EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of previews on West Virginia and Marshall football opponents.
AP Photo
First-year UNLV coach Bobby Hauck
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of previews on West Virginia and Marshall football opponents.
Date with West Virginia: Saturday, Oct. 9, 3:30 p.m. (Big East Network)
Site: Mountaineer Field (60,000, FieldTurf), Morgantown
Coach: Bobby Hauck (1st year; 8th year overall, 80-17)
Checking them out
The good news at UNLV is that 16 starters return from last season. The bad news is that a new coaching staff is in place and everyone, even those veterans, is starting from scratch.
Bobby Hauck spent the past seven years at Montana, where he won Big Sky championships each year and reached the FCS title game three times, although the Grizzlies lost all three times. What he brings to UNLV is a tougher mentality, which was missing under former coach Mike Sanford, whose final two teams each went 5-7.
Hauck will also likely bring an end to the spread offense, or at least a dramatic modification. The Rebels are still likely to use some elements of the spread, but will no doubt be more conventional under the new coach.
Hauck inherits not one but two quarterbacks who played last season in Omar Clayton and Mike Clausen, who finished as the team's second- and third-leading rushers, respectively. Both will have to adapt to a different offense, but they won't go it alone. There is a deep group of running backs who might be used by committee, as well as four starters on the line and a good set of receivers, led by 6-foot-3, 205-pound Phillip Payne (58 catches for 661 yards and seven TDs).
The defense is in for a major overhaul after finishing 115th in the country in total defense and giving up more than 32 points per game. The worst stat? Quinton Porter was second on the team in tackles ... at cornerback. He might be the best player on the defense, but he can't be making that many tackles in the secondary. The Rebels' pass rush has been awful and stopping the run has been only slightly better, so some work has to be done up front, where 6-4, 315-pound Isaako Aaitui could be a star. If Houck can get anything out of them there is potential in the group, what with two 350-pound defensive tackles on the roster.
All-conference candidates
Offense: WR Phillip Payne, OT Matt Murphy
Defense: LB Ronnie Paulo, CB Quinton Pointer
Notes
UNLV has a 13-game schedule this season, which includes the Dec. 4 finale at Hawaii. The NCAA allows teams that play at Hawaii the extra game. Instead of buying a win with that extra game, the Rebels took a $740,000 payday from West Virginia (with no return game), giving them two BCS opponents. UNLV opens the season at home against Wisconsin. There are also Mountain West games against TCU, BYU and Utah, giving the Rebels one of the toughest schedules faced by non-BCS schools in the country.
2010 schedule
Date Opponent 2009
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WVU opponents, Game 5: UNLV
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of previews on West Virginia and Marshall football opponents.
Date with West Virginia: Saturday, Oct. 9, 3:30 p.m. (Big East Network)
Site: Mountaineer Field (60,000, FieldTurf), Morgantown
Coach: Bobby Hauck (1st year; 8th year overall, 80-17)
Checking them out
The good news at UNLV is that 16 starters return from last season. The bad news is that a new coaching staff is in place and everyone, even those veterans, is starting from scratch.
Bobby Hauck spent the past seven years at Montana, where he won Big Sky championships each year and reached the FCS title game three times, although the Grizzlies lost all three times. What he brings to UNLV is a tougher mentality, which was missing under former coach Mike Sanford, whose final two teams each went 5-7.
Hauck will also likely bring an end to the spread offense, or at least a dramatic modification. The Rebels are still likely to use some elements of the spread, but will no doubt be more conventional under the new coach.
Hauck inherits not one but two quarterbacks who played last season in Omar Clayton and Mike Clausen, who finished as the team's second- and third-leading rushers, respectively. Both will have to adapt to a different offense, but they won't go it alone. There is a deep group of running backs who might be used by committee, as well as four starters on the line and a good set of receivers, led by 6-foot-3, 205-pound Phillip Payne (58 catches for 661 yards and seven TDs).
The defense is in for a major overhaul after finishing 115th in the country in total defense and giving up more than 32 points per game. The worst stat? Quinton Porter was second on the team in tackles ... at cornerback. He might be the best player on the defense, but he can't be making that many tackles in the secondary. The Rebels' pass rush has been awful and stopping the run has been only slightly better, so some work has to be done up front, where 6-4, 315-pound Isaako Aaitui could be a star. If Houck can get anything out of them there is potential in the group, what with two 350-pound defensive tackles on the roster.
All-conference candidates
Offense: WR Phillip Payne, OT Matt Murphy
Defense: LB Ronnie Paulo, CB Quinton Pointer
Notes
UNLV has a 13-game schedule this season, which includes the Dec. 4 finale at Hawaii. The NCAA allows teams that play at Hawaii the extra game. Instead of buying a win with that extra game, the Rebels took a $740,000 payday from West Virginia (with no return game), giving them two BCS opponents. UNLV opens the season at home against Wisconsin. There are also Mountain West games against TCU, BYU and Utah, giving the Rebels one of the toughest schedules faced by non-BCS schools in the country.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of previews on West Virginia and Marshall football opponents.
Date with West Virginia: Saturday, Oct. 9, 3:30 p.m. (Big East Network)
Site: Mountaineer Field (60,000, FieldTurf), Morgantown
Coach: Bobby Hauck (1st year; 8th year overall, 80-17)
Checking them out
The good news at UNLV is that 16 starters return from last season. The bad news is that a new coaching staff is in place and everyone, even those veterans, is starting from scratch.
