Timing as good as it gets as UNLV opens at 15th-ranked USC

LOS ANGELES — Not that there is ever an ideal time to play a team on Southern California’s level, but this is as good a spot on the schedule as UNLV could have chosen.

USC is breaking in a freshman quarterback, and there are questions about newcomers stepping up with departures of key players.

The Trojans also could be looking ahead to their next two opponents — No. 13 Stanford and No. 23 Texas .

That’s not to say UNLV will upset the nation’s 15th-ranked team in the season opener, but the Rebels could play closer than the 27-point spread when the teams meet at 1 p.m. Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Pac-12 Network will televise the game.

“I think anytime you’re playing one of those big opponents, anytime you’re kind of an underdog, you’d like to play those kinds of games right off the bat,” Rebels coach Tony Sanchez said. “I don’t think if you change the year, that philosophy changes at all no matter who you’re playing. You want to play them right away, right out of the gate.

“I mean, heck, we’ve got things we’re trying to wrinkle out, and they have things they’re trying to wrinkle out.”

Western Michigan was USC’s opening opponent last season and had the game tied at 28 early in the fourth quarter before the Trojans went on to win 49-31. Like this season, the Trojans had games against Stanford and Texas the following two weeks.

The setting shouldn’t be intimidating to the Rebels, who played at Michigan, UCLA and Ohio State in recent seasons.

“It definitely helps, but at the end of the day, preparation is going to be the big hand in us practicing and getting everything together from a couple of weeks ago in preparing for SC,” UNLV quarterback Armani Rogers said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that’s going to help us out.”

UNLV is hoping to make its first bowl appearance in five years. The Rebels nearly were bowl eligible last season in finishing 5-7, and with the dual threat in Rogers, running back Lexington Thomas’ breakaway ability, a talented group of receivers and what they hope is an improved defense, maybe they will take that next step.

USC coach Clay Helton was asked specifically about defending Rogers, and he also singled out Thomas in his response.

“With (Rogers) and Lexington back there, you’re talking about 2,100 rushing yards,” he said. “That’s something we go into each and every game, no matter who we play, and say, ‘We have to have a stop-the-run-first mentality.’

“I’ve been so impressed with (Rogers) not only as a runner, but his ability to create in the passing game, how many yards he’s able to pick up when things break down. That’s a great luxury to have on offense.”

The Trojans will start JT Daniels at quarterback. He was the Gatorade National Player of the Year last season and was behind center when Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) ended Bishop Gorman’s 55-game winning streak.

USC not only has a new quarterback but a new lead running back and wide receiver as well. The Trojans, though, are dominant at linebacker and in the secondary, and talent throughout the lineup is not in question.

So even though UNLV is catching the Trojans at as good a time as the Rebels could hope, there is no real right time.

“They’ve got a lot of guys that are going to be Sunday players on their team,” Sanchez said.

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