This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Remember when UNLV dropped 80 points on unsuspecting Idaho State?
Karma is a witch.
The Rebels have had their once-promising season unravel in the past two weeks, when they lost in overtime to San Jose State and squandered a 14-point lead during a 31-28 loss to Fresno State.
UNLV slipped to 2-5 after collapsing against the Bulldogs. That equals the total number of losses first-year coach Tony Sanchez suffered during his six seasons at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he was 85-5 before jumping to college football.
A month ago, Sanchez and the Rebels were the talk of the Mountain West. Following their 80-8 win over Idaho State on Sept. 26, the Rebels beat rival Nevada in Reno, 23-17. Suddenly, they looked like contenders in the West Division. A bowl game also seemed possible. But those aspirations likely ended with the loss to Fresno, when UNLV went three-and-out on five second-half possessions while the Bulldogs were rallying.
"I take full blame for the effort we put out there," Sanchez said. "That was an abomination. That was bad football. … For a long, long time in this program, we found a way to lose. It's kind of been the nature of who we are and that's got to change."
Around the league
• Since their 52-26 loss at Utah State, Boise State's players and coaches have moved on. "… We're not going to lose confidence in who we are," offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz said. "We're not going to forget that for four straight weeks we had one [turnover] and averaged over 40 points per game. That's who we are. We had a slip-up [but] we're not going to focus on the negative."
• Colorado State is only 3-4, but the Rams are positioned for a strong finish after demolishing Air Force, 38-23. "We don't have the best record this year and we had a couple heartbreakers," said receiver Joe Hansley. "We needed the win and we needed to dominate the game and I think we did that. … A win like this is huge for us." After this week's bye, CSU plays five teams with a combined record of 13-22.
• Back-up quarterback Austin Apodaca led New Mexico on a final-minute, game-winning drive in last week's 28-27 victory over Hawaii. But starter Lamar Jordan is a better runner and, as coach Bob Davie noted, "We're a running team." Still, Davie said Apodaca "adds an extra element" to the offense and, going forward, more playing time is possible.
• Wyoming beat Nevada, 28-21, for its first win of the season. After the Cowboys jumped to a 28-7 lead and held on in the fourth quarter, Wolf Pack coach Brian Polian said his team lacked leadership: "There were not enough people emotionally invested in the game, player-wise. It's the first time all year I felt that way. … It was disappointing."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Tribune Power Rankings
1. Utah State (4-2) • Defense dominating
2. Boise State (5-2) • Next two: Wyoming, UNLV
3. San Diego State (4-3) • Best in weak West
4. Colorado State (3-4) • Rams should finish strong
5. Air Force (3-3) • 9-game home win streak
6. New Mexico (4-3) • Two wins from bowl eligibility
7. San Jose State (3-4) • No match for Aztecs
8. Nevada (3-4) • Pulled a no-show in Laramie
9. Hawaii (2-5) • Faded after promising start
10. Fresno State (2-5) • Can 'Dogs salvage season?
11. UNLV (2-5) • Lost 14-point lead vs. Fresno
12. Wyoming (1-6) • Hill leads MWC in rushing