Defensive Back Quandarius Keyes Named UNLV Rebels On SI Defensive Player of the Week For Week 10

The UNLV Rebels football team lost their second straight game in Week 10 in another brutal performance by the Rebs' defense. They lost the game against the New Mexico Lobos by a score of 40 - 35, and they have now allowed 147 points in their past three games. While the defense as a whole has not been good at all, as a matter of fact, they've been terrible, they do continue to get big individual performances from players. It's been a strange combination of a defense that can't stop anybody, but has consistently made big plays throughout the entire season.

Because of that, it's fitting that defensive back Quandarius Keyes has been named the UNLV Rebels On SI Defensive Player of the Week almost entirely on the back of one play. In the second quarter, Keyes picked off a Jack Layne pass and took it back 25 yards for a touchdown. At the time, it was a game-changing play that completed a 21-point comeback to tie the game at 21 - 21. Despite the Rebels ultimately losing this game, at the time, it was a huge play. UNLV needed a huge defensive play, and Keyes delivered one. That's why he earned this recognition.

Others Earning Consideration

We start this section with a regular to this article. Linebacker Marsel McDuffie had another big game. He led the team with 11 tackles (six solo), and had a tackle for a loss. The defensive captain has been a bright spot this season in this defense. McDuffie has been one of the few players that has displayed consistent play on defense this year.

Defensive lineman Lucas Conti deserves some attention here. He made six tackles in this game (two solo), with two of them coming for a loss. He also dragged the quarterback down for a sack. It was a big game for Conti.

Safety Jaheem Joseph got off to a bit of a slow start to the season, but has been outstanding for the majority of the season. This was another strong game for him, and a productive one on the stat sheet. In Week 10, he racked up six tackles (one solo) with 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. Those are impressive numbers, especially from the safety position. It shows off his versatility.

Defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye has also made quite a few appearances in this section this season. He had another solid outing, racking up five tackles (one solo) and a sack. His ability to get pressure on the quarterback has been important for this team, even when the defense is struggling.

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