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LAS VEGAS -- The UNLV Rebels had high hopes heading into the 2009 season. The Rebels were 2-1 heading into Laramie, Wyoming, but the cracks of a faulty defense had already begun to be exposed.
The Rebels gave up 33 points to Hawaii and escaped with a one-point win. They couldn't keep the Cowboys out of the end zone when they needed to in three-point upset loss. Then came the doozie; the stat sheet said 63 points and 773 yards allowed, the most yards by a Division I team so far this year. Three players ran for 170 yards or more and the previously winless Nevada Wolf Pack scored 35 unanswered points to completely embarrass UNLV (2-3) 63-28.
Nevada was 0-3 averaging less than 14 points a game before its game with UNLV.
Rebels' Head Coach Mike Sanford had no answers after the game and calls for him to step down grew louder and more numerous.
Sanford dismisses the rumors about his job, but he undoubtedly can feel the seat getting hotter. Things don't get any easier with BYU and its high-powered offense coming into Las Vegas.
"A win any week is important. I think you could say this week is more important," Sanford admitted.
He continued, obviously skirting the topic, "For us, we take games one week at a time and for us this game is this week and BYU is the team that we are focusing on and so I think every game is important and this one is definitely important."
Last year the Rebels stayed with the Cougars until the very end, but BYU held on for the 42-35 victory. Sanford says he took some positive things from that game; a game he believed they should have won, but right now he's extremely concerned about his 112th ranked defense and its lack of effectiveness especially with the 24th ranked offense up next.
"My biggest concern is the multiplicity of BYUs offense. The fact that they can run it and throw it and that they are a power run team; a physical, power run team and a good quarterback and really good tight ends, good receivers and backs," Sanford said. "They do a nice job of spreading the ball around and we've got to do a great job because we have not shown that we are a solid defensive football team at this point."
Since 2005, The Cougars have averaged 42 points a game against the Rebels- all victories. In fact, BYU has never lost to UNLV in Las Vegas.
The Cougars have some questions of their own, namely how will the loss of wide receiver McKay Jacobson affect the offense. Do the Cougars have the players to spread the field and keep defenses from creeping up to the line of scrimmage?
Coach Sanford hopes his team puts up a performance that will help him keep his job for another week. The Cougars and Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall expect another dominant performance under the bright lights of Vegas.
If history tells us anything we can certainly expect fireworks in Sam Boyd Stadium Saturday night.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. in Las Vegas. You can hear more from Coach Sanford during the BYU pregame show on KSL Newsradio 102.7FM/1160AM beginning at 6 p.m.
