What would UNLV football have to do this year to make you think that they're making progress towards building a successful program? Is it wins, the eyeball test, etc.?
What is progress?
- Thread starter mwsn7022012
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To me, it has little to do with wins or losses in the first couple of seasons. As bad and uncompetitive as UNLV has been historically, I feel it's wholly unfair to place some huge demands on number of wins. Not winning much early, I feel, will be absolutely no indicator as to whether he can get it done or not. I didn't start souring on Hauck until the third year because UNLV basically stayed the same - on the field, with fan support, with the infrastructure. There was no real movement.
As for next year, I want to see some indication that style/philosophy is slowly morphing into what Sanchez wants. I'm hoping for different schemes, more discipline, higher level recruiting, some fan interest, etc.
It takes awhile to cycle through and get the players in that you want. Far more so in football than basketball because in basketball, the classes are smaller and a couple of good players can immediately change things. In football, they have to physically mature in the system.
Those that want Sanchez to fail, IMO, will have immediate personal demands on wins. They'll immediately measure his ability as a coach against his record. Sorry, not in football, not so soon, and not given where UNLV is at, what they have and what they've never had. It's just not fair.
Me? Just give us some solid, substantial reasons to believe that the program is moving in a different direction.
It's all about the Benjamin's, baby. Not even Urban Meyer could get it done here with the resources UNLV football had in the past. Sanchez is bank rolled. Think Baylor football. UNLV can and will see similar results IMO.
Progress will occur in the second halves of the games and season. I'll give the team a pass for the first two games since we will have totally new everything (schemes, ideology, etc). After those, I do expect to see us competing in the second halves of games and not coming out of the locker room squandering any chance of keeping games close.
By the end of the season I want to see us at least competitive with middle of the pack MWC teams. We don't have to win but I want to see us having a chance (within 14-17). If we lose but show that we are becoming a better team on both sides of the ball and demonstrating more overall effort and desire then it will be a joy to watch the games.
By the end of the season I want to see us at least competitive with middle of the pack MWC teams. We don't have to win but I want to see us having a chance (within 14-17). If we lose but show that we are becoming a better team on both sides of the ball and demonstrating more overall effort and desire then it will be a joy to watch the games.
... Get it done. The coaches, the players, the community - if you want it... get it done!
I fully know the players we have can go into the big house and win if they want it...They can also smack the sun kissed faces of ucla into the real world of who wants it more... Sorry, but it's the hard truth. What was done today to make you better?... As a coach, player, or fan; what did you do to make it possible. More film, push your body past its limits, contribute to the fullest of your ability.
I will measure on the effort and passion, which is very evident watching the FULL game and is the foundation of any successful team.
I will honestly be as happy with 1 to 12 wins if I see the foundation, but 1 win is necessary, which I'm sure you know who. Get it done...
I fully know the players we have can go into the big house and win if they want it...They can also smack the sun kissed faces of ucla into the real world of who wants it more... Sorry, but it's the hard truth. What was done today to make you better?... As a coach, player, or fan; what did you do to make it possible. More film, push your body past its limits, contribute to the fullest of your ability.
I will measure on the effort and passion, which is very evident watching the FULL game and is the foundation of any successful team.
I will honestly be as happy with 1 to 12 wins if I see the foundation, but 1 win is necessary, which I'm sure you know who. Get it done...
I will know it when I see it!
Last year I came into the season with the belief that the team had finally turned the corner. During the game against Northern Colorado, I watched and could see it in the faces of the players didn't care anymore in the second half. I finally figured out that I was supporting the wrong horse in coach Hauck and knew that this was most likely the end of his career.
I believe that we will be able to see it in the faces of the team when they play UCLA (I have seats close enough up front to see their faces). Win or lose, I will be able to see if the players are playing for the coach and believe in themselves, or are just going through the paces.
Personally, I believe that these players do believe in coach Sanchez and staff, and that is why the level of recruiting has already jumped so far without a single game being played.
Last year I came into the season with the belief that the team had finally turned the corner. During the game against Northern Colorado, I watched and could see it in the faces of the players didn't care anymore in the second half. I finally figured out that I was supporting the wrong horse in coach Hauck and knew that this was most likely the end of his career.
I believe that we will be able to see it in the faces of the team when they play UCLA (I have seats close enough up front to see their faces). Win or lose, I will be able to see if the players are playing for the coach and believe in themselves, or are just going through the paces.
Personally, I believe that these players do believe in coach Sanchez and staff, and that is why the level of recruiting has already jumped so far without a single game being played.
Progress is making UNLV football THE local team that people are proud of. Progress is seeing the players want it as much on the last down of the last quarter as they did in the first down of the first quarter. Progress is making football fun again. Progress is bringing hope that UNLV football IS fixable, then proceeding to actually fix it. Progress is no more excuses.
I hope we rain on UCLA's parade.
I hope we rain on UCLA's parade.
The first indicator of "progress" I will look for is attendance figures. Whether that is tickets sold or actual BITS, the numbers will be "calculated" the same way as previous years so the difference should be believable. I don't know
Last season our reported average attendance was 15,674, which was down 9% from the bowl season the year before. I think most of that drop was because of the schedule - few opponents that bring fans with them, and we played UNR the very last game when enthusiasm was dead on both sides. This year we have Boise State, UCLA, and Hawaii coming to LV, so that should boost the numbers. But local fan interest and improved student attendance are what we really need to move up to that 19-24K tier of the MWC:
Top (32-35K) Fresno State, Boise State, San Diego State
Upper Middle (23-28K) Air Force, Hawai'i, Colorado State
Lower Middle (19-24K) Nevada, New Mexico,Utah State, Wyoming
Bottom (15-17K) UNLV, San Jose State
TKM started pushing for more student attendance last year, and that needs to increase this year. Last season when we played in Tuscon there were 8,000 UofA students at the game. What would some of you who sit over near our student section estimate our average student attendance was? Out of 28,000 enrolled, did 2800 (10%) show up every week? What could be done to get more students out to the games?
