SCRIMMAGE REPORTS

[RebelBuzz]

I had my two young kids with me, and it was 1,000 degrees out there, so I left early after 9 or 10 drives.

If you were an outside observer with no knowledge of UNLV football at the scrimmage, you would never guess that there is a QB controversy. Stanton looked head-and-shoulders above KP today. He was more accurate, didn't throw any balls into danger, and led the team for two TD drives, and used his feet well (rushed for a 25-30 yard score off of the zone read).

I know that this battle won't be decided in one day, but what I saw confirmed to me that Stanton needs to be named the starter. Give him all of the first team reps, and let him relax and let the game come to him.

I'm not saying he was an all-conference QB today, and he still made some mistakes, but he will give us a much better shot to compete this year.

 

[willlevi]

Was he battling the first string defense and was the defense pretty solid in slowing down the offense?

 

[RebelinWA]

All of the quarterbacks, even Sneed and Lopez took snaps with and against the ones, twos, and threes.

The defense, in particular the linebackers looked really good. Laolagi and Lakeith Wells are in particular very fast off the edge. On one of the plays, Laolagi and Wells ran Lexington down and out after a good 30 yard chase. I was surprised to see anyone run lex out. Wells had some very good rushes off the edge.

 

[RebelBuzz]

KP was the first QB out of the gates. He ran two straight possessions, 1s v. 1s then 2s v. 2s. Then Stanton came in and ran 2 similar series.

The defense was the better side out of the gate, and neither QB could get much going in any of the drives.

Then KP came back in and ran 1, maybe 2 drives, with similar results, and several really bad throws.

Stanton came in and led the team for 2 straight TDs and showed some nice things with both his arm and legs.

Again, Stanton wasn't perfect by any stretch (including a really bad decision on a zone read on 3rd down that led to a TO on downs), but his throws were MUCH better, he didn't make dangerous throws, and showed that he can get out and run much like KP.

 

[RebelBuzz]

All of the quarterbacks, even Sneed and Lopez took snaps with and against the ones, twos, and threes.

The defense, in particular the linebackers looked really good. Laolagi and Lakeith Wells are in particular very fast off the edge. On one of the plays, Laolagi and Wells ran Lexington down and out after a good 30 yard chase. I was surprised to see anyone run lex out. Wells had some very good rushes off the edge.

Agreed. I feel very confident with our LBs and secondary going into week 1. I even feel like the DL will be solid, but it's hard to be confident after how bad things were (especially in the pass rush). Hopefully the deep LB crew can help with that and Baer can utilize our skill and depth at LB.

 

[RebelinWA]

With Palandech its just like last year; as long as he has time, he's good. But the moment you add pressure, he tends to panic and make not the best decisions. As Bull has said, he would do very well in New Mexico's offense.

Stanton did what he could, but like Palandech, he plays with nerves. There is a serious gap in talent ceiling, and there should be. With a like flick of his wrist and seemingly no effort, he can get the ball to float 30-40 yards. I believe he could step back and cannon the ball out at least a good 60 yards all day every day.

Rogers passes the eye check. He needs to fill out the frame a bit, but he looks like he will be the guy firm in the seat after Stanton is gone. He didn't have a great day, but this is week two and the offense is very different from what he ran in high school.

Sneed is getting better. His release and arm are better than Palandech. Also has some decent leg speed. He broke away for a good 40 yard run.

Lopez is a bit of a mystery to me. He had some good throws, and some horrible throws. I need to see more of him to get a better read, but he is by no means bad enough for me to say he has no place on the team.

 

[rebelbuck]

Lots of mixed grouping as well on defense.

Hough , MacAleenan, Tau, McTyer either didn't play or barely played. On offense Boyd sat out and carries were spread out over all the backs. Lots of 2's were repped. Charles Williams will see the field this year with Lex and X.

Woods looks good at WR, picking up where he left off in spring. O line was rotated a lot getting all those young guys and back ups reps

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Was he battling the first string defense and was the defense pretty solid in slowing down the offense?

Both QBs played against the 1-2-3 defense. There were some notable guys not playing today on both sides of the ball. Boyd was out, Hough, Tau and McAleenan.

Defense forced a few 3 and outs. Offense had a number of good drives. Neither side dominated the action.

Charles Williams stood out at running back. Lance Worthington had a long run vs the 2nd team defense. Darren Woods might pass Keyes for the #2 WR spot. He has been head and shoulders the best receiver on the field with Boyd getting rest.

Illinois transfer LaKeith Walls had a number of big plays today. He should immediately help our pass rush. Vaolaga is poised for a big year if he can stay healthy.

