ED GRANEY: Bye week (again!) provides no help for Rebels - Sports

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Oct. 19, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

ED GRANEY: Bye week (again!) provides no help for Rebels

ED GRANEY
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M ike Sanford didn't have an answer last fall. He couldn't offer a reason. He strained to explain how UNLV's football team had been so amazingly inept following a bye week during his tenure, how it had lost all three such games at home by a combined score of 124-47.

How during the one time over the course of a season a team is most judged on preparation and discipline and attention to detail, his had resembled one without a clue three times over.

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"I can't say, other than after a bye, even though you're fresher, there's an adjustment to the speed of the game," Sanford said back then. "Without a doubt, we have to look at how we handle a bye week and why we haven't performed well after one. I wish I could tell you."

A year later, the Rebels received another opportunity.

A year later, the effort was better but the result no different.

UNLV lost to Air Force 29-28 Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium and deserved such a fate down to the very last yard surrendered.

An updated tally: Four bye weeks under Sanford. Four home games. Four losses.

The Rebels are now 3-4 and looking 3-6 straight in the face. If they use timeouts as poorly as they did Saturday and continue allowing chunks of yards in such a benevolent fashion, I'm not even sure you can still consider the season-ending game at San Diego State a probable win.

Which is amazing when you consider the Aztecs just gave up 70 points to New Mexico.

This wasn't any standard midseason test for UNLV. This was the introduction to a three-week stretch that continues with games at Brigham Young next Saturday and home to Texas Christian on Nov. 1. This was huge.

Given what is to come (two strong opponents followed by a finish of what has always been viewed as three winnable games) and the fact UNLV hasn't been alive for bowl eligibility this late in a schedule under Sanford, Air Force presented the Rebels' most significant game of the last four years.

The Rebels needed this one like the McCain-Palin ticket needs momentum.

They couldn't get it because they once again couldn't stop someone.

UNLV was never going to slow Air Force. The Rebels can't consistently deny teams on the ground, even those that don't want to run, never mind one that ranks fifth nationally with a 292.5-yard average.

The Falcons rushed 68 times for 346 yards. Tim Jefferson, a freshman quarterback making his second career start, completed 6 of 7 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Air Force had scoring drives of 80, 54, 79, 68, 55 and 91 yards.

It was absolutely ridiculous to watch.

UNLV is both injured and dreadful defensively, incapable of tackling or pressuring or covering well enough at this point to beat anyone of note.

So it has come this: An offense led by a talented and yet still improving sophomore quarterback (Omar Clayton) pretty much has to plan on scoring 30 points or more each week for the Rebels to have any chance.

Those trying to reach the end zone for UNLV are getting absolutely no help from those hoping to deny such scores, and Clayton and his offensive teammates just aren't advanced enough yet to overcome such defensive weakness.

They're trying. There was pregame chatter in the press box about how some who cover the Mountain West Conference feel the league's freshman of the year award will be decided between a quarterback at San Diego State and cornerback at Wyoming.

There was not one mention of UNLV wide receiver Phillip Payne, who had six catches for 124 yards and his seventh touchdown of the season Saturday.

People can't be this stupid, can they? How can't Payne be the leading candidate?

There is another fresh offensive hope. You likely had no idea who C.J. Cox was before now, given the freshman running back had carried just eight times. He has the speed to balance Frank Summers' strength, the shiftiness to complement Summers' straight-ahead charge. Cox rushed 13 times for 60 yards and a score.

Some nice highlights. Some nice young players.

None of it mattered, though. It was a game following a bye week for a Sanford-coached team.

What did you think would happen?

They played better this time. They weren't embarrassed. They at least gave themselves a chance. They just can't stop anyone.

What's that sound, you ask?

BYU quarterback Max Hall ... licking his chops.

