Graney: UNLV football is suddenly the hunted and not hunters

They spent decades chasing others, looking far up the standings, wondering what it would be like to exist among the Mountain West contenders.

They were the hunters.

Now, they’re the hunted.

Things have changed, all right, in every facet of UNLV football. Seemingly happened overnight, or at least the minute Barry Odom signed on as coach.

The Rebels were picked second in a preseason media poll Wednesday behind only defending league champion Boise State. What hasn’t been altered is UNLV’s mindset.

Odom will speak with his team about the poll, about those lofty outside expectations, about what others believe the Rebels can accomplish.

Rat poison

How much things have changed: UNLV was picked to finish ninth last year. It obliterated those expectations and then some by winning nine games for the first time since 1984 and advancing to the conference championship game. It went to its first bowl game in a decade. Made those preseason predictions a thing of folly.

“Well, it didn’t really mean anything to us because if we went by the poll, we would have settled for ninth,” Odom said. “There are people in our business who will call it rat poison — any time you read your press clippings and believe you’re better or as good as people are telling you, it becomes a false sense of preparing and work ethic.

“We’ll use this the right way in that we’ll have an opportunity every single week to make it matter. I’d much rather be in this position than not be talked about. Our guys understand we have to play really good football and that every single rep through camp is going to matter.”

What his team won’t do is run from those expectations. It’s a mature group. Odom is as honest and up front with it as he can be.

There are so many goals ahead of the Rebels. UNLV has never been to consecutive bowl games. Returning to the conference championship game is paramount. Someone from a non-power league is going to make the College Football Playoff.

Hey, they’re allowed to dream, no?

There are questions to be answered, beginning with which one of the three quarterbacks entering camp will win the starting role. The Rebels also need to shore up a defense that allowed 130 points their last three games.

They just weren’t good at all on that side of the ball when it mattered most. They dropped the Mountain West title game 44-20 to Boise State. UNLV then lost the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to Kansas 49-36.

“We didn’t do what we wanted to do and win the (conference championship),” senior linebacker Jackson Woodard said. “We just have to keep our habits going. It’s a long season and I think at the end of it, we almost expected a little too much that we would win. We learned a lot from that. We’re going to get back to that point this year and win.”

Woodard believes UNLV remains hunters. But things are different. The Rebels are one of the league’s better sides. Others are now taking aim at them.

A hot ticket

It will be interesting to see how much Las Vegas responds.

Odom hopes his team’s home games at Allegiant Stadium become a hot ticket. That it’s one people around town seek. UNLV has a long ways to go for such desire to become reality, but another season like the last one sure would help.

“We have the opportunity to turn this into something that has never been done here before,” Odom said. “We’re slowing making strides to get that done.”

You’re better off being the hunted.

Better off being talked about.

Better off for a whole host of reasons.

Means you’ve done something. Means more is expected.

It means UNLV football is in a place it hasn’t been in decades.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.