Utes a bad match for Rebels

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah is more wide open offensively and aggressive defensively than Wisconsin, but it's the same set of problems for UNLV.

Like UNLV's opening opponent, the Utes can run and defend the run -- a terrible combination for the Rebels.

Oddsmakers think it's a mismatch, too, making No. 20 Utah (1-0) a 22-point favorite over visiting UNLV (0-1) when the teams meet at 1 p.m. PDT today in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams.

"Utah does everything well," Rebels coach Bobby Hauck said. "They are well-coached, they play hard, they don't make mistakes.

"It's not like you can go in there and say they've got places where they're real susceptible for us to take advantage of."

But both teams have quarterback questions.

For the Rebels, the competition was reopened after starter Mike Clausen struggled behind poor protection in the 41-21 loss to Wisconsin. Omar Clayton relieved and played better, and he worked with the first-team offense in practice this week.

Though it appears Clayton will start, Hauck said he would not make an announcement before game day. Hauck also said both quarterbacks are expected to play.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham hasn't said whether Jordan Wynn, who sprained the thumb on his throwing hand in the Utes' 27-24 overtime victory over Pittsburgh, will start. Terrance Cain will play if Wynn doesn't.

Neither option is promising for the Rebels. Wynn is 4-2 as a starter, and Cain led Utah to a 35-15 victory when the teams met last season in Las Vegas.

No matter who starts at quarterback, Utah has a running game capable of giving the Rebels fits. Run defense is a weakness for UNLV, which allowed 278 yards rushing to Wisconsin. A more balanced Utah offense probably won't reach that figure but could do damage with a powerful one-two combination of running backs.

Eddie Wide, a Cimarron-Memorial High School product, rushed for 1,069 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The Utes' other back, Matt Asiata, is a change of pace from Wide's big-play style. Asiata, a 230-pounder, led the Utes in rushing against Pitt, gaining 65 yards on 16 carries.

"They got a great combination there of big and fast," Hauck said.

UNLV must also establish its own productive running game. Tim Cornett, who had 36 yards on three carries, was the leading rusher among running backs against Wisconsin.

The Rebels haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Dominique Dorsey gained 1,261 in 2004, the final season under coach John Robinson. Robinson's successor, Mike Sanford, tried hard to mix up the offense and wouldn't consistently stay with the run game even when it was working.

Hauck would like to make the ground game a greater part of the Rebels' offense but will need far better production than the 112 yards UNLV ran for against the Badgers.

Major improvement today is unlikely against a Utah defense that limited Pitt's Heisman Trophy candidate, Dion Lewis, to 75 yards on 25 carries.

"They're going to run a whole bunch of blitzes," Rebels running back Channing Trotter said. "They're going to be real tough ... real sound.

"Two really good defenses back to back. It'll be good to see what we can do against them."

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