Herring’s confidence grows with each play he makes

The flight from Reno to Las Vegas takes just under one hour, 20 minutes, a smooth, relatively ordinary trip usually enjoyed by a quick nap or a few chapters in your book of choice.

Caleb Herring had a different feeling on the night of Oct. 8. He might as well have been flying from here to China.

"A long plane ride for me," he said. "A long weekend that followed for me. A low point for me."

The distance between confidence and insecurity for a quarterback can be that of one hash mark to the next, a lesson Herring is learning as he wades through the choppy waters of UNLV's football season.

A high point thus far came Saturday, when three weeks after completing just 1-of-14 passes at UNR and questioning whether he belonged under center at this level, Herring led the Rebels to a 38-35 win against Colorado State at Sam Boyd Stadium.

He is a sophomore who lost the starting job after that UNR debacle, but one who never lost the desire to reclaim it. His performance upon relieving junior Sean Reilly after two series Saturday -- 9-of-13 passing for 90 yards and two touchdowns, game-winning run with 1:20 remaining -- should assure Herring returns to the No. 1 spot when the Rebels host mighty Boise State next.

Head coaches who inherit quarterbacks from previous staffs first must scrutinize a kid's mental makeup. Physical skills are apparent on film and in practice, but a coach knows how secure that spot really is by watching reactions to adversity by players in the game's most important position.

"Caleb is a level-headed, smart guy," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. "We keep open lines of communication with our players, in particular our quarterbacks. There isn't a lot of guesswork in terms on where they stand.

"You have to be a mentally tough guy to play that position. You just do. Caleb has prepared like the starter whether he was or not. It showed up tonight, and it shows who he is. He has a lot of character."

I don't really know how solid UNLV is at quarterback now or in the future. The Rebels aren't terribly great at the position by any means and improving their record over time must begin with improvement from those throwing the ball.

For all the good he did Saturday, Herring is also the player who threw three pick-6s against Southern Utah and didn't complete a pass at UNR until 4:17 remained in a blowout loss.

Reilly has this bad habit of throwing the ball to the other team, an issue that began at fall camp in Ely and has followed him into the season, including having an interception returned 52 yards for a score Saturday.

Nick Sherry is a freshman in the midst of a redshirt season who UNLV coaches think highly of, but he's yet to take a collegiate snap.

It would seem, then, that Herring is the best bet for today and perhaps next year.

He certainly was Saturday, leading the Rebels on an eight-play, 68-yard scoring drive over 2:39 to take the lead for good with just over a minute left. His feet made the final two plays, first by avoiding an all-out blitz and scrambling for 29 yards and then scoring from the 5 on the next snap.

He needed that drive much like he needed to hit Phillip Payne with an 8-yard scoring pass late in the first half, like he needed to toss Payne a 31-yard score to retake the lead in the third quarter, like he needed to drive the Rebels again for a 31-20 lead early in the fourth. He needed all of, every completion, every rush, every yard, every touchdown, every positive snap.

"I had some time after (losing the starter's role) to go back and really find some answers after those losses (to Southern Utah and UNR)," Herring said. "The most important thing is, I'm finally over it. It's done. It's in the past.

"I definitely had to prove to myself that I belong here, that I am a good quarterback, that I have the talent that it takes to be on the field and making plays at this level. I just had to go out and execute like in this game. There you go. I showed myself I am capable of doing it."

He didn't need to fly home Saturday, but I'm guessing the drive felt as though it happened at warp speed.

Three weeks can make a huge difference.

So too can winning.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday on "Monsters of the Midday," Fox Sports Radio 920 AM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.