As UNLV season slips, Armani Rogers could soon return

Quarterback Armani Rogers returned to practice Monday, rare good news for UNLV at a time the Rebels are in a five-game losing streak, preparing to play perhaps the Mountain West’s best team and with athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois being asked her opinion on the state of the program.

It’s a lot coming at once for the Rebels (2-6, 0-4 MW), who play No. 20 Fresno State (7-1, 4-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium. The Bulldogs are 25-point favorites in a game that will be televised by CBS Sports Network.

Coach Tony Sanchez said lack of confidence could be an issue for some players, but most remained committed to finishing the season strong.

“You can go to work or not work, and Armani, to me, there is no choice in that, and I believe in our team and kids,” he said. “They do a really good job of coming in and shaking things off and moving forward. They know what we’re dealing with.

“They know there’s a lot of things that have gone on in losing players. They know there has been a lot of stuff that has happened this year, and I think the guys … have handled it well. They’ve continued to compete. There’s been no lack of fight in our guys.”

Reed-Francois was asked after Saturday’s 50-37 loss at San Jose State about the direction of the program under Sanchez, now in his fourth season. She said the program would be evaluated after the season.

“I don’t think she could be any more supportive, but she does have a job to do, and a tough job to reflect and look at the entire program and how it’s doing, just like I have a tough job to do every single day,” Sanchez said. “You’ve got to come in and fight through things, and you’ve got to holistically look at the big picture in building this program.

”I told the guys today, ‘We’re still in the building process.’ It’s never as fast and as quick as people want it to be, and I have full confidence that she knows that we know what we’re doing and where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.”

UNLV enters a tough final month. After Fresno State, the Rebels visit San Diego State and Hawaii and then return home for the regular-season finale against UNR. The four teams are a combined 24-11.

The Rebels are getting closer to regainingt Rogers, who suffered a toe injury Sept. 22 at Arkansas State. His left foot was out of the walking boot last week, and he threw in practice Monday.

“We’re not going to rush it,” Sanchez said. “We’re going to make sure everything is good and stable, but it’s the first time he’s had his helmet on and been at practice. I would assume based on what’s going on with docs later this week he may be available at some point.”

Rogers averaged 122 yards rushing at the time of his injury. Max Gilliam has started the past four games, and has thrown three touchdown passes in each of his past three outings, the first UNLV quarterback to do that since Jon Denton in 1996.

But the losses continue, and the Rebels are trying keep the season from slipping further away.

“We’ve still got a chance to do the goals that we set out to do in the beginning of the season,” defensive lineman Jameer Outsey said. “The season is not over. Everybody has just got to keep playing and stay focused and stay locked in on our assignment.”

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