UNLV’s offense not scaring anyone

Harvey Unga: 177 rushing yards.

UNLV: 217 total yards.

The Rebels’ spread offense is spread too thin right now of anything consistently positive, which really makes things comfortable for opposing football teams.

You have to like your chances when all it takes to beat UNLV is 17 or so points, if that many.

Offenses are at least supposed to frighten opponents until kickoff each week. I’m guessing those coordinators preparing for the Rebels are scared until they watch the first game film.

Then they start high-fiving all the other coaches, order out for pizza and watch “Monday Night Football.”

Brigham Young is the latest team to discover how feeble UNLV’s pursuit of the end zone is, having won what might as well have been a home game Saturday night by a 24-14 final before as much blue as red in Sam Boyd Stadium.

In the case of another UNLV loss, it was like staring at a picture of stranded mountain climbers clinging to granite boulders several hundred feet high. Hanging on for as long as physically possible. Refusing to concede until reality demanded such.

Or until Unga carried three more exhausted Rebels defenders down the field for another first down.

He is just a redshirt freshman and like UNLV junior running back Frank Summers in stature, only with better vision.

Unga entered averaging just over 72 yards but had 59 by halftime and literally carted the Cougars to victory thereafter.

UNLV faltered at Air Force last week because its defense broke down at every conceivable level, but this was an inspired effort not supported by those expected to produce points.

Consider the third quarter: BYU ran 25 plays for 168 yards while using 12:02 of the clock and scoring 10 points. Those mighty Rebels went three-and-out on both offensive series.

You couldn’t really ask any more of the Rebels defensively against a team that ran 78 plays and ranks 17th nationally in total offense. The Rebels forced four turnovers but probably needed four more to have a chance given how poorly the other side of the ball performed.

You could ask a ton more from UNLV’s offense, but that’s becoming an older story than the Cubs disappointing baseball fans in Chicago.

“We didn’t move the ball well enough,” UNLV coach Mike Sanford said. “We didn’t keep drives going. We didn’t execute well enough. We didn’t make good decisions.

“We didn’t block well enough. We didn’t run hard enough. We didn’t do a good job throwing and catching the ball, either.”

Man, you can’t slip anything by him.

If it wasn’t already time, it certainly is now with a 2-5 record for Sanford to consider giving freshman quarterback Omar Clayton more time along with starter Travis Dixon.

On a team that holds wretched offensive rankings nationally of 109th in scoring and 73rd in yards per game, any skill player not named Summers or Ryan Wolfe at wide receiver shouldn’t be guaranteed a minute of time.

Clayton led a second-quarter series that resulted in a field goal, replaced an injured Dixon in the final minute to throw a touchdown pass and then tossed a 2-point conversion.

There’s no telling yet how good he really is, but he did finish 5-for-5 passing for 43 yards and the score.

Around UNLV nowadays, those seem like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning numbers.

Playing two quarterbacks doesn’t always seem the most favorable option, but it’s not as if Dixon (11-of-21 passing for just 78 yards) has been consistently stellar enough not to warrant competition.

This is an awful red zone team, having earned just nine touchdowns in 25 trips this season.

“Whether we run the ball every down or pass the ball every down, we have to find a way to get some points,” said Dixon, who didn’t think his sprained ankle and knee would keep him from playing against winless Colorado State next Saturday in UNLV’s homecoming game.

“It gets a little frustrating. We need to create more offense by taking what the defense gives us and turning it into points.

“I couldn’t find any rhythm early tonight until late in the game when we ran a two-minute drill. By that time, it was too late.”

No kidding.

By that time, BYU had 24 points.

Or, well, at least seven more than you usually need to beat that juggernaut of a spread offense.

Ed Graney’s column is published Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. He can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-4618.