Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Rebels football:

UNLV running back looking to use size to his advantage at UCLA

UNLV's Lexington Thomas Scores

L.E. Baskow

UNLV’s Lexington Thomas (3) leaps over a teammate after beating Jackson State defenders to the end zone during first quarter play at Sam Boyd Stadium.

The Rebel Room

Going Back to Cali

Las Vegas Sun sports editor Ray Brewer and reporters Case Keefer and Taylor Bern discuss the takeaways, if any, from UNLV football's 63-13 beatdown of Jackson State, preview the UCLA game and breakdown recent basketball signee Troy Baxter Jr.

Seven inches. That’s the average difference in height between UNLV starting running back Lexington Thomas and the Rebels’ offensive line, assuming Thomas stacks up to his listed 5-foot-9.

Slight running backs are known mostly for their speed, of which Thomas has plenty, but rarely for excelling between the tackles. That’s where Thomas differs, because that’s actually his preferred route, and it works in part because the height difference allows him to play a little peek-a-boo with defensive lines.

“That’s the best part of it — they can’t see me,” Thomas said. “They can’t see me, they can’t touch me and I’m out of there.”

Thomas is UNLV’s top returning rusher after averaging 6.2 yards per carry as a freshman, a mark he hit exactly in his sophomore debut. The Houston native piled up 68 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in UNLV’s 63-13 victory against Jackson State.

“I love going between the tackles,” Thomas said. “All the teams already know I’m fast, they’re waiting for me to hit the edge. When I hit the middle they don’t expect it.”

UNLV’s offensive line did whatever it wanted against an undersized Jackson State squad, opening some Grand Canyon-sized holes. Now the Rebels hit the road to play UCLA at 5:07 p.m. Saturday in the Rose Bowl, a significant step up in competition across the board.

“Biiig,” Thomas said of the holes he could run through. “… I believe the holes are going to be the exact same size.”

Confidence is good, but UNLV’s offensive line is facing a completely different challenge on Saturday. In last year’s meeting at Sam Boyd Stadium, a 37-3 Bruins victory, UCLA’s defense got into the backfield whenever it wanted and held UNLV to its lowest yards per play (3.6) of the season.

There are several reasons that should improve this year, mainly that quarterback Blake Decker went down in the first quarter of that game and Kurt Palandech couldn’t dig out of the hole, going 4-of-15 with an interception. The Rebels are (hopefully) more solidified at quarterback as junior Johnny Stanton prepares for his first real test, but any improvement starts up front.

“I think we’ll be able to get a lot more movement on these guys,” senior center Will Kreitler said.

UCLA’s defense relies on a lot of four-man rushes, so that movement is going to be especially important for creating opportunities. There won’t be any space downfield to throw if UNLV consistently gets beat by a four-man rush.

“They don’t blitz a whole lot but they play a really good base defense,” Kreitler said. “These guys are so technically sound.”

The offseason focus for most of the offensive line has been all about weight. For most it was a quest to gain, and as a unit they weigh an average of 20 pounds heavier across the board, something that UNLV is counting on to make a difference.

One starter actually lost 15 pounds from his listed weight last season, though no one would describe freshman right guard Justin Polu as little. Listed at 6-4 and 315 pounds, the Silverado High grad said he didn’t feel nervous at all in his first collegiate game, something he credited to getting comfortable during his redshirt year.

But just like Stanton, this is the first real test for Polu. The first 30 minutes will be very telling — last year’s game was effectively over at halftime — but Polu and the line are trying to learn from a lackluster third quarter against Jackson State to make sure they have the same energy throughout the game.

“We need to mature coming into the second half,” Polu said. “We can’t fall asleep on opponents. Whether we’re up by 20 or down by 20 we have to treat them with the same mentality.”

As a 26.5-point underdog, the Rebels won’t likely have to worry about playing with a big lead. Staying competitive into the second half would be a start, and if that occurs then anything can happen.

But the Rebels have to get there first, and whether or not the holes open up the same, Thomas plans to bolt up field in the most efficient way possible.

“Running straight you get there faster,” Thomas said, “and I’m a pretty fast guy.”

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

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