Starters in secondary now a game-time call for Sanford

By Ryan Greene

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 | 2:10 a.m.

So, it was sort of a loose deadline.

Instead of naming starters in the defensive backfield for Saturday's 7 p.m. contest at Sam Boyd Stadium against Air Force in the middle of the week, which was UNLV coach Mike Sanford's original plan, it's now more of a game-time decision. And even when starters are set, the rotation will still be subject to some change.

That's not necessarily cause for a red flag.

"We're going to play a lot of people," he said. "I think we're going to go right up to game time with the idea of playing several different guys."

Sanford said during the team's bye week that no starting spots in the defensive backfield were guaranteed for the 3-3 Rebels when they returned to action. The move raised the level of competition among first-, second- and third-stringers in practice, and the results have been nothing but positive.

"We just kind of put them back in the bag, shook 'em up real good and see which ones fall out," said defensive coordinator Dennis Therrell. "It's made everybody play with a little better sense of urgency.

"There has to be a competition, and it has to be competitive between the ones and twos. The twos have to keep pushing the ones. So for the twos, if a one has to go out, you're not going to go out there and give up a bomb or a long play, and that's really what's happened to us in the last two weeks."

Therrell's right in that big plays are something the UNLV defense is no stranger to, especially in recent losses to UNR and Colorado State. In those two contests, four of the 11 touchdowns the defense has allowed were plays of at least 40 yards.

Hence the Rebels trying some new things.

Some names that have come up as far as those who could see more time on the field include ...

-Freshman safety/linebacker Beau Orth, a Gorman product who has shown a knack for the big play in limited opportunities so far.

-Freshman cornerback Deante' Purvis, whose speed was best displayed on a pair of huge plays at CSU two weeks ago.

-Freshman safety Chris Jones, a Shadow Ridge product who converted from quarterback during fall camp. He's listed as the primary backup at free safety behind Daryl Forte on the two-deep. He's seen special teams action this season, but no snaps yet at safety.

-Senior corner Lorenzo Bursey Jr., who has played well at times while spelling sophomore Quinton Pointer.

"You can tell that there's a lot of competition going on," Jones said. "Usually when they call the twos in (during practice) they just go in, do what they have to do. Now it seems like it's faster out there, everybody's making plays, not just the ones.

"I know for a fact it recharges me. Usually when it's said and done and they give the starting position to someone, everyone else just settles back down to how they were. But when they keep it unknown, everybody's looking like 'If I take a play off this play, they're going to bump me down the depth chart.' So it keeps everybody continuously going."

One first-teamer who confirmed that notion was Geoffery Howard, who in a sense has realized his mortality as a starter in the past two weeks.

"It means a whole lot," he said. "I want to start. This is my senior year, and I need it. So it means a lot to start. I go hard no matter what (Sanford) said."

The UNLV defensive backs don't feel slighted over the open competition.

They realize they're just as responsible as the front seven for the team's current standing as the Mountain West's second-worst defense against the run, statistically speaking. UNLV is allowing 213.0 yards per game on the ground, and the shake-up was necessary as the Rebels get set to face the league's top rushing offense. The Falcons produce 292.5 yards per game the old-fashioned way.

"I'd say it's fair," Howard said. "We have been giving up some big plays back there, and everyone just has to refocus and get back to what was working. It was a good move."