Rebels getting first lesson this season in handling adversity

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Nearly two years had passed since Tony Sanchez lost a game, so it was going to be interesting to see how UNLV’s first-year coach handled the transition to a program that’s nearly 100 games under .500 since joining Division I.

Obviously no one wants to lose, even when you’re a 23-point underdog that’s in it the whole way before falling 38-30, as the Rebels did Saturday at Northern Illinois. But this wasn’t unexpected, and Sanchez said having so many people relying on him has actually made it easier to look outward in times of adversity.

“I’m worried about everyone else that’s around me,” Sanchez, the former Bishop Gorman coach, said Tuesday at the Lied Athletic Complex. “They’ve bought in. They believe in me. They believe in what we’ve done, so now we want to go out and we want to do well for them. I’m going to be fine. I’m very confident in my abilities.”

This week UNLV opens its home slate against No. 13 UCLA, which comes to town for a 7:35 p.m. kickoff at Sam Boyd Stadium. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

Boise State’s Halloween trip to town could change things, but for now this clearly looks like the best home game on the slate. Sanchez said 22,000 tickets had already been sold and he was hopeful sales could eclipse 30,000, which would be the most since 31,107 filled the stadium for Bobby Hauck’s debut against No. 12 Wisconsin in 2010.

The game does go up against a boxing match in town, but between Sanchez’s energy, the new field and black uniforms, the top-shelf opponent for a cheap price and UNLV’s initial performance, this should be the kind of night that brings an environment rarely seen at Sam Boyd.

“We’re expecting a big number,” Sanchez said.

At NIU, the Rebels led 17-3 shortly before halftime and rallied in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance. They weren’t happy with the outcome, though the positives were there because the team stuck together, they said.

Wouldn’t they have said the same thing in previous years, even if it weren't true, a reporter asked. Players and coaches often reach for clichés when they’d rather not speak an unflattering truth.

The change now is the Rebels don’t need to say it anymore, said quarterback Blake Decker. They fought back, they finished plays and they played together in ways apparent to anyone who saw the game.

“That was the biggest difference,” Decker said. “The film doesn’t lie.”

Adversity was a big theme from Sanchez throughout the offseason. Any team, and particularly one pegged to again finish last in the Mountain West, has to learn to battle through challenges.

“It’s going to happen throughout the game, and it all depends on the way we react to it,” said senior defensive end Sonny Sanitoa.

Sanchez wants this lesson to take hold on the field, though he’s leaned on it as much for what the players can do with it in their daily lives as anything else. Citing UNLV’s improved grades as a recent example, he said this is one of the ways he’s looking out for all of those now looking up to him.

“How you react to adversity really dictates the life you live,” Sanchez said. “This is a great opportunity to teach it.”

As the Rebels prepare for UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen, Sanchez confirmed that UNLV backup quarterback Kurt Palandech would again play one series in each half. That’s the Rebels' plan for at least the first three games, at which point they’ll reassess.

“We have a strategic plan, and we’re going to stick to it,” Sanchez said. “We’re not going to be swayed by anybody.”

Not even by those who have tried to tell them that last week was a positive start to the season. It wasn’t a victory, which makes it another obstacle to overcome.

“A lot of people were really quick to say, ‘Hey, you guys played great. Way to battle against a tough team,’ ” Decker said. “But we consider ourselves to be a tough team. We went into that game to win.”

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.