New UNLV Football Preview Week 5 - Rebels Vs Wyoming

Rebels vs Wyoming – UNLV Football Preview

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Rebels vs Wyoming

The Rebels enter this week holding onto a 1-2 record with losses at home against Arkansas State and on the road at Northwestern. They will look to rebound against the Wyoming Cowboys, who are just coming off a loss to Tulsa where a last minute goal-line stand failed and dropped them to 3-1 on the season.

This is the first Mountain West game of the season for both teams and this presents the perfect opportunity for starting quarterback Armani Rogers to have a great day. In 3 out of 4 games, the Cowboys have allowed over 350 yards through the air. So look for the Rebels to take advantage in the passing game.

The loss of Safety Drew Tejchman for the season isn’t good for UNLV as he made an instant impact on the defensive side of the ball. Junior safety Greg Francis will take over. Francis had 4 tackles against Northwestern in an increased role due in part to Tejchman being ejected for targeting. He has 8 total tackles on the season.

The Rebels will attempt to stop the Wyoming passing attack. Wyoming’s quarterback, Sean Chambers, has struggled to complete passes with only a 38% completion percentage on the season, after having a 60% mark last year. This game presents an optimal opportunity for the Rebels to get a confidence boost early in the conference schedule.

However, Chambers presents a problem for UNLV. He has rushed for 279 yards (with a long of 75) and four touchdowns on the season. In the Rebels’ last game, they allowed quarterback Hunter Johnson to run for 55 yards on 11 attempts and a touchdown. This is something UNLV needs to focus on in order to win the game.

While the Rebels need to key in on the run, they also cannot take Chambers’ passing ability for granted as he was good through the air in 2018. Plus, running back Xazavian Valladay, who rushed for 167 yards on 30 attempts and a touchdown, will be back for Wyoming. He ran for 118 yards when he was fully healthy against Missouri.

The running game is something that the Rebels need to keep their eye on.

However, what UNLV is good at–running the football–Wyoming is also good at. They pack the box and can stuff the run only allowing 2.2 rushing yards per game. UNLV’s starting running back, Charles Williams, comes in as the nation’s second-leading running back. He has also caused the most missed tackles in the Mountain West with 16. Look for him to take advantage of this game, especially with running back Biaggio Ali-Walsh finally healthy.

Running back Courtney Reese is also back from a leg injury so the Chuck Wagon will be able to make the most of his opportunities and not have to worry about the next run.

Wyoming’s top player is Safety Alijah Halliburton who already has 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery on the season. Plus, Halliburton has 17 total tackles in a couple of games this season. He will present challenges for Chuck and the UNLV offense. Defensive end Garrett Crall, who has accumulated three sacks on the season and 4 tackles for loss, is Wyoming’s top pass rusher. UNLV will need to keep Armani’s pocket clean if they want to have a chance to move the ball on offense.

UNLV feels like this is a winnable game, but with their record at 1-2 they can’t afford to overlook the Cowboys. Instead, a dog fight is what should be expected in Wyoming since the Rebels beat the Cowboys last in Las Vegas by a score of 69-66 in triple overtime. The previous meeting resulting in a 7-point win for UNLV in 2015.

Be prepared for this game to go down to the wire, and if you haven’t yet experienced it, go to the Franchise Watch Party at Al’s Garage (11760 West Charleston Road Las Vegas, NV 89135) where the company will be watching the game with the teams’ families, friends, and fans! You’re invited and it’s happy hour is all day!