Whitely to get bulk of carries for UNLV, but freshmen still will play
The idea of using a running game by committee hasn’t disappeared, but UNLV junior Keith Whitely seldom came off the field in Saturday’s 38-30 season-opening loss at Northern Illinois.
He wound up carrying a career-high 21 times for 68 yards and catching two passes for 24 yards. Freshmen Lexington Thomas and Xzaviar Campbell combined for six carries for 18 yards, and neither caught a pass.
“It’s tough when you walk in your first collegiate game,” coach Tony Sanchez said. “It’s a tight game. You’ve got to be careful how much you put on those young guys, but as the season moves on, their level of comfort will rise.
“It’s not really about who’s better than the other. We have three running backs, and we’re going to use all three of them all year.”
All three running backs showed promise in training camp for UNLV, which plays No. 13 UCLA at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Thomas is the most versatile threat, possessing to the ability to make plays in ways other than just taking handoffs.
“We do expect to see Lexington get the ball more this game, and we’ll see with Xzaviar,” Sanchez said. “He’s got to earn it in practice. He’s got to continue to improve. But we plan on getting him the ball more.”
* TWO-QB SYSTEM — Sophomore quarterback Kurt Palandech played in two series at Northern Illinois, one in each half.
He led the Rebels to a touchdown in his first series, finishing the drive with an 18-yard run into the end zone. His second drive ended in a punt.
Palandech completed the only pass he threw for 10 yards, and he showed his athleticism by rushing for 42 yards on five carries.
Sanchez said Palandech will continue to see some action at least through the next two weeks. After UCLA, UNLV plays at Michigan on Sept. 19.
Palandech is being given extra work so he is ready to go in case senior starter Blake Decker goes down, but there’s also a long-term benefit since Palandech could become the first-team quarterback next season.
“We have a strategic plan, and we are going to stick to it,” Sanchez said. “I think it’s the right thing to do in developing the program, and it mixes things up a little bit.”
* BACK TO VEGAS — Sam Boyd Stadium is not an unfamiliar place to UCLA, but the Bruins bringing their regular head coach with them is somewhat new.
They have made three appearances in the Las Vegas Bowl, twice under an interim coach. If UCLA finds itself back in Sam Boyd Stadium in December, coach Jim Mora’s status at least will be up for debate. But he has made Los Angeles a two-team city again, and the Bruins are contenders for a national semifinal.
Saturday’s meeting is the first between UNLV and UCLA, and the teams face each other again next season at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
UCLA is the second-closest Football Bowl Subdivision school to UNLV, separated by 283 miles. Southern California is the closest, and the Rebels are scheduled to play USC in 2019 in Los Angeles.
* ODDS AND ENDS — Fans are encouraged to wear black for Saturday’s game in what is being billed a blackout. The first 10,000 fans will receive a UNLV schedule magnet. … Rebels senior guard Ron Scoggins was on crutches Wednesday morning because of an injured right ankle. He also suffered a concussion last week. … UCLA is the highest-ranked team to play UNLV since No. 5 Boise State visited on Nov. 5, 2011. The Broncos won 48-21.
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.
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