Questions follow Rebels as camp moves north
With a heat advisory hitting the Las Vegas Valley the same week UNLV opened its football training camp, coach Bobby Hauck said his players would “be sprinting to the busses” today for the cooler climes of Ely.
But the four-hour trip north will be about far more than cooling off when the Rebels move their camp.
It also will be about heating up, lighting some sort of spark under a program that needs it. Many questions will be answered in the Eastern Nevada town.
1. Who will be the starting quarterback?
Even though senior Sean Reilly has made strides, the race still figures to come down to redshirt freshman Nick Sherry and junior Caleb Herring.
Herring was the starter most of last season but never the same after having three interceptions returned for touchdowns in a 41-16 loss to lower-level Southern Utah on Sept. 24.
Sherry, who once committed to Colorado, improved noticeably toward the end of spring practices.
“My confidence definitely got boosted because I started to learn the offense a lot more,” Sherry said. “I’ve got it down now, so my mistakes are being cut down with offensive play calling, the motion signals and everything. So it’s given me a lot more confidence when throwing the ball, and I can go back to being much more relaxed than in the beginning of spring and last fall.”
2. How will the running back position shake out?
Junior Tim Cornett should be the starter, but sophomore Dionza Bradford’s return Tuesday makes the position much deeper. Bradford, who left the team in the spring because of personal reasons, shouldn’t have much difficulty finding the form that led to three 100-yard games last season.
Cornett also rushed for 100 yards three times, and his goals this season are 1,600 yards rushing and 2,000 all-purpose yards. He said his goals haven’t changed with Bradford being back.
“I feel like the coaches are still going to feed me the ball,” Cornett said. “I feel like I can still excel in those goals.”
Coaches also have to decide how to play junior Bradley Randle and senior Eric Johnson. Randle has a 4.4 career rushing average but just 137 carries. Johnson will split time at running back and receiver.
3. Will the Rebels develop depth on both lines?
UNLV returns all five starters on the offensive line, but the unknown is what happens if that unit suffers injuries.
Defensive tackle has similar concerns, but competition is heavier at the ends. The defensive line, however, can’t take many hits, and even the starters need to prove themselves.
“Certainly, defensively, we’ve had a couple of individuals that have excelled each of the last two years, but as a group, our front has not excelled,” Hauck said. “We need our defensive front to come through.”
4. Will UNLV field an aggressive defense?
Defensive coordinators for years have promised to take chances, only to play base sets and let opposing offenses dictate the tempo.
At least before Hauck arrived following the 2009 season.
Under his watch, it’s no secret the preference is to create pressure without blitzing so cornerbacks aren’t in man-to-man coverage. Even with the change in coordinators to J.D. Williams this season, that remains the philosophy.
But that doesn’t mean the Rebels can’t force the action with their front four. Perhaps junior end James Boyd, who has shown that ability with a lightning-fast first step, will be part of that effort.
“I think we are evolving and improving in terms of playing with a defensive mindset in our program,” Hauck said. “I go back in the history of UNLV. The noted defenses in this program don’t exactly roll off your tongue in the history of this school. We want to be known for playing defense, but it doesn’t happen overnight. I think our guys are getting it, and we’re better at it.”
■ NOTE – Former UNLV standout wide receiver Randy Gatewood was selected to the Arena Football League Hall of Fame. Ex-Rebel Hunkie Cooper was inducted last year.
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.