Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 | 9:54 p.m.
The Rebel Room
Sacramento State Postgame
Ryan Greene and Rob Miech break down UNLV's season-opening 38-3 victory over Sacramento State, paced by a solid defensive showing and three Channing Trotter rushing touchdowns. Plus, the guys take a look at what the win against the Hornets does for the Rebels as they prepare to welcome Oregon State to Sam Boyd Stadium next Saturday night.
Related
- UNLV-SSU Box score
- UNLV defense keeps Sacramento State out of end zone
- Brothers square off at UNLV-Sacramento State game
- Rebels slam door on Hornets with huge second half, 38-3
- Notebook: Trotter puts stranglehold on starting job
- Live game blog: UNLV opens 2009 campaign with a bang in 38-3 blowout
- UNLV fan photos
- Complete UNLV Rebels coverage
Next game
- Opponent: Oregon State
- Date: Sept. 12, 8 p.m.
- Where: Sam Boyd Stadium
- TV: CBS College Sports
- Radio: ESPN Radio 1100 AM
So this is what a New Mexico Bowl team looks like.
Or doesn't. It was still a little hard to tell.
On a gusty night at Sam Boyd Stadium, UNLV did what it was expected to do. It beat Division I-AA Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference. It was a competitive game for three quarters.
It wasn't in the fourth.
A quick analysis of the Rebels' 38-3 victory in front of 22,195 at the Wind Tunnel off Boulder Highway:
• Channing Trotter looks nothing like Tank Summers, the Rebels' star running back now playing (or at least sitting on the bench) on Sunday in Pittsburgh. But he looked a lot like a guy on which you could build a running game. Trotter finished with 102 yards on 16 carries including three short touchdown runs that prevented the Big Sky from falling on the Rebels.
• After giving up yards in huge chunks last year, the Rebels yielded them in smaller chunks Saturday night.
But they still yielded chunks. To a Big Sky opponent. Sacramento State vaporized the second quarter by running the ball between the tackles, eating up more than seven minutes on one drive. Not a good omen with Oregon State of the Pac-10 coming to town next week.
• Special teams were a little iffy, too, as Sacramento State almost blocked two punts. Yeah, I know: Almost doesn't count except in horseshoes, hand grenades and drive-in movies (if you find one). But had the opponent been somebody such as Air Force, which prides itself in blocking kicks, a couple of those near misses probably would have been direct hits.
• UNLV's play-calling was aggressive, especially at the start of the game. Perhaps the Rebels wanted to make a statement against an alleged inferior opponent. Or maybe they just wanted to get some points on the board before Dorothy's house landed on the 35-yard line and crushed the Cowardly Lion.
• Rebels' performance in five words or less: Adequate.
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