Armani Rogers struggled a little, but that is expected from a freshmen QB.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

KP was the first QB out of the gates. He ran two straight possessions, 1s v. 1s then 2s v. 2s. Then Stanton came in and ran 2 similar series.

The defense was the better side out of the gate, and neither QB could get much going in any of the drives.

Then KP came back in and ran 1, maybe 2 drives, with similar results, and several really bad throws.

Stanton came in and led the team for 2 straight TDs and showed some nice things with both his arm and legs.

Again, Stanton wasn't perfect by any stretch (including a really bad decision on a zone read on 3rd down that led to a TO on downs), but his throws were MUCH better, he didn't make dangerous throws, and showed that he can get out and run much like KP.

Not sure if you stuck around, Stanton sold a great zone read play for a TD later on in practice.

 

[RebelBuzz]

Charles Williams stood out at running back. Lance Worthington had a long run vs the 2nd team defense. Darren Woods might pass Keyes for the #2 WR spot. He has been head and shoulders the best receiver on the field with Boyd getting rest.

Agreed on Williams. He looks a lot like Lex last year; about the same height, but he seems a little bit thicker/bigger. While you never want to lose a guy like Whitely with his consistent production, this may be a case of addition by subtraction, as his exit will allow for Lex to take the lead, XCampbell to give him a breather and be used in short-yardage situations, and Williams to get 10-12 snaps a game. Trying to keep all 4 happy may have been tricky.

Regarding the WR position, if we can stay healthy, that may be the best combo of receivers we've seen here in a LONG time. Boyd, Keys, Woods, and Presley have all showed signs during the 2015 season or off-season of being really solid. I hope that plays out and that our QB can get them the ball.

I have a prediction, though. Walk-on WR #86 Allan Cui will make an impact at some point soon, if not this year. i imagine him as a Maika Mataele-type player who comes out of nowhere and becomes a steady, dependable receiver when the bigger-name guys get all the defense's attention. The guy is small, no doubt, but he seems to find ways to get open and catch whatever comes his way. Had a nice over the shoulder grab on a pretty pass from Stanton today.

 

[RedCannon]

Thanks guys!... very much appreciated from this out of town Rebel.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Agreed on Williams. He looks a lot like Lex last year; about the same height, but he seems a little bit thicker/bigger. While you never want to lose a guy like Whitely with his consistent production, this may be a case of addition by subtraction, as his exit will allow for Lex to take the lead, XCampbell to give him a breather and be used in short-yardage situations, and Williams to get 10-12 snaps a game. Trying to keep all 4 happy may have been tricky.

Regarding the WR position, if we can stay healthy, that may be the best combo of receivers we've seen here in a LONG time. Boyd, Keys, Woods, and Presley have all showed signs during the 2015 season or off-season of being really solid. I hope that plays out and that our QB can get them the ball.

I have a prediction, though. Walk-on WR #86 Allan Cui will make an impact at some point soon, if not this year. i imagine him as a Maika Mataele-type player who comes out of nowhere and becomes a steady, dependable receiver when the bigger-name guys get all the defense's attention. The guy is small, no doubt, but he seems to find ways to get open and catch whatever comes his way. Had a nice over the shoulder grab on a pretty pass from Stanton today.

Its gotten ridiculous with Cui at practices. You see a guy his size and think no way he can make it. You see a guy his size and say, if this is what we have we are in trouble. You see a guy his size and think 'P5 schools don't have guys like Cui.'

All that said the kid makes plays. I don't know if he will ever be an every down player or if he will play at all. I do know if he ever scores a TD the sideline will go nuts. I hope he gets a chance in a couple of games.

 

[mvvsmith]

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

[reb4life777]

http://mylvsports.com/unlv/guiremand-five-takeaways-from-unlvs-football-scrimmage/

 

[RebelBuzz]

Thanks for all the info guys.

I'm trying to think of anything else that stood out today...

Maybe it's because I played on the Oline back in my glory days on the field (HS), but I really enjoyed watching Coach Garrison and his OL. First of all, as others have reported, the size/depth along the OL is really coming along and will only get stronger every year. Outlaw, Garcia, Caldwell, and Brayton (all true frosh) look the part already, and while they are certainly not prepared to play at the highest level right now, it is clear that we are starting with much more to work with. I also love Coach Garrison's drills and so much emphasis on good footwork and staying low to keep that leverage.

