QB Armani Rogers struggles during UNLV scrimmage

UNLV football players were walking to the buses when the dust storm arrived Saturday night, reaching gusts of more than 60 mph.

The winds came about 30 minutes after sophomore quarterback Armani Rogers weathered his own kind of storm, struggling to complete passes in a scrimmage at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Coach Tony Sanchez even took Rogers aside late in the scrimmage to discuss the quarterback’s mechanics, but otherwise downplayed any concerns with three weeks remaining until the Sept. 1 season opener at Southern California.

Sanchez noted that Rogers had strung together a series of good practices.

“We’re not worried about it,” Sanchez said. “We’ve just got to get him to be relaxed in these situations. We’ve all seen what he can do. With him, it’s not going to be decision making. It’s going to be mechanical. What’s going on? Why did the mechanics break down?”

Rogers was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year last season after passing for 1,471 yards and rushing for 780, so he has proven he can get the job done in games that count.

And regardless of how his night went Saturday, Rogers said his feeling at this point in training camp is considerably different from last year.

“Last year, three weeks out, I was still learning,” he said. “I’m considered a vet now, so I know what to do. I know what to expect, and coaches expect a lot from me. So I feel a lot more confident than I did last year.”

Position breakdown

Defensive line

End

1. (tie) Jameer Outsey, Sr., 6-3, 250; Nick Dehdashtian, Jr., 6-1, 290

Nose tackle

1. Kolo Uasike, So., 6-0, 305

2. (tie) Montrice Johns, Jr., 6-3, 335; Chris Manoa, Fr., 6-0, 325

Tackle

1. Salanoa-Alo Wily, Sr., 6-0, 295

2. Tavis Malakius, So., 6-2, 300

End

1. Roger Mann, Sr., 6-3, 265

2. Nate Neal, So., 6-3, 230

Notes

— Sophomore defensive end Nate Neal injured his left ankle and left the field on crutches.

— Junior wide receiver Darren Woods Jr. did not participate in the scrimmage. Sanchez said Woods was “banged up,” but would return to practices soon.

— Senior running back Lexington Thomas played briefly. “I kind of chewed on the coaches a little bit when I saw him get his sixth carry because we talked about four,” Sanchez said. “We know what he can do.”

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Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.