Look Ahead: UNLV Comes To Vanderbilt Saturday After Being Blown Out Last Week

The UNLV Rebels have never been known as a football power. Their visit to Nashvlle this weekend is now a must win for Vanderbilt.

Last week I toyed with the idea of the Vanderbilt Commodores visit to Oxford as a must win game. This week I'm outright saying it's a must win when the Rebels of UNLV make a stop at Vanderbilt Stadium. 

Vegas enters Saturday's matchup with a 1-4 record, identical to the Commodores and coming in off a beating last week at the hands of #14 Boise St. 38-13.

Vanderbilt has seven games remaining on their schedule and need five wins to reach bowl eligibility. If this one isn't "must win" then there will never be one this season. 

In fact this is one of two remaining- East Tennessee State- that the Commodores will be favored in and expected to win. 

The Rebels defeated Southern Utah to open the season and are 0-for since, including losses to Wyoming (who upset Missouri) Arkansas State, Northwestern and Boise St. 

Offensively the Rebels are averaging just 15.2 points per game in their four losses and 23.4 points per game overall, thanks to a 56 point output in that win over Southern Utah.     

Quarterback Kenyon Oblad is completing exactly 50% of his passes on the season. He's accounted for 567 yards on 50 completions against 100 attempts. That's an average of 5.67 yards per pass. To say the Rebels are not a big play offense would be an understatement. 

Running back Charles Williams is the catalyst for Vegas, carrying the football 66 times for 529 yards and 6 touchdowns. Oh by the way, that's good for 8 yards per carry for Williams, a number which should concern Commodores players and coaches considering what happened to them on the ground last week. 

The Rebels have three receivers with double didget receptions, led by Randal Grimes with 19 for 232 yards and a score. Grimes leads the team in both recepetions and yards and is second in touchdowns score behind fellow wide out Mekhi Stevenson, who has two scores included in his 8 receptions for the season.

Perhaps the one offensive stat that sticks out for the Rebels, their redzone scoring where they are 10-14. When they get there, they are solid at finding the endzone. 

Defensively the Rebels are a hot mess, allowing 37.4 points per game, with 23 being the lowest total allowed in a single game, and that was their win over Southern Utah. 

The Rebels are allowing opponents to rush for 218.4 yards per game and pass for 238.6 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns on the ground and 10 through the air. 

Vanderbilt has struggled protecting their quarterback so far this season, but there are plays to be made in the air in this one. Likewise, Ke'Shawn Vaughn and company should find room to run against this opponent. 

The question is, can they do it.