UNLV optimistic after 2nd-half effort in season opener

Effort wasn’t the contented Thursday night.

It preempted the resilience that helped UNLV’s shot squad erase a 14-point shortage against Eastern Washington during the play opener astatine Allegiant Stadium.

The Rebels flashed committedness successful each 3 phases of the crippled earlier falling 35-33 successful treble overtime to their Football Championship Subdivision foe. Their defence forced 3 turnovers and kept 1 of the champion players successful the FCS astatine bay for overmuch of the game.

“I’m not amazed to spot that. We speech astir it a batch successful our program,” Rebels manager Marcus Arroyo said. “I cognize that they’re astir that. But I cognize what they want. It starts with me. It starts with our staff. Starts with america each unneurotic getting backmost successful determination and going to work.”

The discourtesy seemed to rally astir sophomore backmost Doug Brumfield successful the 2nd fractional portion riding elder moving backmost Charles Williams for 172 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Senior kicker Daniel Gutierrez made each 4 of his field-goal attempts, including 1 from 51 yards, the longest of his career, to assistance UNLV enactment wrong striking region erstwhile the different 2 units were struggling.

But arsenic Thursday proved, committedness doesn’t guarantee the Rebels of anything. Not adjacent a triumph implicit the lone FCS squad connected the schedule.

“We’ve got immoderate bully teams coming now. It don’t get nary easier.” Arroyo said. “We’ve got our enactment chopped out, but I’m excited to spot these guys get backmost to enactment due to the fact that I deliberation they’ve got the close mindset.”

Chief among UNLV’s issues was the play of the violative line, particularly successful the archetypal 3 quarters. Far excessively often, Eastern Washington’s antiaircraft beforehand forced its mode done the Rebels’ violative beforehand connected passing downs, limiting starting backmost Justin Rogers’ clip successful the pocket.

Williams was capable to find moving lanes and usage his elusiveness to scope the perimeter down amended tally blocking. But Rogers was constricted to 7 of 11 for 23 yards, prompting the power to Brumfield midway done the 3rd quarter.

With Brumfield down center, the Rebels pushed the shot down the tract — allowing for quicker drives and scores. Arroyo didn’t accidental that Brumfield would commencement Sept. 11 against Arizona State but praised his play.

UNLV’s defence stood gangly against Eagles backmost Eric Barriere, a apical contender for the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Payton Award. An improved, carnal antiaircraft enactment generated unit connected the interior and exterior and forced Barriere into a fewer mediocre decisions and inaccurate throws.

A fewer breakdowns happened connected the backmost extremity erstwhile Barriere eluded unit and scrambled. But that’s prone to hap arsenic fatigue sets successful amid the abbreviated violative possessions.

Junior linebacker Jacoby Windmon said helium wants to spot “guys moving to the shot more, getting the shot retired and creating much turnovers” against Arizona State.

“There are guys coming unneurotic and guys buying into the program,” Windmon said. “We’ve conscionable got to get backmost to the drafting board.”

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