5 players to watch in Saturday’s UNLV-San Diego State game

Five players to watch when UNLV’s football team plays San Diego State at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU) at Qualcomm Stadium:

1. Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State:

The Canyon Springs High School product leads the nation in rushing yards (750) and rushing yards per game (187.5) and has eight touchdowns in only four games. The 5-foot-9-inch senior ran for 139 yards and two scores to help the Aztecs to a 52-14 win over the Rebels in last season’s meeting at Sam Boyd Stadium. Pumphrey ran for 151 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 42-24 loss at South Alabama for his 25th career 100-yard game and surpassed 5,000 yards rushing to become the Mountain West’s career leader.

2. Dalton Sneed, QB, UNLV:

The redshirt freshman turned in a memorable first collegiate start Saturday, producing the longest offensive play from scrimmage in school and Sam Boyd Stadium history with a 91-yard touchdown run in UNLV’s 45-20 win over Fresno State. Sneed also fired his first career touchdown pass, a 61-yarder to true freshman Elijah Trosclair. Sneed finished with 147 yards rushing, 18 yards shy of the school record for most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback. That mark belongs to San Diego State receivers coach Hunkie Cooper.

3. Charles Williams, RB, UNLV:

The true freshman from Fresno, California, ran wild against his hometown school, rushing for a career-high 153 yards and a score on 18 carries in Saturday’s win. He came off the bench in his first career game and led the Rebels in rushing with 96 yards and a touchdown in their 63-13 season-opening win over Jackson State and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown after UNLV blocked a punt at Central Michigan.

4. Devonte Boyd, WR, UNLV:

The junior’s 46 receiving yards Saturday gave him 2,213 in his career, which moved him past former NFL star Keenan McCardell into 10th place on the UNLV career list. The Basic High product needs 84 yards receiving against the Aztecs to pass Phillip Payne into ninth place and needs six catches to move past McCardell and Demond Thompkins into 11th place on the career receptions list. Boyd has 18 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns this season.

5. Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State:

The reigning Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year is second on San Diego State, behind Pumphrey, in all-purpose yards with 408 — 188 rushing, 62 receiving, 158 on kick returns — and in touchdowns with five.