UCLA is set to go on the road for the first time in 2015, heading to Las Vegas to play a UNLV program that has just one winning season in the last 15 years. However, the hiring of former Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez has invigorated the Rebels’ community. The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Mark Anderson answered some questions about UNLV, and what Sanchez has done in his first few months on the job.
1. What has Tony Sanchez done to show the UNLV community that he can snap the program out of its doldrums? Does this feel markedly different from the last few coaching hires?
He has really sold the community. There was initial skepticism, as there always is with UNLV football, but Sanchez had a dynamite introductory news conference. Then he assembled a veteran college coaching staff and a promising first recruiting class given the late start. Sanchez has been aggressive in recruiting, and already has nine commitments for the 2016 class, which is unheard of at UNLV this far out. He also has incorporated Las Vegas in his promotion of the program to recruits and the community, which has gone over really well locally.
UNLV’s first game under him was competitive. The Rebels were more than three-touchdown underdogs, but had their chances to beat Northern Illinois. This remains a tough job and there is still an enormous amount of work to do to turn around UNLV, but Sanchez couldn’t be off to a much better start. There is rare optimism, something that hasn’t existed with this program since John Robinson’s first three or four seasons.
2. Given the Rebels’ recent struggles, what would be a reasonable timeframe for Sanchez to make them into a bowl contender? What most needs to change about the team for that to happen?
It helps that the Mountain West is way down from what it used to be when BYU, Utah and TCU were in the league, so that could speed up the process. It wouldn’t be completely crazy if the Rebels were pushing for bowl eligibility in 2016. They played in a bowl just two seasons ago. My expectation is 2017 is the key year in that regard.
As for what needs to change, there is so much. The Rebels need considerably more depth. They need to have the belief they can get it done in critical situations, which has been lacking for so many prior teams. They need more athleticism, though that has improved. They also need a football facility to help in recruiting. UNLV doesn’t have one to sell to prospects, and until one is built, the program will be at least a step behind the others.
3. How have Barney Cotton and Kent Baer changed the UNLV schemes from last year on offense and defense, respectively? Are there in-game duties Sanchez likes to handle directly, or does he mostly allow his coordinators free reign?
Sanchez has let his coordinators do their jobs. Cotton showed a lot of imagination in the Northern Illinois game, mixing up the play calling to keep the Huskies off balance. He prefers a pro-style offense, but has spread personnel, so Cotton has been able to mesh the two by still running the ball up the middle but with greater running lanes.
I expect Baer to take some chances with blitzes against UCLA. He didn’t do much of that at Northern Illinois, but has shown in his career he isn’t afraid to take chances. Otherwise, UNLV runs the same 4-3 base defense it did in previous seasons, but the Rebels use a lot of 4-2-5 because of the plethora of spread offenses.
4. Quarterback Blake Decker looked like an erratic passer last season. Did the offseason provide significant hope for improvement, or is he who he is at this point in his career?
He began to grasp the new system in the final week of spring practices and finished strong, and Decker carried that over to training camp. He is making better decisions, though I expect him to still take chances. The opener was a promising performance, but I went into the season expecting Decker to have a good year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to get better. This weekend won’t be easy, though.
5. UNLV lost three offensive linemen who combined for 119 career starts, including all-conference second-team selection Brett Boyko. How does that unit look so far?
The pass blocking looked promising, but there were struggles to create holes for the run game. This is a line with a lot of potential, and it should keep improving as the season progresses. But there is nearly no depth, and that will be a continual problem. The line also should experience plenty of growing pains against the Bruins, and it will be interesting to see how the players respond if it’s a long night for the front on Saturday.