college

UNLV’s season may not be over

A 27-22 win Saturday over in-state rival Nevada gave UNLV a 5-7 record which might be good enough to go to a bowl game thanks to a high APR.

LAS VEGAS — Normally, this would be a grand way to finish a football season.

A win over your in-state rival in front of the biggest home crowd of the year. The most wins in four years for the program. Standout individual performances and sending the seniors off on the right note.

But in a year that seems anything but normal, UNLV may not be done playing. Despite a 5-7 record, which was achieved with a 27-22 win Saturday over Nevada in front of 24,873 at Allegiant Stadium, the Rebels may still find themselves in a bowl game despite the lack of a requisite six wins.

Because there are currently not enough teams which meet the criteria, UNLV may be selected based on its Academic Progress Report. The team’s APR is reportedly second only to that of Rice, which finds itself in a similar predicament. If the Rebels get in and accept a bowl bid, it will be the school’s first appearance since 2014.

Marcus Arroyo, UNLV’s coach, admitted he never has been put in such a position before where you are in a wait-and-see mode to determine whether or not you keep playing.

“It’s not in our hands,” said Arroyo, who will sit down with athletic director Erick Harper this week to see what may realistically happen. Buffalo and New Mexico State, both with five wins, could get to six with wins next Saturday and take two of the remaining three spots. A couple of other schools could get exemptions for having six wins which include multiple victories over Football Championship Subdivision schools. There are 41 bowl games, which means 82 teams are needed. Currently, 79 meet the criteria.

It’s hard to imagine UNLV not accepting a bid if it’s offered next weekend. It would be a chance to keep playing, it can be used to boost recruiting and give the program a chance to build momentum going into the offseason. They can use this week as a bye and heal up, stay sharp in the weight room and catch their breath.

Yes, a lot of things will have to fall into place for UNLV to keep playing. But if it ended Saturday, there’s much the Rebels can be happy about. After spotting Nevada a 13-0 lead and losing starting quarterback Doug Brumfield to an injured back, Arroyo’s squad came roaring back as sophomore safety Johnathan Baldwin made the first of several big plays, recovering a fumble on a botched 4th-and-1 call and took it 55 yards for a touchdown, UNLV’s second scoop-and-score in as many weeks.

Then, QB Harrison Bailey, not Cameron Friel, stepped on the field. The Tennessee transfer sophomore hooked up with Kyle Williams early in the second quarter for a 49-yard TD strike to put the Rebels ahead 14-13. Bailey would finish with 206 yards through the air, a pair of TD tosses and one interception, by far his best showing since donning a scarlet and gray uniform.

UNLV managed to stay in front the rest of the way, but not without a few anxious moments at the end. The Wolf Pack had two chances to take the lead in the final 20 seconds but failed to do so. The first came after a ball was tipped and eventually dropped in the end zone. The second was when Baldwin broke up a pass on the game’s final play to cap off a tremendous individual performance which included an interception and eight tackles. 

“Awesome way to finish, especially for the seniors,” Arroyo said. “We went into the week, all in, and were 1000 percent focused on the seniors, that cannon and finishing strong. 

“When you get into a game like this, with the season we’ve had and a time like this, those are tough games. We knew it. All those numbers are out the window, you gotta go in and battle. Harrison came in and stepped up big time. A lot of guys came in, stepped up big time and they believed. 

“That’s a big deal. Overcoming adversity and pushing through is all we’ve tried to really set forth with the group. I’m proud of the progress and I’m eager to reflect as soon as we can to see if there is anything I can do to elevate the process we put in place, starting with myself and everything we do. I couldn’t be more excited for that locker room.”

It appears Arroyo will continue to lead that locker room. There was some speculation his job may have been in jeopardy had UNLV lost Saturday, which would have meant seven in a row after the team’s 4-1 start. But having put the brakes on the skid and beating his in-state rival for the first time in three tries likely will not require Arroyo hiring a real estate agent.

But he’s right about elevating the process. He needs to do a better job preparing his team, managing the game from the sidelines and make some progress connecting with the community, particularly with the city’s high school football coaches. He needs to prove to Harper and president Keith Whitfield that should UNLV receive an invitation to join the Pacific 12 Conference that he is the right man to lead the football program. 

Right now, the jury is still out on that, ownership of the Fremont Cannon notwithstanding.

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