As an aside, it's interesting to think about the OL and recruiting. Even though we all understand how critical this position is, since these hogs coming out of HS don't typically have flashy highlight films or gaudy stats, they go under the radar. But think about it: on EVERY offensive play, you need 5 o-linemen on the field. That's clearly the position where the most bodies are needed. So when Coach Sanchez keeps harping on how the OLine is good but still not deep enough, it helps to keep that in perspective that you've gotta bring a lot of bodies to fill those roles.

Linebackers: it has been mentioned elsewhere, but it was great to see the defense rolling so many different guys at the LB positions without a dramatic dropoff in talent. And that was with Tau/McAleenan playing very little (if at all). Brian Keyes and Gabe McCoy are fun guys to watch. I really want to see Coach Baer utilize our LBs to help us get pressure in the backfield.

The secondary also has a lot of good looking players running around out there. McTyer and Hough are the penciled-in starters at each CB, but I like what I see from Mouton, Dalton Baker, Jay'Onn Miles (nice blocked FG today, real quick/explosive off the edge), Flowers, and Robert Jackson. If we are able to create enough pressure that QBs can't sit back for 7 seconds to throw a ball, I like our chances of these guys keeping with opposing wideouts and creating some turnovers.

All in all, my biggest question marks/concerns right now are:

• QB play. I'd like to see a starter (Stanton) named sooner than later and give him anything he needs to get comfortable.
• Kicking game. In fairness, I have seen VERY little of our kicking game thus far. But I am concerned that we'll miss Yunker at punter more than we appreciate right now. Additionally, the fact that we had 2 kicks blocked today is troubling.
• DLine. Gotta prove it. I have seen that the group is now older, stronger, and deeper, but I'll believe it when I see the results.
• OLine depth. If we can keep guys healthy, I'm not concerned here at all. But that's real optimistic. We can handle 1-2 guys getting dinged, but after that...

A last thought. I hope that the coaches are able to stay conservative against Jackson State, but I also hope that they will allow Johnny (or KP) to throw the ball. I know it's a bit of bad form to throw the ball if you're up 20+ points (and you want clock to run) but I'd like to see our QB get as many shots against a non-Rebel foe as possible.

 

[rebelbuck]

From his (3) Drives that scored or moved the ball into field goal range, Stanton looked sharp. On his drives that stalled or were limited the ball was never in "danger" , when he threw it away it was where no one was going to get it. The other advantage is when Stanton runs the QB option (read, option) he can sell it and get some nice yards with his legs, will also be a load to bring down. Needs to put together his nice throws, drives more consistently to really pull away from Kurt.

Palandech started out sharp. His biggest issue going back to last year and in the spring is when option #1 in the passing game isnt open, he takes far too long to process and his throw aways sometimes dont get as far as he or anyone would like . Still dangerous in the running game but needs to be more decisive in his reads.

Based solely on what I saw from this scrimmage, Stanton is progressing from the spring in his command of the offense and Kurt while still making better throws than he was has sort of plateaued . Will be a battle but I think Stanton gets the job in the end before game week of JSU.

 

[Pistol Pete 1]

Couple things stood out to me. The first is that RebelBuzz is right, it was hot out there. Big guys must have dropped 10-15 lbs out there. 2nd is that there is no doubt in my mind that after the coaches go over the film they will go with Stanton at QB. I have only seen the one practice but based on today's performances I believe he has the job.

I was really pleased to see Alan Cui hit the field early with the starters. He really showed himself to be a tough and gritty receiver during the spring practices but it almost seemed as though he wasn't getting the respect he deserved due to his size and status (walk on). He immediately came in and made some big catches. He may not be tall but he is solid. Some of the DB's that come up to lay a hit on him might be in for a little surprise. He is UNLV's Wes Welker. He will get open and make those tough catches over the middle in traffic.

Barring injuries we look good at RB. Williams will be on the field as a true freshman. Explosive, quick, fast, great moves and vision! I love X and Lex but if they aren't getting the job done he will move up fast.

What really stood out was our ability to run the ball when we had Kreisler, Singer and Polu in together. Those guys really opened up some holes for the backs.

One concern I have is the DL. Those are probably the athletes that are in the shortest supply and the highest demand. I just don't see the quality and depth there yet. Not to say we don't have some good guys because we do. The good news is we have a lot of depth at linebacker which may help us cover that weakness this year.

Go Rebels!

 

[RebelinWA]

The d line issue is one that hasn't gone unnoticed, I saw then switching it up to the 3-4 a few times. Going to be a neccesity this year. The LB core is more than competent as well as able enough to play the scheme.

