3 takeaways from UNLV’s 43-21 loss at USC

LOS ANGELES — Three takeaways from the UNLV football team’s season-opening 43-21 loss to No. 15 Southern California on Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum:

1. It was good while it lasted.

UNLV was a 25-point underdog, but trailed just 19-14 entering the fourth quarter. The Trojans then took control in that final period, as often happens when a deeper and more talented Power Five program faces a Group of Five school.

But that shouldn’t discount what happened for most of the game. UNLV has high hopes for a bowl appearance, and this performance only affirmed that the talent is there to reach the postseason.

It’s on the Rebels to build on that, or what happened for the first three quarters will be quickly forgotten.

“I know myself, our coaches, our kids, are now getting on that bus ride home with genuine disappointment in the outcome of the game,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “It does not feel good to play those guys tough most of the night and walk away with a loss, and a loss that stings. We feel we had an opportunity to win that football game.”

2. UNLV’s defense had its moments.

The Rebels forced four three-and-outs and held USC to five field goals, and actually kept the team in the game.

It’s all relative, though. USC still scored 19 points by halftime and 43 for the game, and the Trojans racked up 501 yards. But considering the opponent and the struggles of UNLV’s defense for the past decade, there were enough positive plays here and there to make a case that side of the ball should be noticeably better.

That should mean something moving forward.

“We played together, played hard, and played fast, and you saw what happened,” Rebels cornerback Jericho Flowers said.

3. USC’s pass defense is that good.

The Trojans can put their linebackers and defensive backs up with any in the Pac-12 Conference, and UNLV got to see why.

Rebels receivers had trouble creating separation, and quarterback Armani Rogers found himself under pressure by an at-times aggressive USC defense, which sacked him five times.

So it’s little surprise that Rogers, who completed 52.4 percent of his passes last season, was just 12 of 27 for 97 yards. Two of his completions, though, did go for touchdowns.

Rogers said facing this kind of pass defense should help because “the speed is a big adjustment and looking at different coverages and the physicality that they showed us is going to prepare us to see different defenses and know what to expect.”

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