Rebels' bowl hopes slim after setback - Sports

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Nov. 01, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rebels' bowl hopes slim after setback

Air Force likely biggest obstacle left on schedule

By MARK ANDERSON
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

UNLV Football

Texas Christian wide receiver Antoine Hicks breaks UNLV cornerback Alex De Giacomo's tackle attempt on a 75-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of the No. 8-ranked Horned Frogs' 41-0 victory Saturday at Amon Carter Stadium. The touchdown gave TCU a 10-0 lead.
Photo by The Associated Press.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- UNLV was in this situation last football season, needing to win its final three games to become bowl eligible.

The Rebels are there again following Saturday's 41-0 loss to No. 8 Texas Christian to drop to 3-6.

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"That's what we have to do," quarterback Omar Clayton said of winning out. "That's our only option right now is to put the mistakes that we had in this game behind us and go on to the next game."

The Rebels made a serious run at bowl eligibility last season before falling 42-21 in their finale at San Diego State to come up a game short.

Now they have to beat Colorado State at home next Saturday, win at Air Force on Nov. 14 and defeat San Diego State at home on Nov. 28.

Not an easy task, especially the trip to Air Force, but all three teams have had their own struggles.

"I think that we're still very focused," UNLV defensive end/linebacker Jason Beauchamp said. "The seniors (including) myself, we're going to force guys to work.

"I think there is definitely a chance we can run the table these last three games."

• BLOCKING THE MAN -- UNLV offensive tackle Evan Marchal had the difficult assignment of trying to contain TCU All-America defensive end Jerry Hughes.

Hughes entered the game leading the Mountain West Conference in sacks with nine but had none against the Rebels. He also was limited to five tackles and a quarterback hit.

"My whole plan coming in here was to keep the quarterback clean," Marchal said. "I think we did a pretty good job of that today."

A real good job. The Horned Frogs, who had a league-high 26 sacks, were shut out.

"I think our offensive line did a nice job," coach Mike Sanford said. "I believe Evan Marchal and our entire offensive line competed and fought and played hard."

• EMOTIONAL TIME -- Sanford and four players visited linebacker Bryce Saldi on Friday night at a rehabilitation facility in Plano, Texas.

Saldi, 20, suffered a serious brain injury in a skateboarding accident July 3 in Southern California.

Beauchamp, one of the players who visited Saldi, said Saldi can't talk but communicates with his eyes.

"The team feels for him, and we hope to keep his jersey in the locker room," Beauchamp said. "So he's with us still."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.

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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. Are You Kidding Me? wrote on November 03, 2009 10:56 AM: I can predict what is going to happen. Sanford will be fired in the offseason and unlv will hire some no-name stiff from Shmuck State and start the losing cycle all over again. Why should they break tradition just keep the losing streak alive at least the administration is the best in the country at that!! UWStinker wrote on November 02, 2009 12:28 PM: Bowl hopes?? That's the funniest thing I've read in quite some time. Unbelievable. What an a*hat. keith swann wrote on November 02, 2009 11:03 AM: please unlv powers that be. fire this guy already and spend some bucks to get a real coach in here . no reason why the football team should not go to a bowl every year being this close to california and texas . The fat lady has been singing for 40+ years!! wrote on November 02, 2009 10:42 AM: Bowl Hopes are you kidding me?? This is the sorriest D1 football program in the history of college athletics. Why are we even talking football here, how many millions of dollars has this sorry football @#!@#@! program cost Vegas locals all these years? Banish the football program and move conferences with the b-ball program that is the only answer. Setback??? wrote on November 02, 2009 10:01 AM: UNLV football has been in setback mode since the early 1980's, you idiot. This so called college football prgram is pathetic, at best. List of UNLV losing coaches ov er the last 25 years. Harvey Hyde Wayne Nunnely Jim Strong Jeff Horton John Robinson Mike Sanford ****AND THE NEXT LOSING COACH UNLV AND THE BOARD OF "REGRETS" WILL HIRE Oh really wrote on November 02, 2009 09:50 AM: Here is my reasoning for predicting why the Rebels will lose to Colorado State. 1. The three wins the rebels have, Sacramento State, Hawaii, New Mexico are a combined 5-19. 2. The three wins Colorado State have, Colorado, Weber State, NEVADA are a combined 12-12. 3. The most telling stat is that Colorado State beat NEVADA 35-20. 4. The Rebels lose to NEVADA 63-28. 5. Predicted score Colorado State 41 UNLV 31 mike wrote on November 02, 2009 12:46 AM: E-mail the following board of rengents and let them know you have had enough of Mike Sanford and that if UNLV President need to do the job and get rid of this bum Mike Sanford we the people will be voting them out of office! scott_wasserman@nshe.nevada.edu regentjamesdean@aol.com jgeddes@sbcglobal.net malden@nevada.edu andrea_anderson@nshe.nevada.edu robert_blakely@nshe.nevada.edu william_cobb@nshe.nevada.edu cedric_crear@nshe.nevada.edu ronknecht@aol.com kevin_j_page@nshe.nevada.edu raymond_rawson@nshe.nevada.edu jack_schofield@nshe.nevada.edu michael_wixom@nshe.nevada.edu Call them to get them to put a little presure on this bum president to fire Mike Sanford...... The Urban Pirate!! wrote on November 01, 2009 09:03 PM: "Rebels' bowl hopes slim after setback" __________________________________ This literally made me laugh my assets off! After the season UNLV has had, to even mention a bowl is absolutely ridiculous. Jake wrote on November 01, 2009 07:46 PM: Yahoo----- The Rebels are going to a Bowl Game the Toilet Bowl in Tijuana, Mexico. The Rebels will play St. Peters School of the sight and hearing impaired. The winner will receive Montezuma’s Cup and losers will go home with Montezuma’s revenge, in which the Rebels have had since Mike Sanford got here! Leroy’s has St. Pete’s favored by 14…………… When is the Review Journal going to start putting the heat on the University about the poor performance of the football program, there should be something every day in the paper about how pissed the fans and boosters are about Mike Sanford and his losing ways…….. PUT THE HEAT ON from the President of UNLV to Board of Regents all the way down to guy that slaps the cheese on the nachos’…… With Mike Sanford winning so few games it should be rather easy to find something to write about….. SAVE US Fire Mike Sanford Oh really wrote on November 01, 2009 07:54 AM: Colorado State has a better chance of winning their last 3 games than UNLV does. After they beat UNLV, they play New Mexico and Wyoming. Air Force and San Diego State both have better coaching staffs than UNLV. San Diego State will defeat them worse than last year. Let's see how they do against TCU at home next week? Read All Comments