UNLV aims to stretch field

ELY - Watching UNLV play football often can be painful, and seeing the Rebels try to pick up a first down last season seemed as torturous as sitting through a barrage of campaign ads.

Now, finally, hope is on the horizon that the Rebels will be able to force opposing defensive backs to remove their iPods before kickoff and pay attention.

UNLV has what it didn't have - the ability to stretch the field.

"Certain guys that are gifted with more speed at wide receiver, if nothing else, they can put some fear in the secondary that they can get run by," coach Bobby Hauck said Friday. "I've coached the secondary over the years. When the corner's real comfortable with the fact that he's superior to the wideout and that he can catch him at any point, that makes it more difficult."

Whether the increased speed means the Rebels will be effective offensively is another question, though the pieces seem to be coming together.

UNLV's offense would be hard-pressed to play as poorly as it did last season in scoring 17.2 points per game and averaging 273.7 yards. Both figures ranked in the bottom 10 nationally.

Phillip Payne is one of the program's all-time great wide receivers, but he had as much speed as an Ely wireless connection. He and Michael Johnson were possession receivers, with Payne averaging 11.6 yards per catch and Johnson 9.2. Both were seniors last season.

Both players probably would have been more effective if wide receiver Marcus Sullivan hadn't been ruled academically ineligible before the season. He had just come off outstanding spring and training camp practices, routinely running alone into the end zone.

Now he's back and ready to return to the game-breaking form that saw the sophomore from Cheyenne High School average 17.0 yards per catch and 27.9 per kickoff return two years ago.

He should have help. Senior Eric Johnson and sophomore Taylor Spencer also have shown in practices they can give UNLV much-needed big-play ability.

"We've been working hard all summer," Spencer said. "We've got good coaches coaching us. No days off. We'll be able to go out there and make some plays and give some DBs some trouble."

If those three players produce, that greatly opens up UNLV's playbook.

"It helps us with the play-action game, getting a lot of people out of the box so we can run the ball," redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Sherry said. "When (defenders) come down, we can throw it deep and have a deep threat. You need that in a running game and a passing game."

The Rebels have a strong running game, though sophomore Dionza Bradford has been slow to come back from a sprained right ankle. Once he returns to form, he and juniors Tim Cornett and Bradley Randle should be able to take advantage of a more aggressive offense.

Redshirt freshman tight end Jake Phillips has made an enormous impact going back to spring drills.

All five offensive line starters return, though they can't allow 35 sacks again if UNLV is to have much success.

The biggest unknown is quarterback, where Sherry appears to be the front-runner. He or junior Caleb Herring will start the Aug. 30 season opener against Minnesota at Sam Boyd Stadium.

That will be the first true indication whether UNLV's receivers can put pressure on defensive backs and open up the offense.

The Rebels appear to have the players to do it.

"That's a most definite," Sullivan said. "We're unpredictable right now. We can go deep, go down low, from anywhere."

Sullivan speaks with the optimism of mid-August. If he's just as confident in September, that will be a great sign for a UNLV offense that badly needs it.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.