Rebels hope greater size, speed produce more wins

Bobby Hauck has said more than once his players finally "look the part" of an actual, real-life football team.

And there is little doubt that Hauck's third UNLV team will be bigger and faster than his first two. That was obvious during spring practices, which concluded April 20.

What it all means in terms of victories, however, is a mystery - even to Hauck.

"For us to make progress in that regard is a good sign, but that's what it is," he said of better filling out the uniforms. "It's just a good sign. It's not necessarily an end-all. We need to keep going."

Hauck acknowledged his first two seasons were largely about tearing down the program in order to build it up.

The Rebels looked like they had been through a demolition zone, winning two games each of those seasons. They suffered low points last season in losses to Southern Utah and New Mexico that remain difficult to explain.

This is a program - as has been often stated - that last experienced a winning season in 2000.

But after all the tearing down, this upcoming season might represent Hauck's first opportunity to begin to build.

"Football takes time, it just does," Hauck said. "It's not like some other sports. There are 22 different positions plus the kickers.

"In order to remake it the way we want it done, it's taken some (tearing down). So now we've got to move forward."

UNLV opens at home Aug. 30 against Minnesota and ends the 13-game season at Hawaii on Thanksgiving weekend.

Questions about the team will begin to be answered when it opens training camp Aug. 8. UNLV moves its camp to Ely on Aug. 12.

Probably the most important question, especially to fans, is who will start at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Nick Sherry will try to unseat junior Caleb Herring, and Hauck said he hopes the winner emerges early in camp.

But Hauck also downplayed the importance of naming a starter.

"My deal with that is regardless of who's in the quarterback slot, everybody has a job to do," Hauck said. "That's not the only position that leadership can come from.

"We want that guy to be a strong leader and a guy that makes plays, but he can get hurt, too. If you put so much into one guy, if he goes down, does the team fold its tent? We want our guys to believe in all our quarterbacks."

A strong running game, even with Dionza Bradford's unexpected decision to leave during camp, could alleviate pressure on whomever is at quarterback.

Junior Tim Cornett had an outstanding spring, more consistently showing his great burst. Hauck said he sees Cornett, who showed the potential to become UNLV's first 1,000-yard back since Dominique Dorsey in 2004, as a player who gets the ball at least 20 times per game.

Even so, Hauck stressed he has confidence in junior Bradley Randle and senior Eric Johnson, who moved from wide receiver. Both had productive springs.

"It's a long season," Hauck said. "I don't know who's going to hold up for 13 games and getting it (20) times. So we'll play all those guys, but Cornett came out ahead this spring. I think those other guys provide a good change-up."

Defensively, the most noticeable improvement appeared to be on the line, especially at the ends. Junior Parker Holloway, sophomore Jordan Sparkman and redshirt freshman Sonny Sanitoa showed promise, but perhaps the most eye-opening moment came in the spring game when junior James Boyd moved from quarterback.

He repeatedly found his way into the offensive backfield despite not knowing the plays. Boyd was considered one of the nation's top defensive end recruits in 2009 when he signed with Southern California.

But for a Rebels defense that hasn't allowed fewer than 400 yards and 30 points per game since 2007, there is plenty of room for improvement.

So Hauck can be excused if he's not ready to read too much into a group's potential. "Let's be guys that achieve," he said, "rather than guys that have potential to achieve."

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