The Aftermath: Coach Sanchez looks back on loss to Colorado State

Following a tough road win against Hawaii two weeks ago, the Rebels returned home to take on the Colorado State Rams last week. Unfortunately, UNLV was not prepared as the Rams blew the Rebels out 42-23. The loss is the fifth on the season and served as the main topic of discussion in coach Tony Sanchez’s weekly press conference.

Kicking things off, coach Sanchez started by saying that he felt the team came out flat in the first half, but looked much more energized in the second. Having built a 35-0 lead before halftime, the Rams had shut down any chance of the Rebels coming back. When asked about the big lead, coach Sanchez called it the ‘snowball effect’, saying that CSU’s big lead forced the team out of their gameplan. The coach also attributed the team’s poor first half to the fact that the offense only ran 22 plays.

Joined by offensive lineman and defensive lineman Will Kreitler and Mike Hughes Jr., the two players were asked for their opinion as to why the game went downhill so fast to which Hughes Jr. said that they ‘let the first series dictate the game’ while Kreitler attributed it to a lack of communication.

Although the team gave up 35 points in the first half, coach Sanchez pointed out that the defense held the CSU offense to only seven in the second half while the Rebel offense scored 23, saying ‘while there weren’t a lot of positives, there were still some.’

As for their next opponent, San Jose State, coach Sanchez said that the keys to victory will be rushing the ball (the team’s forte) and getting to the quarterback, something that should be easier this week as the Spartans lead the conference in sacks allowed.

You can watch the full press conference below: