San Diego State Aztecs (1-2, 0-0 Mountain West) vs. UNLV Rebels (1-3, 0-0 Mountain West)
Game time: 5 p.m. Pacific Time, 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
TV: ESPN3 (WatchESPN app)
Radio: SDSU broadcast is on The Max 105.7 FM and ESPN San Diego 1700 AM.
UNLV broadcast is on the Rebel IMG Sports Network and ESPN Las Vegas 1100 AM.
Odds: SDSU is favored by 18 points.
Game previews: Q&A with the Las Vegas Review-Journal about UNLV football / Aztecs look to open conference play on right foot
Keys to the game:
SDSU: Run, run, run...oh, and also run.
UNLV's rush defense has allowed 305.3 yards on the ground per game, good for second-to-last in the country. Without wide receiver Ezell Ruffin on the field, the Aztecs' offensive strength is definitely Donnel Pumphrey, Chase Price and the rush attack. SDSU will rely on the ground game more heavily until Ruffin returns. If SDSU runs like it's capable of doing against UNLV's porous rush defense, the Aztecs should open MWC play with a convincing win.
UNLV: Use that dual-threat-QB card all night
The last two times SDSU has faced a legitimate dual-threat quarterback, things haven't been pretty. For some reason, coach Rocky Long's 3-3-5 defense seems to struggle against a quarterback who can turn a broken play into a big gain with his feet. Last year, former-UNLV quarterback Caleb Herring embarrassed the Aztecs in Las Vegas. He ran it nine times for 60 yards and a touchdown, all while completing 20 of 30 passes for 270 yards and five touchdowns. More recently SDSU played North Carolina's Marquise Williams, and he put up some similar numbers: 12 carries for 63 yards, 23 of 39 completed passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Current UNLV quarterback Blake Decker is a dual-threat quarterback very similar to Herring. If UNLV has any chance of winning tonight, Decker will have to play out of his mind.