UNLV in search of 2 good halves after 0-2 start

Once again, determination were flashes. Glimpses of what UNLV’s shot squad is susceptible of. Even connected the roadworthy against a ranked squad similar No. 23 Arizona State with an inexperienced backmost making the archetypal commencement of his assemblage career.

Among those glimpses: The interception of an Arizona State walk successful the UNLV extremity zone. Not one, but 2 scoring drives covering astatine slightest 10 plays and astatine slightest 70 yards. Two abstracted first-half leads and a manageable 14-10 halftime deficit.

But the Rebels request much than flashes to unafraid their archetypal triumph nether manager Marcus Arroyo, and helium would look to cognize it.

“We’ve to proceed to manager our tails off. Be precise introspective … successful regards to however we tin decorativeness a crippled and enactment 2 halves together,” Arroyo told reporters Saturday nighttime aft the 37-10 nonaccomplishment the Sun Devils. ”We’ve got a sour sensation successful our rima successful regards successful however we enactment the full happening together.”

For the 2nd consecutive game, the Rebels played a mates bully quarters. For the 2nd consecutive game, they played a mates lousy ones, too.

Against Eastern Washington successful the play opener, they managed a specified six points earlier uncorking backmost Doug Brumfield successful the 3rd 4th and scoring 14 successful the fourth.

Against Arizona State connected Saturday, they controlled gait and tempo successful the archetypal half, forcing a turnover and embarking connected 2 palmy drives. But they managed lone 22 violative plays connected 7 second-half possessions.

Too little, excessively precocious successful Week 1. Too little, period, successful Week 2.

“We’ve got to enactment 2 halves unneurotic successful each 3 phases of the game,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo made definite to recognition Arizona State, which took vantage of UNLV’s fatiguing defence to people 23 unanswered points successful the 2nd half. The Sun Devils are successful their 4th play nether manager Herman Edwards and are processing the benignant of continuity that Arroyo helps to cultivate with the Rebels.

They person a borderline for error. Especially against a squad similar UNLV. The Rebels don’t. Not astatine this signifier of Arroyo’s rebuild. Brumfield near the crippled midway done the 3rd 4th aft taking a large hit. Arroyo did not update his presumption afterward.

No. 9 Iowa State looms connected Saturday astatine Allegiant Stadium.

“We’ve got to execute,” Arroyo said of Arizona State. “It’s going to instrumentality 2 halves of shot to bushed a squad similar that connected the road.”

Or a squad similar the Cyclones astatine home.

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.