second-team All-Mountain West.

The senior twice has been Mountain West defensive player of the week this season. He made 22 tackles, including four for loss and half a sack, two weeks ago against Air Force. On Sept. 13 against Wake Forest, Zach had 2½ tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown and a pass breakup.

His younger brother is building on a promising redshirt freshman season from last year. Nick Vigil (6-2, 230) played in all 14 games and started four, finishing with 57 tackles that included 8½ for loss and 5½ sacks. He already has surpassed last season’s totals for tackles and tackles for loss and is just 1½ sacks behind equaling his 2013 number.

Both players are key reasons Utah State is seventh nationally in allowing 99.6 yards rushing per game and 14th in forcing an average of 5.14 three-and-outs.

“Their defense is outstanding and has been for a couple of years,” Hauck said.

THREE-STEP DROP

■ Devonte Boyd is threatening to break the UNLV freshman records of a former top wide receiver, Ryan Wolfe. Boyd, who went to Basic High School, has 27 receptions for 434 yards. Wolfe caught 55 passes for 911 yards in 2006, marks that will be difficult for Boyd to chase down, but he could make a run at them. Even if he just comes close, it’s a good sign for Boyd. Wolfe went on to become the Rebels’ all-time leader with 283 catches for 3,495 yards.

■ Utah State coach Matt Wells knows what it’s like to face the Rebels as an Aggies quarterback. He completed 6 of 9 passes for 181 yards in a 23-21 loss to UNLV in 1994 in Logan, Utah. The following season in Las Vegas, Wells was 3 of 3 for 24 yards as Utah State routed UNLV 42-0.

■ The injuries to the Aggies’ top two quarterbacks have received plenty of attention, but those aren’t the only players who have gone down for Utah State. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell (knee) and wide receiver Brandon Swindall (Achilles) are out for the season. The loss of Fackrell is particularly big. He was on the several national award watch lists, and last season led the Aggies with 13 tackles for loss.

FOR THE RECORD

■ UNLV is the only team nationally that has not lost a fumble. The Rebels lost just five fumbles last season, tying the school record.

■ Over the past four games, UNLV has scored on 11 of 13 trips to the red zone, with seven of those drives ending in touchdowns. In their most recent game, Oct. 10 against Fresno State, the Rebels were 5 of 6 inside the red zone, with three drives ending in touchdowns.

■ Utah State has forced 19 turnovers over the past six games, intercepted 28 passes over the past 17, and created 66 takeaways over the past 30.

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