 

[rebelbuck]

To help with pressure off the edge expect Walls, McCoy to have some instances where they line up close to the line up scrimmage with the intent of getting in the backfield as a D-END/ OLB hybrid.

At Tackle, Wily (who looks in really good shape) , Hughes, Fao, Dehdastian and Baldwin give a nice nucleus on the inside.

The Ends, Valaoga, Zepada are the #1's undoubtedly. Malaota, Salazar, Finau are primary back-ups.

Now all these guys mentioned have to go out and prove it. I think Valaoga has a big year, he seems to have "figured" it out under this staff. Was very active when on the field during the scrimmage.

Freshman Jones, Holloway, Tatum, Iofeta (Looks the part already) are good looking athletes but a RS year for all of them could be a huge benefit moving forward.

 

[RebelinWA]

As long as Valaoga can stay healthy, he's got a ticket to the nfl if he can produce.

 

[ricovegas]

The d line issue is one that hasn't gone unnoticed, I saw then switching it up to the 3-4 a few times. Going to be a neccesity this year. The LB core is more than competent as well as able enough to play the scheme.

To further your point I never understood why we would play a 4-3 it is so hard to find guys that size to play. I would much rather play a 3-4 and get the best athletes out there. After the P5 school get all the big quality big men the leftovers are thin.
SDSU has made a living playing a hybrid defense utilizing the same philosophy.

 

[Starky34]

Agree, a lot of team play 3-3-5 as well. Depends on the type of players you can recruit and develop

To further your point I never understood why we would play a 4-3 it is so hard to find guys that size to play. I would much rather play a 3-4 and get the best athletes out there. After the P5 school get all the big quality big men the leftovers are thin.
SDSU has made a living playing a hybrid defense utilizing the same philosophy.

 

[dcut03]

It can be harder to stop the run with a 3-4, especially in college, where there can be a big size discrepancy between a DT and a MLB. Also a good 3-4 needs big and athletic ends which are harder to come by. Finding 4 big bodies can be a little easier.

That being said I can see us running a 3 man front often in passing situations

 

[Kswoll]

They will run both, 3-4 and 4-3 depending on the situation, the team etc. But the base D is a 4-3 and does work well stopping the run. I believe the pass rush will be much better this year too. Remember...Last year they had no depth, they rotated only a few guys and one was a true freshman. That's why they got worse and worse as the year went on...They were out of bodies and tired....It was brutal to watch teams march right through the middle.

This year there will be 5 interior guys who are good players and 4 good ends barring injuries. Coach Samuel has completely changed the scheme with a lot of plays to get guys free to the qb. We will see if they can execute but the depth should help the cause.

 

[dcut03]

I'm excited by the apparent huge upgrade in the defensive front. Definitely a weak point of last year's team. Stopping the run and getting some QB pressure will be huge. Our defensive back field did a remarkable job last year given the little help from up front. I think we could have a pretty solid defense this season. I haven't been able to say that since the J Rob days.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

I'm excited by the apparent huge upgrade in the defensive front. Definitely a weak point of last year's team. Stopping the run and getting some QB pressure will be huge. Our defensive back field did a remarkable job last year given the little help from up front. I think we could have a pretty solid defense this season. I haven't been able to say that since the J Rob days.

It was only one practice but LaKieth Walls really flashed during the scrimmage. I think he will be playing at both DE and linebacker.

I honestly think a lot hinges on the health of Vaolaga. We had 9 1/2 sacks as a team, Vaolaga had a about a 1/4 of those in just 6 games.

As you mentioned the secondary did an amazing job considering how long they had to cover.

I tend to be conservative in predictions or prognostication but I think we can get close to 18-20 sacks this year. Still not great, but it would double last years total. If we get to 20+ sacks and equal or surpass our turnovers forced we go bowling this year.

Alo-Wily should also provide some interior pressure with his quickness. Expect him to be on the field in obvious passing downs. In 3rd and long situations he may be the only true DT on the field.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Friday Scrimmage-

Defense got the better of it today in my opinion.

Neither Stanton nor Palandech really stood out. Both had 3 & outs on opening drives. Palandech lead a long drive that finished with a David Green TD run. Freshman Charles Williams had two good runs on the drive. Stanton on his 2nd drive moved the team pretty well but had a pass tipped for an INT in the endzone. Palandech lead another decent drive to around the 10, but threw a pick-6 to Darius Mouton. Armani Rogers did little in his two series. Dalton Sneed engineered two solid drives. The first ended with a fumble on a bad exchange inside the ten. The second drive was the best of the day.. He completed two nice passes and then capped the drive with a very physical run for a TD. Hopefully film of it gets posted somewhere.

