In this weekly feature, I’m going to relay some of my thoughts after re-watching UNLV’s football games in closer detail. Today we’re looking at the Rebels’ 55-27 loss to Boise State.
Game Rewind
What went right
Perimeter passing game
Blake Decker’s return was, as expected, a huge boost for the Rebels’ offense. In the previous two games against San Jose State and Fresno State, sophomore backup Kurt Palandech completed just 26 passes for 328 yards. Decker topped both of those numbers in just four quarters on Saturday, hitting on 29-of-50 passes for 359 yards against Boise State.
The playbook was more accessible with Decker at the helm. Pass routes that had been scrapped for Palandech—intermediate routes outside the numbers, tight window throws over the middle, seam routes down the field—were once again on the table, and Decker cashed in, feasting on the type of throws to the perimeter that Palandech just isn’t equipped to make at this stage in his career.
The difference was obvious from the very first drive, when Decker targeted sophomore wide receiver Devonte Boyd on the first three snaps. Boyd is the Rebels’ best offensive player, but he had become an afterthought in the offense in recent weeks due to Palandech’s limitations. With Decker back on the field, there was a renewed commitment to get the ball in Boyd’s hands against Boise State, as he was targeted on 17 of Decker’s 50 pass attempts. Boyd hauled in 10 catches for 116 yards, both season highs.
Boyd made plays in all areas of the field. He stretched the deep third, catching a 30-yard pass and drawing a deep pass interference penalty, and he moved the chains with short routes, as he did with a pair of receptions on the Rebels’ first touchdown drive. Decker also had success targeting senior receiver Aaron Criswell, as the two hooked up six times for 105 yards.
The Rebels came into the game leery of challenging Boise State’s stout run defense (opponents are averaging just 2.6 yards per rush against the Broncos), and instead chose to attack the perimeter. It put a lot of pressure on Decker and the receivers, but for the most part, they had success throwing the ball down the field and to the sidelines.
Throwing the ball outside the numbers was an element that had been (rightly) discarded under Palandech, but with Decker back, the Rebels can once again stretch the field vertically and horizontally.
What went wrong
Pass rush
UNLV allowed Boise State to gain more than 700 yards, so there were failures in all aspects of the defense, from the game plan to the execution. But it was the pass rush that was particularly egregious. The Rebels simply could not get pressure on Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien, as the freshman dropped back for 52 pass attempts and was sacked zero times.
But it wasn’t just the absence of sacks. Coming into the game, UNLV had pressured the quarterback on 21.1 percent of pass plays. That’s not a good number, by any means, but the Rebels were even worse against Boise State, logging just three pressures on the day for a rate of 5.8 percent.
The result was a quarterback who was able to sit back and deliver easy passes for big yards. Rypien hacked up a UNLV defense that has done a good job of limiting big plays this season, connecting on six passes that went for more than 20 yards. For the game, Rypien averaged 9.0 yards per attempt; UNLV had allowed just 6.1 yards per attempt heading into the game.
In his postgame press conference, Tony Sanchez admitted that the Rebels’ pass rush problems will be difficult to solve in-season. It’s a talent/recruiting issue. There aren’t any defensive linemen or rush linebackers on the roster who demand double-team attention, and few defenders who are able to beat offensive linemen one-on-one on a consistent basis. All the coaching staff can do this season is try to scheme around the problem until a more substantial improvement can be made in the offseason.
What it means for next week
If there’s a “get well” game on the schedule, it’s this week’s home matchup against Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors are 2-7 and have lost six straight, with the most recent loss (a 58-7 throttling at the hands of Air Force) costing head coach Norm Chow his job.
Tony Sanchez must be licking his chops during film sessions this week, because he loves pounding the ball on the ground and Hawaii is incapable of stopping the run. In their past three games, the Rainbow Warriors have allowed 937 yards rushing on 192 attempts, which works out to 4.9 yards per carry. After a week of game planning to go away from the run against Boise State, Sanchez can run it 50 times against Hawaii and have a pretty good chance at coming away with a comfortable win.
Look for running back Keith Whitely to get the majority of the carries on the Rebels’ first few drives, and once the junior establishes the the Rebels’ game plan, expect Sanchez to work in freshman Xzaviar Campbell between the tackles. Sanchez wants to develop Campbell as a lead power back, and Hawaii provides the perfect opportunity to get him rolling downhill with momentum.
Top performer
Devonte Boyd
Boyd was the biggest benefactor of the Rebels’ bye week. With extra time to assess the offense, it appears as though the coaching staff realized Boyd wasn’t getting enough love, and they took steps to rectify the situation. Boyd was clearly the No. 1 option on the majority of UNLV’s pass plays and finished with a healthy 17 targets.
Boyd shook man coverage with ease, catching passes on in-breaking routes, out-breaking routes and deep routes. And he compiled good yardage after the catch, an element that had been missing from his game this season. The Rebels got the ball in his hands quickly, firing short passes to him early in the game and letting him make plays with his elusiveness. The result was 10 catches for 116 yards, plus three pass interference penalties.
The passing game will likely be de-emphasized this week as the Rebels key on Hawaii’s atrocious run defense, but I still expect Boyd to see multiple early touches in an effort to make him a factor.
Big picture
UNLV isn’t on Boise State’s level, and Saturday’s game bore that out. The final score was a little more lopsided than the actual game action—the Rebels were able to stay competitive for three quarters before Boise’s depth and talent eventually triumphed—but the fact remains that UNLV has now lost three straight.
Fortunately, the Hawaii game comes at a good time. It’s one of the two most winnable games left on the schedule (along with the season finale at Wyoming) and should allow the Rebels to get back to their preferred blueprint—running the ball with power on offense and limiting big plays on defense. That formula should be enough to get UNLV back in the win column for the first time in more than a month.
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