Take Five: Getting to know UNR

By Ryan Greene

Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 | 2:30 a.m.

The big question as UNLV and UNR prepare for their 35th meeting is pretty simple: Who needs it more?

The Rebels head up north at 2-2, with the wounds of an embarrassing 30-27 loss at Wyoming still fresh. After the Wolf Pack comes the remainder of a brutal Mountain West Conference schedule, starting with back-to-back home games against BYU and Utah.

Chris Ault's club is 0-3, but no one can blame him of fearful non-conference scheduling. Those three setbacks have come against Notre Dame, Colorado State and Missouri — three probable bowl teams with a combined 10-2 record this season. However, UNR will venture into a somewhat soft WAC slate after this weekend, and a bowl berth is still a very real possibility regardless of what happens this weekend.

UNLV's issues — inconsistent defense, turnovers, etc. — have been well-documented. Here's a look at how the other side is living.

1) They're starting to look like themselves ... or at least himself

The high-powered offense which guided UNR to a 7-5 regular season in 2008 finally showed itself in last Friday's 31-21 loss to Missouri, after failing to trade blows for the most part with Notre Dame and CSU.

And it all starts with junior quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who produced 416 yards of offense and five total touchdowns in last year's 49-27 triumph at Sam Boyd Stadium.

He was completely quieted in the Wolf Pack's first two losses, combining for 463 yards, four interceptions and one fumble lost.

Against Missouri, he accounted for just 205 yards, but produced two scores and — more important — no turnovers.

The Wolf Pack offense appears to be getting back on track, and it all stems from the 6-foot-6 junior.

2) When one door closes, another opens

The carousel that involves the starting tailback within the UNR offense now brings senior Luke Lippincott once again to the forefront.

Lippincott was the clear-cut starter as a sophomore in 2007, finishing with 1,420 yards on the ground, another 295 receiving and 18 total touchdowns. A torn ACL early last season, however, put the load on the shoulders of Vai Taua.

Taua, a junior, stepped in to finish with a mirror image of Lippincott's sophomore season in 2008, totaling 1,764 yards and 18 TDs.

Now it's Taua who is out. After dislocating his elbow early in last Friday's game, Lippincott stepped up and ran for 114 yards on 23 carries. He'll get the start again this weekend as Taua heals.

3) Pressure? What pressure?

Chances are slimmer than you'd think that UNR is feeling some heat to reach its fifth consecutive bowl game after an unsightly 0-3 start.

The biggest reason for that has been the Wolf Pack's steady hand in WAC games during that run.

Since 2005, Chris Ault's club has averaged 5.3 conference wins per season, including a winning record in three of those four campaigns.

With that said, even if UNLV prevails this weekend, it's a safe bet that UNR will be fighting for a postseason spot up until the bitter end.

4) Don't be shocked by a shootout

If the 2009 edition of the Battle for the Fremont Cannon mirrors 2008's version in terms of offensive fireworks, don't be shocked.

Fans in Las Vegas have already seen UNLV's deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball, as the Rebels rank 75th out of 120 FBS programs in total defense, allowing 368 yards per game.

Apparently, the situation is the same on the other side of the state, as the Wolf Pack rank 112th in total defense, succumbing 457 yards per game.

Granted, each of UNR's first three opponents have fielded prolific offenses, with Notre Dame ranking 15th in the nation in that category, while Missouri is 16th and Colorado State is 57th. UNLV fits right in there at 43rd.

That said, another high-scoring affair should alarm no one.

5) Not everything about the defense is porous

You won't be able to keep an eye out for him, with the game not being televised, of course, but junior defensive end Dontay Moch at least gives the unit some bite.

Although a tad undersized, at 6-foot-1, 245 pounds, Moch is the UNR's most productive defender up front.

His 18 tackles, 6.5 stops for loss and one sack have him on pace to live up to his second team All-WAC performance in 2008 as a sophomore, when he was tied for second in the league and 17th in the nation with 9.5 sacks to go with his 15 tackles for loss.