INSIDE SLANT

Having a bye week before the final game of the season is usually not a good thing for a team that is no longer in the hunt for a bowl game.

However, after learning that head coach Mike Sanford had been fired hours after a 45-17 loss at Air Force on Nov. 14, the week off couldn’t have come at a better time for the Rebels (4-7, 2-5).

Sanford, just 15-43 in his five seasons at UNLV, has agreed to stick around and coach the team’s Senior Night game against San Diego State on Nov. 28.

“Now is a perfect time for a bye,” junior quarterback Omar Clayton said. “I’m really happy about it. We’ll take this week and get ready for a work week next week.”

“It’s good to have some time off, but still it’s a tough situation no matter what happens,” senior wide receiver Ryan Wolfe added.

“We have a lot of pride in our program and for Coach. We want to end the season in the right direction. I know the coaches are going to be just as focused as any other week in giving us the tools and putting us in the position to be successful. We just have to get it done and end it on a high note with a win.”

Sanford said he wanted the attention focused on his seniors, not him, for the final game. However, not all the players are buying that.

“I really want to have a great game,” Clayton said. “I want to play well for Coach Sanford and Coach (Todd) Berry, the people who brought me here and gave me the opportunity to play college football when I didn’t have another one.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• UNLV has not played in a bowl game since defeating Arkansas 31-14 in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl.

• Senior WR Ryan Wolfe (283 receptions) needs 10 catches in the Nov. 28 season finale against San Diego State to move into a tie for seventh place on the NCAA career receptions list with Oklahoma State’s Rashaun Woods and Hawaii’s Davone Bess. The NCAA record is 316 catches by Purdue’s Taylor Stubblefield.

Next Game:   San Diego State at UNLV, Nov. 28—Outgoing UNLV head coach Mike Sanford has agreed to stay on for the season-finale, which is also Senior Night. “This game is not about me, it’s about our seniors,” Sanford said. It’s also about revenge. The Aztecs, who were 1-10 at the time, stunned UNLV 42-21 in last year’s season-finale at Qualcomm Stadium, denying the Rebels a sixth win needed for a bowl berth. The shoe could be on the other foot this year if the Aztecs (4-6) can upset Utah (8-2) in Salt Lake City this weekend.

November At A Glance:   The Rebels entered the month knowing they had to sweep all three of their remaining games to get to 6-6 and possibly earn a bowl berth that might have saved head coach Mike Sanford his job. But after an impressive 35-16 home victory over slumping Colorado State, UNLV’s bowl hopes were dashed in the snow at Air Force with a 45-17 loss. Sanford was fired the next day.

Quote To Note:   “The people that have a chance to do something about this need to do something instead of continuing with the status quo. The status quo has not worked. … If Boise State can do it, if TCU can do it in Fort Worth, then UNLV can do it in Las Vegas.”—Outgoing UNLV head coach Mike Sanford, when asked if the school has the potential to field a successful football program.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Looking Good:   The Rebels, who have played in 11 straight weeks, finally get a much-needed bye to heal up for Senior Night on Nov. 28 against San Diego State. A UNLV victory would give the Rebels an 8-6 home record over the past two seasons, the most home wins over a two-year span since 1986-87, when the Rebels went 8-4.

Still Needs Work:   What doesn’t? UNLV’s passing game, expected to be one of the best in the conference, has sputtered badly down the stretch, producing a total of just two touchdowns and an average of 141 yards per game. The run defense, a major focus in the offseason, is simply one of the worst in college football, allowing an average of 231.2 yards per game (No. 116 in FBS) and an astounding 26 touchdowns. Meanwhile, UNLV’s pass rush, another major focus in the offseason, has produced just 12 sacks, one more than in 2008.

Star Watch:   Senior WR Ryan Wolfe needs 140 receiving yards in the final game to move past Colorado State’s David Anderson (3,634 yards from 2002-05) and become the all-time leader in that category in Mountain West Conference history. Wolfe (283 receptions) already holds the MWC career receptions mark and is 12th all-time in NCAA history.

Critical Decision:   Interim President Dr. Neal Smatresk and interim athletic director Jerry Koloskie made the decision on Nov. 15 to fire fifth-year head coach Mike Sanford. Now Smatresk must name a new athletic director and also hire a new head football coach all within the span of about a month. It will be a defining moment for not only UNLV’s football program but also for the entire cash-strapped athletic department.

Roster Report:  

• Starting QB Omar Clayton left the Air Force game with a bruised shin but is expected to be fine for the season finale against San Diego State.

• Since shattering the Mountain West Conference career receptions mark (262) with an 11-catch, 118-yard performance in a 34-17 win at New Mexico, senior WR Ryan Wolfe has caught a total of just 13 passes in the last three games, mainly because the Rebels seemed to have stopped looking to throw in his direction. Outgoing offensive coordinator Todd Berry’s inconsistent play-calling in the past three seasons has been baffling at times.