Ed Graney can be reached at 383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Nickolas Diamond wrote on October 21, 2008 07:31 PM: Hey RebCam, Mike Sanford was a reserve Quarterback at USC. Goodluck finding any stats. On the otherhand Cunningham's stats are plentiful! 2008 Preseason Coaches Hot Seat Rankings BLOG Posted on August 27th, 2008 by Joe Mike Sanford, UNLV – Mike Sanford took over the UNLV program after leaving Utah at the same time that Urban Meyer went to Florida, but that is where the similarities between Sanford and Meyer and UNLV and Florida end. Sanford is 6-29 in three seasons at UNLV, and that is just not good enough for the Rebels’ fans and more importantly, for Sanford’s bosses. Like other Hot Seat coaches, Sanford needs wins, and lots of them, but the ’08 UNLV schedule is tough and we find it hard to believe that the Rebels can even come close to a .500 record. Can UNLV win 6 games in ’08? If they can, then we need to get down to Vegas and play some blackjack, because there would have to be a lot of luck flowing around The Strip for 6 wins to happen for the Rebels in ’08. If Mike Sanford does get 6 or more wins this season, just look for us at one of the Blackjack tables at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino come December. (The House of Blues restaurant at the Mandalay Bay serves some mean ”Tennessee-style Baby Back Ribs!”) Nicholas Diamond wrote on October 21, 2008 08:43 AM: You must have been in a coma the past 4 years. Exactly what was Sanford's record as a Quarterback at USC. Post his stats and we will compare them to Cunninghams's when he played for UNLV. He is a good man and was an exceptional athlete. Sanford's record would have gotten him fired from any other school long before now. He was juiced in here by his former coach, John Robinson. Did you actually think they had a chance for a bowl game???????? RebCam wrote on October 20, 2008 08:09 AM: You just said you wanted a coach with a proven record, well, Randall Cunningham has no experience as any type of coach at the collegiate level. He may be a winner as a player but that doesn't always translate to being a winning coach. Mike Sanford was a winner at USC in college as a player and is struggling as a coach. You don't fire coaches midseason anyway. Do you honestly think that we would have gone to a bowl game if Sanford had been fired after the Utah game? Nickolas Diamond wrote on October 19, 2008 10:39 PM: Time for Sanford to resign.............. I wrote a previous letter to Joe Hawk that Mike Sanford needed to be fired sooner than later after the 21-42 loss at Utah. Unfortunatley he chose not to print it in his column for whatever reason? After the loss at Utah, by some twist of fate they managed life and death overtime wins against Arizona State and Iowa State. It looks like the only teams they can beat have a State after their name. The three teams they have beaten have a combined record as of this date of 5 wins and 15 losses. So what this means is that they beat NOBODY! I again call for Mike Sanford to get out of town and a committee of people who know something about the game of Football find a Coach that really knows how to WIN and not somebody connected with this process's good buddy who knows nothing but how to make excuses. For what the school is paying Sanford, they could have found a coach with a proven record, instead of one with no record. The only team they have any chance to beat for the remainder of this season is San Diego STATE. as you can tell, I am thoroughlly disgusted with the condition of UNLV Football. Why don't the powers to be offer the position to Randall Cunningham, he is a proven winner! Bobby Doss wrote on October 19, 2008 01:01 PM: What going on with SR Tailback (20) Daivd Peeples. Frank Summer came in because Sanford needed a big tailback then he kick David to the sideline. Then went out and pick up some smaller backs. Yes David was hurt, but four (4) games ago Sanford said he was 100 percent, so what really going on. Are David getting blackball ? Or he just one of JOHN ROBINSON player that Sanford just messing up (Senior) year by playing freshman C.J. Cox. Sanford find a home UNLV better without you..................... Sufferin Succotash wrote on October 19, 2008 08:51 AM: "Well coached teams get better as the season wears on. Poorly coached teams get worse." - Jimmy Johnson UNLV has lost three games in a row. In 20 days it will be SIX losses in a row. Bowl Eligible wrote on October 19, 2008 07:41 AM: Talk of a bowl was pure stupidity. Can you believe there was talk of such foolishness?