MWC'S TOP TEAM PLAYING FOR BCS BID: Rebels expect to get TCU's best - Sports

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Oct. 31, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

MWC'S TOP TEAM PLAYING FOR BCS BID: Rebels expect to get TCU's best

UNLV not looking for letdown following Frogs' victory at BYU

By MARK ANDERSON
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

UNLV Football

UNLV VS. TEXAS CHRISTIAN

WHEN: 1 p.m. PDT today

WHERE: Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

TV/RADIO: Versus (38), KWWN-AM (1100)

LINE: TCU -35; no total

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Conventional wisdom might suggest UNLV is catching Texas Christian at the right time.

The Horned Frogs are coming off a statement-making 38-7 victory at Brigham Young, and a letdown wouldn't be surprising against a Rebels football team with only three victories -- over opponents with a combined record of 4-17.

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But TCU (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) has plenty to play for, and that could be bad news for the Rebels (3-5, 1-3) when they meet at 1 p.m. PDT today.

TCU, No. 8 in The Associated Press poll, stands at No. 6 (USA Today) and No. 7 (Harris) in the polls that are part of the Bowl Championship Series rankings. The Frogs are behind Boise State in both polls, but the computer rankings push them one spot above Boise State in the BCS standings, at No. 6.

The two teams are competing for the top spot from conferences without automatic BCS bids. And every impression is important, including the one TCU can make with a strong showing against UNLV.

So the Rebels expect TCU's best shot.

"I think if somebody told me I have a chance for a BCS berth from a non-BCS conference, I'd be pretty focused," Rebels quarterback Omar Clayton said.

The Frogs are five-touchdown favorites, so a close score might drop them below Boise State.

"They're trying to catch up in the minds of voters with Boise State," BCS expert Jerry Palm said. "They can't afford a drop. They don't need to win 63-0 or 56-20, but they need to look like a top-five team and put it on them."

TCU coach Gary Patterson doesn't believe in running up scores, but Palm said the Frogs could have an easy victory well in hand early and wouldn't have to pour it on. He expects about a 49-3 final.

"Realistically, any time a top-10 team plays a team like Vegas that's undermanned, they can't help but win big," said Palm of collegebcs.com. "If you have that good a team, you don't have to run up the score to put up a big score."

UNLV hasn't been much of a challenge for TCU since the Frogs joined the Mountain West in 2005. TCU has outscored the Rebels by an average of 39-9.

That sort of score today probably wouldn't hurt TCU, depending largely on how Boise State looks today against San Jose State.

Patterson doesn't like to discuss the BCS and points out the Frogs' schedule beyond UNLV includes a game against No. 19 Utah on Nov. 14 and what could be tricky trips to San Diego State on Nov. 7 and Wyoming on Nov. 21.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Patterson said. "It's a very tough schedule."

UNLV coach Mike Sanford prefers not to get into BCS talk either, saying his focus is solely on the Rebels. But he has plenty to worry about with the Frogs.

Jerry Hughes, who leads the Mountain West with nine sacks, might be the nation's best defensive end. He is the mainstay of a defense that tops the conference in allowing 246.6 yards and 12.7 points per game.

Quarterback Andy Dalton heads an offense that is second only to BYU in scoring (34.4 points) and total yards (428.3). Dalton has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,464 yards and 11 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

"People may think I'm crazy, but we're going in there to win a football game," Sanford said. "If I think anything less, it wouldn't be right."

It is Halloween. Maybe something crazy will happen.

Voters will be checking in.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Read the latest UNLV football updates at lvrj.com/blogs/unlv_sports.

BREAKING DOWN THE REBELS

BREAKING DOWN THE HORNED FROGS

RUSHING YARDS 120.0

PASSING YARDS 261.9

2009 OFFENSIVE AVERAGES

TIME OF POSSESSION 31:05

PENALTY YARDS 45.4

RUSHING YARDS 190.1

PASSING YARDS 243.6

DEFENSIVE AVERAGES

211.0 RUSHING YARDS

217.3 PASSING YARDS

2009 OFFENSIVE AVERAGES

32:11 TIME OF POSSESSION

54.1 PENALTY YARDS

85.3 RUSHING YARDS

161.3 PASSING YARDS

DEFENSIVE AVERAGES

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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. MM wrote on October 31, 2009 09:24 PM: The Writers of the RJ need to keep Mike Sanford in the hot seat... The News is us the fans are sick of this football program and we need to be heard..... Im mad as HELL and Im not going to take any more! Get rid of Mike Sanford........ Mad as Hell and Im Not Going to Take it Any More! mike wrote on October 31, 2009 08:43 PM: This Rebel team stinks This UNLV coaching staff stinks The President of UNLV Stinks The UNLV Athletic Director Stinks Mike Sanford Sucks!!!!!!!!!!!! Fire Them All!!! Bobby wrote on October 31, 2009 08:40 PM: Hey Now, Lets talk BCS Now the UNR put up 63 on the Rebs and BYU scored 59 points. Now towards the end of the season, you have know that only one non BCS team will make At large spot..... I think id Boise State goes out and crushes UNR then they will get the BCS Game and not TCU. Today TCU should have scored 60 to 70 points, the Rebels are ranked 110th. Look for Boise State in the BCS Game........ Every thing aside Fire Mike Sanford get rid of this crappy coach! Dagger wrote on October 31, 2009 04:00 PM: The scrubs come in and score the TD to cover the spread TD. That's rubbing Sanford's face in the cowpie. U gotta luv it! Enough already wrote on October 31, 2009 03:46 PM: If they aren't going to fire Sanford, just suspend him so we don't have to look at him anymore on the sidelines and hear anymore of his idiotic excuses! The team and everyone concerned with the program will be much better off. Do something, PLEASE! Blow out in progress wrote on October 31, 2009 03:01 PM: 27-0 TCU leading at the beginning of the third quarter. Please grow some balls UNLV pres, board of REGRETS and the the interm AD and fire this loser. I'll take the job at the same pay and give you what you have alays gotten, which is nothing but losses. It Takes Time wrote on October 31, 2009 02:52 PM: They caused a fumble when the TCU QB ran it. See, it shows that Sanford, the greatest of all UNLV head coaches, is inspiring change like Barack Obama. Dress code wrote on October 31, 2009 02:33 PM: UNLV has too many players with long hair hanging out of their helmuts. The offensive genius is getting shut out for the first half. They will get coached up in the locker room and come out and do the same thing in the second half. Everytime they show Sanford on the sidelines he looks like he is in a daze. What a piece of sheet! HeHateMe wrote on October 31, 2009 12:19 PM: I am with you Un-subscriber, I dumped Dishnetwork because I couldnt watch the only team i want to watch, UNLV. I guess I have not choice but going with the ONLY cable service in town. I don't care if we get blown out by a better team (TCU) but it kills me when we get blown out by a bad team (UNR). DirecTv Un-subscriber wrote on October 31, 2009 12:04 PM: I cannot watch this game. DirecTv dumped the VERSUS channel. See ya DirectV! That was the last straw. Read All Comments