Mountain West changes don’t include perception of Rebels

Change might be afoot at the top of the Mountain West Conference, but UNLV finds itself in the familiar position of being picked near the bottom.

The league media selected the Rebels seventh in the eight-team conference, just above New Mexico.

UNLV is coming off a 2-11 season and was tied for sixth when the Mountain West was a nine-team league last year. The Rebels haven't finished above that position since tying for fifth in 2002.

Being picked so low didn't surprise second-year coach Bobby Hauck, who is emphasizing a more long-range approach to turning around a UNLV program that hasn't produced a winning record since 2000.

When asked during a scheduled 15-minute news conference at Tuesday's football league media days at Red Rock Resort what steps are needed for the Rebels to contend, Hauck said, "There are a lot of things we need to do. In fact, we don't have enough time today unless we extend the podium time.

"But when you're building something, you don't grow without some growing pains. Certainly, we are going to have some of that. We had some last year."

UNLV cornerback Quinton Pointer, who has been with the program since 2007 ­and took a medical redshirt last season, has experienced his share of pain as well. The Rebels are 14-35 since he joined the program, and Pointer would love to be part of the senior class that sets the foundation for future success.

"You can tell the guys have bought into what Coach Hauck is trying to do here," Pointer said. "You can see from the time I was a freshman until now that things are changing, and they're changing for the better."

Senior wide receiver Phillip Payne was the lone Rebel selected to the preseason all-conference team. He caught 40 passes for 689 yards and five touchdowns last season.

This is the first media day sessions in the 13-year history of the conference without Brigham Young and Utah. BYU begins play as an independent, and Utah now is in the Pac-12 Conference.

Boise State prepares to play its first Mountain West season after dominating the Western Athletic Conference. The media expect the Broncos, who went 12-1 last season and beat Utah in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, to continue their success.

The Broncos received 28 of 31 first-place votes -- No. 2 Texas Christian got the other three.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen said no one should assume the Broncos will roll in and take over, pointing to the program's early stumbles when it joined the WAC in 2001 when it went 8-4, including 6-2 in the league.

"We quickly recognized the challenge of a new conference, just the challenge week in, week out of facing an opponent we've never faced," said Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season. "It's very unique when it's Week 8, 9, 10 and you're still facing someone you've never seen before, and you've got to prepare for that."

TCU is the defending Mountain West champion, coming off a 13-0 record that included a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin. The Horned Frogs play their final Mountain West season before heading to the Big East Conference.

"The Mountain West has been real good to us," said TCU linebacker Tank Carder, the reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year. "Wherever the chips fall, I'm glad we were part of the Mountain West, and I'm glad we've represented them as well as we have."

Boise State (236 points) and TCU (208) were followed by Air Force (176), San Diego State (160), Colorado State (104), Wyoming (80), UNLV (77) and New Mexico (39).

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