UNLV Spring Recap No. 8: Rebels battle 60 mph wind, rust
As if returning to practice at 8:10 a.m. Monday morning following a week off for spring break wasn’t sobering enough for the UNLV football team, it had to contend with wind gusts of up to 60 mph at Rebel Park.
The UNLV defense capitalized on the blustery conditions, coming up with four interceptions as quarterbacks Johnny Stanton, Kurt Palandech and Dalton Sneed each struggled throwing the ball.
“We’re not used to having all this wind out here. A couple of those balls were behind guys,” Rebels coach Tony Sanchez said. “It felt like the first day back. The effort was good but some of the execution needed to improve a little bit and shake some of the rust off.”
Here’s a quick recap of Monday’s practice, the eighth of 14 leading up to UNLV’s April 9 spring game.
HIGHLIGHTS
* Jericho Flowers, a redshirt freshman defensive back, made the play of the day on a windblown ball thrown by Sneed, making a one-handed interception.
* Stanton was intercepted twice, by Jay’Onn Myles and Kenny Keys, who also picked off a pass by Palandech on the first play of a seven-on-seven drill.
* On the very next play, Palandech hit Darren Woods Jr. in stride over the middle for a 50-yard touchdown but then failed to complete a pass on a 5-yard out route.
* Woods, a redshirt freshman who has emerged as the star of spring practice, also reeled in another 50-yard TD catch from Palandech and made a nice grab on the sideline of a Palandech pass as well.
* Kendal Keys made an over-the-shoulder catch from Sneed for a 50-yard TD.
* Lexington Thomas broke loose for a 50-yard TD run.
NOTE
* Junior wide receiver Devonte Boyd returned to action after missing most of spring practice with a hip ailment.
“He looked rusty. He looked like he hadn’t practiced in two weeks,” Sanchez said. “But we know how great of a player he is. He’s just got to mentally pick it up and jump back in the pocket. And he will. He’s a great player.”
QUOTE
“It’s time to separate the men from the boys. The lions from the gazelles,” UNLV strength and conditioning coach Keith Belton said before a special teams drill.
