UNLV will receive $1.15 million for its Sept. 1 football trip to Southern California. The Rebels must balance the importance of such high-payout games against the needs of moving the program forward.
Mark Anderson
Reporter: UNLV football and basketball
Email: manderson@reviewjournal.com
Phone: (702) 387-2914
Mark Anderson has been at the Review-Journal since January 1999. He covered UNLV football for 17 seasons before moving to the men’s basketball beat in January 2016, and was president of the Football Writers Association of America in 2016. Anderson returned to the football beat in 2017 and still covers men’s basketball. Before coming to the R-J, he covered UNR football for five seasons at the Reno Gazette-Journal and was the high school sports reporter for the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat from 1988-94. He is a native of Tallahassee and a graduate of the University of Florida.
Saturday evening is the final chance for UNLV football players fighting for jobs to state their case before the team heads full time into preparation for the Sept. 1 season opener at Southern California.
UNLV redshirt freshman offensive left tackle Ashton Morgan figures to be in the rotation this season. His dad, Sean, is the mayor of Chico, California.
Mike Bradeson was the last UNLV defensive coordinator to oversee consistently good defenses. New coordinator Tim Skipper is trying to revive the Rebels’ defense.
UNLV’s football team will be on AT&T SportsNet three times this season. The Rebels also will stream its Sept. 15 game against Prairie View A&M on their website through the Mountain West Network.
UNLV has 13 players who began their college careers at other four-year institutions. Some are playing major roles for the Rebels.
UNLV’s football training camp has not produced much news, which is what a fourth-year coach would want. Coach Tony Sanchez and his staff turn their attention to USC beginning next week.
JD Alexander is pushing for a backup linebacker spot at UNLV. He transferred from Arizona State largely because of his dad, Del, a former Rebels assistant football coach who also knew UNLV coach Tony Sanchez.
UNLV quarterback Armani Rogers struggled to complete passes in Saturday’s scrimmage at Sam Boyd Stadium. But after a series of good practices, coach Tony Sanchez said he was unconcerned about Rogers.
If there is one area in which UNLV quickly improved when coach Tony Sanchez took over after the 2014 football season, it was the ability to score.
UNLV’s football team will have its first major scrimmage Saturday in a closed-door session at Sam Boyd Stadium. The Rebels have several questions that need answers.
The Rebels spend 25 minutes in a morning meeting on special teams, 25 minutes of practice time, 20 minutes in an afternoon meeting and 15 minutes on an evening walk-through.
Injury updates from UNLV’s football training camp. Also, players shuffled in and out on the defensive line.
UNLV recorded just 11 sacks last season, second worst in the Mountain West to Air Force’s 10. Now the Rebels are working to greatly improve their pass rush.
UNLV coach Marvin Menzies was part of an ad hoc committee formed by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Their recommendations influenced NCAA rules changes that were announced Wednesday.