Boyd was a non participant again. I think the staff is merely being cautious with him though.

Based on today Chevalier may be the starting LG. Freshman J. Caldwell was running with the 2s and did not seem over matched at all.

I wasn't focused as much on the defense today, but as a group they were flying to the ball.

 

[Pistol Pete 1]

It is really amazing how much the talent level and depth has has improved with little to no improvement between the 2 QB/s battling it out for #1. No doubt in my mind that Sneed is the guy that wants the job more than the others but it seems to be a fait accompli between Stanton and Palandech. I hope it isn't because he was Hauck's last recruit. Sneed had the best passes of the day, one to Cui for about 40 yrs. and another to one of the new TE's for 15-20 yrs and a 1st down. He had a 25 yd TD run that brought the entire offense onto the field cheering.

The play of the day was an interception off a Palandech pass that was returned 95 tough yds for a TD by I believe Mouton.

LaKeith Walls is a monster and is finding himself on the field more and more, Charles Williams continues to impress and David Greene is a hard nosed runner and special teams player. If not for all of his injuries here he might be one of our top 2 or 3 backs.

Can't wait for the 1st game. I think that what you see is what you get with Palandech but I am hoping that Stanton is the kind of guy that comes to life and shines when the lights go on for real.

Go Rebels!

 

[RebelinWA]

They moved Lotuleleli to the strongside lb, which was an interesting move. He also had a couple of snaps at the interior. For the D line, the ones are Wily and Hughes. Fao is first man off the bench, to relieve Hughes. Seems like Tatum is first off to relieve Wily. Tatum looks like he's 30. He plays mad and fast, he's a good relief for that supremely athletic Wily. They moved Nate Oishi to third string center from DL, he did okay at snapping, but he's not solo blocking anyone.

 

[karaoke_jesus]

I'm okay with defense being the identity of the team. Lot of fantastic programs out there make that very successful formula

 

[RebelTomola]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports...battle-still-deadlocked-after-final-scrimmage

 

[Pistol Pete 1]

Can't wait for the 1st game. I think that what you see is what you get with Palandech but I am hoping that Stanton is the kind of guy that comes to life and shines when the lights go on for real.

Go Rebels![/QUOTE]
Stanton may not be the best of practice players but boy did he come to life when the lights came on. We would have won several more games last year with him at the helm. What a fun game once I was able to get there. We look pretty solid just about everywhere. The one big IF is the DL. We just don't have a pair of 6'4" 330 lb athletic big men to compete against big time programs but we should be able to hang in there with most everybody in the MWC. UCLA could be hard on the DL with their OL and that monster running back. Lot of work coming up for the LB's and Safeties this next week.

Go Rebels!

 

[RebelinWA]

Against a team like UCLA, we need a lot more weight on the D line. I wish we could play Valoaga, Fao, Hughes, and Wily the whole time. They fixed the O line last class, pick ups like Iofeta and Tatum will be good on the D line, but we really should have gone after another Juco big man for the defense.

 

[Kswoll]

Against a team like UCLA, we need a lot more weight on the D line. I wish we could play Valoaga, Fao, Hughes, and Wily the whole time. They fixed the O line last class, pick ups like Iofeta and Tatum will be good on the D line, but we really should have gone after another Juco big man for the defense.

Wily is the smallest DL we have...He's athletic and needs to get after the qb, but size isn't his strength. We also have Baldwin who is 280ish, Dehdashtian is 295 and they rotate with Hughes and Wily. Fao and Dehdashtian replace them first, Baldwin plays DT and DE and fills in for both....There are 8 guys constantly rotating that are all about the same size. We don't have the SEC guy (320 and athletic) nor do most if any Mountain West teams. The trend in college football is faster, athletic guys inside with a few run stoppers mixed in. We just need to get them some experience....All but Baldwin and Valoaga are Jr's and underclassmen. We definitely should add depth next year....But we have a good rotation.

 

[RebelinWA]

I want Wily to play at an end spot when we face big o line teams, I think he's more than athletic enough to do well at it.

 

[Kswoll]

I want Wily to play at an end spot when we face big o line teams, I think he's more than athletic enough to do well at it.

Agreed.

 

[willlevi]

Most shorter linemen play on the interior, short arns makes you less effective as an edge pass rusher in most system. There have been guys that break the mold & TCU has used short guys successfully as pass rushers.

 

[karaoke_jesus]

Will you saying you can't attack the edge with alligator arms?