5 burning questions for the UNLV-Hawaii game

Five burning questions for UNLV’s game against Hawaii at 3 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium:

1. How big would a victory be?

Huge. It would make the Rebels 4-5, putting them seriously in the mix for a bowl bid. It’s not exactly a brutal schedule down the stretch — Hawaii is 3-5, Brigham Young is 2-7, New Mexico is 3-5 and UNR is 1-7. That doesn’t mean the Rebels will run the table, but they have a wonderful opportunity in front of them.

2. But can UNLV rise to the occasion?

This is the time for the Rebels to finally do just that. They’ve lost twice as favorites this season and are picked by 7½ points to beat the Rainbow Warriors. The focus UNLV had at Fresno State needs to remain in place this weekend — as does the execution.

3. How will the quarterback situation play out?

That is a topic the coaches likely will wrestle with all week. They have a quarterback in redshirt freshman Armani Rogers who is expected to be healthy after missing Saturday’s 26-16 victory at Fresno State with a concussion. Rogers has a powerful arm and has rushed for 535 yards, but hasn’t completed 50 percent of his passes in a month. Senior Johnny Stanton orchestrated the upset at Fresno State by completing 17 of 29 passes for 155 yards. It’s little coincidence wide receiver Devonte Boyd re-emerged in catching five passes for 62 yards after hauling in six receptions for 45 yards in the three previous games combined. Don’t be shocked if both quarterbacks play as coaches try to discover the right mix.

4. What would be the concern in staying with Stanton?

Something coaches are likely to consider is what would going with Stanton mean to Rogers’ confidence and development. But coaches also want to win now and have little margin for error to make the postseason. That doesn’t mean Stanton is for sure the answer, but he made a compelling case at Fresno State.

5. Was that the real UNLV defense at Fresno State?

The Rebels need to build on that performance, allowing a season-low 292 yards, to prove it was legitimate. That defense was greatly helped by Stanton’s performance, who extended drives and limited possessions for Fresno State, which had the ball for only 25:36. That kept the defense from getting worn down as it did the three previous weeks in allowing a combined 72 second-half points. Is that an argument to start Stanton? Not necessarily, but he should ready to go in quickly if Rogers starts and is off the mark.

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