Position breakdown for Saturday’s UNLV-UNR game
A look at who has the advantage at each position when UNLV hosts UNR on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the battle for the Fremont Cannon.
QUARTERBACKS
Sophomore Ty Gangi has started UNR’s last three games, completing 55 percent of his passes in those contests for six touchdowns and five interceptions. UNLV starter Kurt Palandech has been less turnover prone, with five touchdowns to one interception on the year.
Edge: UNLV
RUNNING BACKS
In the last three games with Lexington Thomas banged up, freshman Charles Williams has carried 52 times for 267 yards for the Rebels. The Wolf Pack’s offense has run through James Butler all year, as the junior is averaging 133.9 total yards per game for the team.
Edge: UNR
RECEIVERS
UNLV is so thin out wide that quarterback Dalton Sneed volunteered to take snaps at the position. Tight end Andrew Price is the team’s leading healthy receiver with 231 yards. Junior Wyatt Demps has 51 catches for 629 yards for UNR.
Edge: UNR
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Rebels are now tied for third in the FBS in fewest sacks allowed with nine. The team is also averaging 246.91 rushing yards, which ranks 15th. The Wolf Pack has allowed 20 sacks this season and average more than 80 fewer rushing yards per game.
Edge: UNLV
DEFENSIVE LINE
The soft underbelly of UNR’s defense is obvious. The team is dead last in the FBS, out of 128 teams, in rushing yards allowed per game (308.9). The Wolf Pack has also registered only 12 sacks this season, which is tied for 121st. UNLV allows far fewer rushing yards per game (175) and generates more of a pass rush (18 sacks).
Edge: UNLV
LINEBACKERS
Tau Lotulelei has 15.5 tackles for loss on the season for UNLV, which leads the Mountain West. He is also third on the conference in tackles per game (9.7). UNR’s Alex Bertrando ranks second in the conference with 9.9 tackles per game, but he has created fewer negative plays.
Edge: UNLV
SECONDARY
The Wolf Pack rank fifth in the FBS in passing yards allowed per game, but that’s only because teams have been so excited to run on them. Opposing teams are averaging 8.2 yards per passing attempt against the UNR defense. Opponents average 7.3 yards per attempt against UNLV and the Rebels have five interceptions to the Wolf Pack’s four.
Edge: UNLV
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ultimately, both special teams units have struggled this season but UNR has fewer holes. The Wolf Pack are better at punt returns and kickoff coverage, and average almost four more yards per net punt. UNLV’s strong point on special teams has been field goal kicking, as Evan Pantels leads the Mountain West with 12 makes in 13 attempts.
Edge: UNR
INTANGIBLES
A rivalry game, complete with a trophy, should provide plenty of motivation for both teams. The Rebels have not defeated the Wolf Pack in back-to-back seasons since 2003-04. UNR is 0-5 on the road this season, losing by an average score of 30-15.
Edge: UNLV
HANDICAPPER’S TAKE
Bruce Marshall (goldsheet.com): UNLV 34- Nevada 32— In the future, these Fremont Cannon games might be played every other year in the Raiders’ proposed new stadium. But for the time being, wind-swept Sam Boyd Stadium has not provided much edge for UNLV, which has lost five straight at home vs. hated rival UNR. Nonetheless, the Rebels appear to have their best chance to keep the Cannon in consecutive years since 2003-04 and the end of the John Robinson era. They can do so, but I’m not especially interested in laying an inflated price, as the Wolf Pack has been displaying life behind sophomore quarterback Ty Gangi, engineer of last week’s dramatic comeback win over Utah State. UNLV is also just 1-7 in its last eight games as chalk vs. FBS foes.
Ben Gotz /Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gotz can bre reached at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
