NFL
By: Brock Vierra
When the preseason Mountain West rankings were revealed, it surprised many that UNLV football got a first-place vote. While many had defending champion Fresno State listed as repeating champions, it was a foregone conclusion that UNLV would at best be fighting for bowl eligibility. Well here we are entering the final weeks of the season and UNLV is bowl-bound. A tough loss to Fresno State seemed to derail conference championship dreams, but the football gods have given the Rebels a new opportunity. Could UNLV win the Mountain West?
UNLV Has To Win Out
Okay, they don’t exactly have to but they have to. Since Fresno State owns the tiebreaker over the Rebels, it is going to be virtually impossible to unseat them from the Bulldogs’ number two ranking. The good thing is that since the Mountain West got rid of divisions this year, the top two teams in terms of conference record will advance to the championship game.
Right now, sitting at 4-1 in conference play. They sit in third due to Fresno State owning the tiebreaker. Air Force is 5-0 in conference play. With a matchup with the Air Force in Colorado Springs set for November 18, that game could decide who goes to the title game. If UNLV wins out, they’re in. A shocking reality for the nation except for that one lone voter.
This Friday Decides Everything
UNLV hosts Wyoming, the team with the lone victory over Fresno State on Friday night. Now this Wyoming team is dangerous. They upset Texas Tech, they played Texas tough in Austin, and are 4-2 in conference play. With the Fresno State win, they’re in a position to make the Mountain West Championship Game.
For UNLV, this is without a doubt the toughest matchup this year. Even tougher than Fresno because the odds are so great. If UNLV loses, any shot of a conference title is pretty much off of the table. However, if UNLV wins, it will set up a winner-take-all matchup next week. Wyoming has a veteran coaching staff, stout defense, and a DB room that loves to create turnovers. They’re no joke.
UNLV also has to play on a Friday night which will impact fan attendance. Allegiant Stadium has proven troublesome for fans to get into due to its lack of premium parking spots. Along with the traffic of a Vegas Friday night and the fact that fan support is still growing at a snail’s pace, UNLV might not have the home-field advantage that it could’ve had if the game was played on Saturday. Another hurdle for the Rebels to leap over.
The Ricky White Show Must Go On
After a dominant performance in Albuquerque, UNLV wide receiver Ricky White was added to the Biletnikoff Award watchlist. The 6’1, 190-pound junior from Marietta, Georgia went off against the Lobos, hauling in 8 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns. That was his second straight game with over 100 receiving yards and his third in the last four games for the Rebels.
Plain and simple, Ricky White has not only benefitted from the play of Jayden Maiava but has clearly become the young gunslingers’ number one target. White has put up over 800 yards with Maiava as his quarterback and he is the Rebels’ clear WR1. It is crucial that OC Brennan Marion get White his targets because when the ball goes his way, he makes it happen.
The football program was viewed as a joke by many and an automatic win by former opponents. That is no longer the case. Barry Odom has clearly exceeded expectations in year one while the future looks as bright as ever. Yet there is still more to be desired as the job isn’t finished. Should Odom prove that one voter right, this would be the greatest season UNLV has had since Randall Cunningham was under center.
That dream is still far away. A tough schedule to end the year should expose the cracks in UNLV’s program but I also believe there’s enough plaster in the talent on this roster to seal a spot for UNLV in the Mountain West Championship Game. Only time will tell but first, beat Wyoming!
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