Rebels with a cause: Become bowl eligible
Beating Fresno State step in that direction
UNLV junior running back Aidan Robbins said the Rebels need to try to focus on the task at hand this week.
They know Fresno State (5-4, 4-1 Mountain West), which travels to Allegiant Stadium for Friday’s game, requires their undivided attention. But they also understand they must win two of their final three games to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2013 season.
“That’s the goal,” Robbins said. “Everyone has that in the back of their minds.”
Friday gives the Rebels (4-5, 2-3) one more chance to create breathing room as they pursue bowl eligibility. A win over Fresno State means the UNLV has to beat either Hawaii (2-8, 1-4) or UNR (2-7, 0-5) to reach six wins. A loss to the Bulldogs stretches the Rebels’ losing streak to five games.
Robbins’ return during Saturday’s 14-10 loss to San Diego State went well. The former Louisville transfer was the most effective weapon on an offense that Marcus Arroyo admitted had more rust than the UNLV coach expected. Robbins rushed for 115 yards on 21 carries after returning from a knee injury suffered Oct. 15 against Air Force, which also kept him out of the UNLV loss at Notre Dame.
The junior running back was disappointed that he was unavailable against the Fighting Irish. However, Robbins said the San Diego State game helped him re-establish his confidence. He’s prepared to carry a heavy load again Friday.
“I feel good,” Robbins said. “Ready to go.”
Robbins will be an important part of an offense looking to rebound from a disappointing outing against San Diego State. The Rebels have scored a combined 45 points during their four-game skid. For context, they scored a combined 65 points during their first two games of the conference season, wins over Utah State and New Mexico.
Arroyo was critical of his offense following Saturday’s loss, especially after a strong performance from his defense.
The Rebels turned the ball over four times, and Arroyo said poor decision-making and execution during important moments doomed the Rebels. However, he also said he believes the issues are easily fixable and shouldn’t be an issue going forward.
UNLV will need Robbins and sophomore quarterback Doug Brumfield to be back at their best Friday. Fresno State has scored 32 points or more in each of its past three games, all wins.
Led by highly touted quarterback Jake Haener, the Bulldogs notched a season-high point total in their most recent game, a 55-13 win over Hawaii. Robbins believes it will take a team effort for UNLV to win Friday.
“Everyone’s got to do their job,” he said. “Execute and just play as hard as we can.”