Previewing UNLV's football schedule

While the UNLV Rebels only improved their win total by one game to finish 4-8 in 2016, the team was competitive in each game, and showcased a top 20 run game as well. Now, as the team turns the page to 2017, it’s time to take a look at the opponents.

To start things off, UNLV will play host to Howard University. This game is the equivalent of last years’ opener when the team hosted Jackson State. The Rebels wound up beating the Tigers 63-13. Fans should expect the same thing this year.

In week 2, the Rebels will travel to Idaho to take on the Vandals. This will be the team’s first test after they allowed Idaho to come into Sam Boyd stadium and steal a 33-30 overtime victory last season.

Next up is the team’s biggest game of the season, as they travel to Columbus to take on The Ohio State Buckeyes. While UNLV will most likely lose, it’ll be interesting to see how competitive they’ll be against one of the powerhouse schools, and should serve as a measuring stick for the team’s future prospects.

After spending two weeks on the road, the Rebels will finally return home to face San Jose State. After allowing the Spartans to score 27 points in the first half, the Rebels held them to only three points in the second, while scoring 14 of their own points. Unfortunately, that was not enough as they lost 30-24 and suffered their sixth lost of the season.

As the rest of the schedule goes, everything is standard with the exception of two games on October 21st, and November 11th when they take on Utah State and BYU respectively.

If the team showcases the competitiveness that they did for a majority of last season, and the running game is still there (it should be), the Rebels should see an improvement on the field and possibly a bowl bid.

Here is their complete schedule: