Short-yardage troubles sting Rebels

Midway through his third season as UNLV's football coach, Mike Sanford clearly is fielding his most talented and deepest team.

Games have been considerably more competitive, and the 2-4 Rebels easily could be 5-1 as they prepare to host Brigham Young on Saturday night.

With closer games comes closer scrutiny, especially over the wins that got away.

Four questionable play-calls in three situations stand out. UNLV failed in each instance.

Yet, Sanford -- who runs the same shotgun spread he oversaw as Utah's offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer -- said he had no regrets about the calls.

"I completely support the play-calls," Sanford said. "We've got to execute better."

The missing element in each play was tailback Frank Summers, who did not touch the ball despite averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

Three were short-yardage plays, a specialty for the 240-pound junior known as "Frank the Tank." The other occurred while UNLV had the opportunity to pick up key yardage and eat up some clock.

"I like handing him the football, but we still have to move them up front," offensive coordinator Todd Berry said.

Summers, who this weekend could become the first Rebel since Jeremi Rudolph in 2000 to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games, consistently picks up yards.

Of his 108 carries, Summers has moved the yard marker 96 times, or eight of every nine attempts. Five plays went for no gain and seven for a loss.

"I don't call the plays; I just run them," Summers said. "But sometimes I would like the ball.

"On short-yardage situations, I would like to get the ball, but if there's a better play drawn up that we're still going to get to run, then that's fine with me."

Though Berry is the play-caller, the offensive staff collaborates during the week. Most calls are scripted according to situation and defensive tendencies. Then each situation includes multiple play-calls.

But Sanford said that doesn't mean adjustments won't be made. He knows quarterback Travis Dixon tends to take the option upfield rather than to the edge.

"I don't want to tell future people through this article that we're not going to run that play," Sanford said. "But you've got to think about that once it's bit you in the rear end like it did."

And maybe Summers will get more chances to directly impact outcomes. Here's a look at the ones in which coaches took a different tack:

WISCONSIN

The Rebels led 7-6 nearly midway through the second quarter when they drove to Wisconsin's 18-yard line. Facing a third-and-1, UNLV kept Summers on the sideline while Dixon kept the ball. Dixon saw a defensive end coming, which meant he was supposed to go inside. He did, but a missed block resulted in no gain.

Summers entered the backfield for the fourth-down call, but Dixon rolled right on an option play and was tackled for a 1-yard loss, turning the ball over to the Badgers.

Sanford said Wisconsin loaded up inside defensively, so the coaches thought their best chance was to go outside.

"(Dixon) saw what he thought was an opening and tried to duck it up quickly," Sanford said. "It went right in the place where they were pinching.

"We didn't block it real well, which is why it was a loss. It should've never been a loss."

It also was a missed opportunity to establish momentum while putting pressure on the Badgers, who scored with 1:53 left for a 20-13 victory.

UNR

The score was 13-13 with

8:54 left when UNLV took possession.

Dixon ran 8 yards and Summers 12 to move the ball to UNR's 38. Summers then carried 3 yards to bring up second-and-7. Another Summers run could've pounded on the tiring UNR defense and at least set up a shorter field-goal attempt to take the lead and put the pressure on the opposing sideline.

Instead, the call was a bootleg pass in the left flat to tight end Ryan Worthen that was off target.

"You're going to have people who think you're too ... simple and too conservative, or you're going to have people who say, 'Why don't you be simple and conservative?' " Sanford said. "And our deal is -- and our deal was at Utah -- is be as unpredictable as you can possibly be.

"If it had been complete, it would've been a really smart call. It was incomplete, so it was a dumb call."

The incompletion set up a passing down, which nearly turned into an interception. On fourth down, a miscommunication resulted in a bad snap on a 52-yard field-goal attempt, and UNR gained momentum.

UNR coach Chris Ault called seven consecutive running plays to set up a 15-yard touchdown pass with 3:02 left. UNLV rallied behind Dixon to tie the game, but the Wolf Pack won 27-20 on a 43-yard scoring pass with 27 seconds left.

AIR FORCE

UNLV faced a fourth-and-1 at the Falcons' 26 with about six minutes left in the first quarter of a scoreless game. Instead of giving the ball to Summers, Dixon ran a keeper and was stopped for no gain.

Sanford said Air Force loaded up inside, and Dixon once again cut upfield too early.

"Travis was a really good option quarterback," Sanford said. "That was his deal at Hamilton High School (in Chandler, Ariz.). They were an option football team. He was dynamic.

"So us using him in that situation, I think it was the right scheme, and it was the right guy doing it."

Giving the ball to Summers doesn't guarantee success. He was stopped on a goal-line stand in the second quarter when he opted to dive into the end zone.

The failed opportunities ultimately cost the Rebels as they fell 31-14 despite recording 11 more first downs than the Falcons.

Such plays stand out when the games tighten, though the coaches can be credited for bringing the Rebels to the point that they make other teams work for victories.

And this is a young team. The close calls eventually might turn into victories in which play-calling isn't so dissected.

"It doesn't make any difference what offense that you're in when you're playing five freshmen," Berry said. "Every snap to them is a really unique snap because it's the first time they've been in that situation against that defense."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.