Last season our reported average attendance was 15,674, which was down 9% from the bowl season the year before. I think most of that drop was because of the schedule - few opponents that bring fans with them, and we played UNR the very last game when enthusiasm was dead on both sides. This year we have Boise State, UCLA, and Hawaii coming to LV, so that should boost the numbers. But local fan interest and improved student attendance are what we really need to move up to that 19-24K tier of the MWC:
Top (32-35K) Fresno State, Boise State, San Diego State
Upper Middle (23-28K) Air Force, Hawai'i, Colorado State
Lower Middle (19-24K) Nevada, New Mexico,Utah State, Wyoming
Bottom (15-17K) UNLV, San Jose State
TKM started pushing for more student attendance last year, and that needs to increase this year. Last season when we played in Tuscon there were 8,000 UofA students at the game. What would some of you who sit over near our student section estimate our average student attendance was? Out of 28,000 enrolled, did 2800 (10%) show up every week? What could be done to get more students out to the games?
Yeah, Saint. I've never seen the movie but found that clip and have watched it repeatedly. I absolutely love it!
I hope that the coaching staff is motivating the players in the same way as on that clip. Go into the game against NIU with the attitude that we are walking out with a win, and continue that same attitude against UCLA and Michigan. Time to make those teams know they have been in a football game and have them think twice before scheduling UNLV again as an easy win.
I don't think we'll see a huge uptick in attendance (maybe 10 percent). I guess that's a decent increase but considering how low it was last year not so much.
It's going to take some competitive games and steal a win or two to get people coming beyond the hard core.
It's going to take some competitive games and steal a win or two to get people coming beyond the hard core.
10% is only 1570 more than last season, and if Boise State, UCLA, and Hawaii each bring 3000+ that should get the 10%. I feel like last season's drop in attendance had as much or more to do with the visitors than it did with the Rebel's record. I think Idaho State will draw considerably better than Northern Colorado did last September due to the local interest and this being Sanchez's first big opportunity to prove that this is a new era.
We will see at least a 50% increase or more in attendance. The UCLA game alone will be a sellout. If UNLV averaged around 15,000 last year, the 37,000+/- from the UCLA game would increase the average attendance to about 19,000. I also expect to see a fairly decent pick up in corporate seats purchase from the casinos etc that they will give out to employees. Sanchez is out selling the program, and you will see it in tickets sold along with the boost from UCLA. I would expect an average of around 22,000-25,000 a game.
If people are truly paying attention they would see that there is already progress being made with the program off the field. This in turn should help on the field.
There is obviously booster money starting to flow into the program. Private jet during recruiting, proposed new practice facility, land deal for new football stadium in the works. All of those things help in recruiting. Booster money turned around programs like Oklahoma State, and Baylor. (Baylor also has a really good coach.).
If all the money rumors are true (Mark Anderson tweeted upwards of 20-30 million dollars) it will help the image of UNLV just by giving us new facilities or updating existing ones.
We have already seen a bump in recruiting. Next years class already includes two top 10 rated Nevada recruits with verbal commitments and a 4 star running back transfer from Alabama. Despite a member or two on these boards who will say otherwise, there has been a real commitment made by this staff to start keeping as much top local talent home as possible. As stated, two 3 star rated offensive linemen have chosen to stay home, and another local prospect also an offensive linemen gave a verbal commitment tonight. UNLV has never had this many early commitments that I can remember. Add into that they already secured a 3 star defensive tackle for next year as well. That is a very strong start for the 2016 class. Ray Brewer tweeted the other day that a high school football coach in town told him that Coach Sanchez and his staff have visited his campus more times this summer than the previous staff did in four years. Again keep as much of the top talent at home as possible.
The ultimate sign of progress if of course wins and losses. But those cannot be achieved without the support of the university and the community. It looks like the University is on board finally. After years and years of trying to do things on the cheap and just get by they have finally made a commitment to get this thing turned around. Next we need the community to buy in and most importantly the reluctant student body. We need to make Sam Boyd (for now) and loud and difficult place to play. That takes fans..Season tickets for UNLV football are ridiculously cheap, anywhere from 110-150 bucks for 6-7 college football games. Grant Sam Boyd isn't the ideal location, but it ridiculous that people act like it is 'so far'. Its 17 minutes from campus.
I think with the groundwork that has been started we should see a progression in the W/L columns along these lines.
Year 1 2-4 wins. But more competitive and fundamentally sound on the field. Fewer questionable calls from the sidelines (Fake punt anyone?)
Year 2 3-5 wins. Win the games you should win and beat Reno
Year 3 5-7 wins. Starting winning more than 1 game a year on the road, pull off an upset win and beat Reno.
Year 4 Going forward I would hope we would see 6+ wins and eventually competing for conference titles. Beat Reno.
(On a side note, I believe everything is pointing toward an eventual move to a Power 5 conference and more than likely the Big-12 instead of the Pac-12) If football becomes relevant (6 wins on a consistent basis) and basketball lives up to the potential in its recent class UNLV athletics along with the Las Vegas population and draw would make UNLV very attractive to a bigger conference.)