Bobby Hauck spent the past seven years at Montana, where he won Big Sky championships each year and reached the FCS title game three times, although the Grizzlies lost all three times. What he brings to UNLV is a tougher mentality, which was missing under former coach Mike Sanford, whose final two teams each went 5-7.
Hauck will also likely bring an end to the spread offense, or at least a dramatic modification. The Rebels are still likely to use some elements of the spread, but will no doubt be more conventional under the new coach.
Hauck inherits not one but two quarterbacks who played last season in Omar Clayton and Mike Clausen, who finished as the team's second- and third-leading rushers, respectively. Both will have to adapt to a different offense, but they won't go it alone. There is a deep group of running backs who might be used by committee, as well as four starters on the line and a good set of receivers, led by 6-foot-3, 205-pound Phillip Payne (58 catches for 661 yards and seven TDs).
The defense is in for a major overhaul after finishing 115th in the country in total defense and giving up more than 32 points per game. The worst stat? Quinton Porter was second on the team in tackles ... at cornerback. He might be the best player on the defense, but he can't be making that many tackles in the secondary. The Rebels' pass rush has been awful and stopping the run has been only slightly better, so some work has to be done up front, where 6-4, 315-pound Isaako Aaitui could be a star. If Houck can get anything out of them there is potential in the group, what with two 350-pound defensive tackles on the roster.
All-conference candidates
Offense: WR Phillip Payne, OT Matt Murphy
Defense: LB Ronnie Paulo, CB Quinton Pointer
Notes
UNLV has a 13-game schedule this season, which includes the Dec. 4 finale at Hawaii. The NCAA allows teams that play at Hawaii the extra game. Instead of buying a win with that extra game, the Rebels took a $740,000 payday from West Virginia (with no return game), giving them two BCS opponents. UNLV opens the season at home against Wisconsin. There are also Mountain West games against TCU, BYU and Utah, giving the Rebels one of the toughest schedules faced by non-BCS schools in the country.
2010 schedule
Date Opponent 2009
Sept. 4 Wisconsin DNP
Sept. 11 at Utah* L 15-35
Sept. 18 at Idaho DNP
Sept. 25 New Mexico* W 34-17
Oct. 2 Nevada-Reno L 28-63
Oct. 9 at West Virginia DNP
Oct. 16 at Colorado State* W 35-16
Oct. 30 TCU* L 0-41
Nov. 6 at BYU* L 21-59
Nov. 13 Wyoming* L 27-30
Nov. 18 Air Force* (Thur.) L 17-45
Nov. 27 at San Diego State* W 28-24
Dec. 4 at Hawaii W 34-33
* Mountain West Conference games
2009 record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 Mountain West
Dropped: Sacramento State (W 38-3), Oregon State (L 21-23)
Article Preview
This article is available only to our premium digital content subscribers.
WVU opponents, Game 5: UNLV
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of previews on West Virginia and Marshall football opponents.
Date with West Virginia: Saturday, Oct. 9, 3:30 p.m. (Big East Network)
Site: Mountaineer Field (60,000, FieldTurf), Morgantown
Coach: Bobby Hauck (1st year; 8th year overall, 80-17)
Checking them out
The good news at UNLV is that 16 starters return from last season. The bad news is that a new coaching staff is in place and everyone, even those veterans, is starting from scratch.
Bobby Hauck spent the past seven years at Montana, where he won Big Sky championships each year and reached the FCS title game three times, although the Grizzlies lost all three times. What he brings to UNLV is a tougher mentality, which was missing under former coach Mike Sanford, whose final two teams each went 5-7.
Hauck will also likely bring an end to the spread offense, or at least a dramatic modification. The Rebels are still likely to use some elements of the spread, but will no doubt be more conventional under the new coach.
Hauck inherits not one but two quarterbacks who played last season in Omar Clayton and Mike Clausen, who finished as the team's second- and third-leading rushers, respectively. Both will have to adapt to a different offense, but they won't go it alone. There is a deep group of running backs who might be used by committee, as well as four starters on the line and a good set of receivers, led by 6-foot-3, 205-pound Phillip Payne (58 catches for 661 yards and seven TDs).
The defense is in for a major overhaul after finishing 115th in the country in total defense and giving up more than 32 points per game. The worst stat? Quinton Porter was second on the team in tackles ... at cornerback. He might be the best player on the defense, but he can't be making that many tackles in the secondary. The Rebels' pass rush has been awful and stopping the run has been only slightly better, so some work has to be done up front, where 6-4, 315-pound Isaako Aaitui could be a star. If Houck can get anything out of them there is potential in the group, what with two 350-pound defensive tackles on the roster.
All-conference candidates
Offense: WR Phillip Payne, OT Matt Murphy
Defense: LB Ronnie Paulo, CB Quinton Pointer
Notes
UNLV has a 13-game schedule this season, which includes the Dec. 4 finale at Hawaii. The NCAA allows teams that play at Hawaii the extra game. Instead of buying a win with that extra game, the Rebels took a $740,000 payday from West Virginia (with no return game), giving them two BCS opponents. UNLV opens the season at home against Wisconsin. There are also Mountain West games against TCU, BYU and Utah, giving the Rebels one of the toughest schedules faced by non-BCS schools in the country.
