Underdog Rebels preparing for UCLA’s new offense

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Whether UNLV coach Tony Sanchez is talking to his team or family members, the message is the same. Sanchez said a cousin sent him a text message about the big game this week at UCLA, and Sanchez’s response was straight out of Coach Speak 101.

“Not any bigger than any other game,” Sanchez said.

The Rebels are 1-0 for the first time since 2009 after a 50-point victory against Jackson State. Now they’ll find out how much that means against a Bruins squad that differs in almost every way.

“This week, these guys are bigger, stronger, more talented, but they’re still guys at the end of the day,” said senior center Will Kreitler.

Kickoff is at 5:07 p.m. in the Rose Bowl and the game will air on Pac-12 Networks. This is the return game of a home-and-home series that saw UCLA win 37-3 last year at Sam Boyd Stadium.

UCLA is a 26-point favorite, which is actually about a touchdown less than the Bruins were favored by last season. That shows how far oddsmakers think UNLV has come, because the line should move the other way with the change of venue.

Covering as the underdog could be a sign of improvement for the Rebels, but just like the step up in competition, moral victories aren’t something Sanchez is interested in discussing. He can still sneak in a shot at a rival, though.

“Heck, we had a team in our conference go to overtime with a I-AA school, so I don’t care what the lines are,” Sanchez said. “The lines don’t dictate the score, the players on the field do.”

For the record that team was UNR, which defeated Cal Poly 30-27 in overtime.

Wake Up and Smell the Rosen

Sanchez is plenty familiar with Saturday’s opposing quarterback, sophomore Josh Rosen.

Two years ago, Sanchez’s Bishop Gorman High team took down Rosen’s No. 1-ranked St. John Bosco at Fertitta Field, and last year Rosen threw for 223 yards and a score in UCLA’s blowout victory. Rosen isn’t always the most efficient — last year vs. UNLV he was 22-of-42 with an interception, last week 26-of-46 with three interceptions in an overtime loss to Texas A&M — but he always looks comfortable in the pocket.

“He has a lot of swagger and he’s confident in what he does,” senior cornerback Torry McTyer said.

Rosen was arguably the best freshman quarterback in the country last season, and expectations are high again for his sophomore season. The Bruins dropped out of the AP poll after Saturday’s 31-24 loss on the road, but that may only make them more focused on this game.

"They’re going to be sharp as heck," Sanchez said. "They’re going to come in with a chip on their shoulder."

And Sanchez added that he expects UCLA’s offense to improve through the year as they get more comfortable with a switch from last year’s spread to this year’s pro-style attack.

“They’ve changed completely what they do offensively, so I’m sure they’re settling into that,” Sanchez said. “… Regardless of the offense that they run, he has skill sets that are versatile.”

UCLA’s rushing attack was actually the bigger problem last year for UNLV as the Bruins averaged 6.4 yards per carry. Between that and a stout defensive line, the Rebels will have their hands full, but their defensive success starts with pressuring Rosen and taking some potential big plays off the table.

Notes

• Kurt Palandech is still dealing with arm injuries, so redshirt freshman Dalton Sneed will again be the backup quarterback on Saturday. Sneed entered in the fourth quarter of last week’s 50-point victory, completing one pass for six yards.

Palandech has a sore shoulder and strained biceps, Sanchez said, but he will be available as an emergency option.

“He can go in and he can play and he can throw, it’s just we would like to rest him up and get him to full strength,” Sanchez said.

• Sophomore receiver Brandon Presley is out with a foot injury. True freshman Mekhi Stevenson will replace him as the outside receiver starting opposite junior Devonte Boyd.

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