Aug. 18, 2007
Photo Gallery from Saturday's Scrimmage.
UNLV football ran through several different situations during an approximate 80-play scrimmage under the watchful eye of head coach Mike Sanford on Saturday morning.
Sanford and his assistants had their team go through third downs, goal line, punts, kickoffs and several other situations to help the Rebels get valuable experience before the season opener at Utah State on Aug. 30.
Sanford was pleased with what he saw during the nearly two hours of work.
"We got a lot accomplished and the team and coaches saw a lot of different situations out there," Sanford said. "For instance during our third-and-goal drills, we emphasized that we can't take a sack or turn it over. We either have to score a touchdown or not force something and get points by kicking a field goal."
While the majority of the scrimmage was situational, there was some series where the offense started at the 30 and went against the defense in a game setting. Newcomer Frank `The Tank' Summers (Oakland, CA/Skyline HS) was impressive in limited action, rolling for 48 yards on just two carries.
"That is a statement about not only Frank, but also our offensive line," Sanford said. "We have improved run-blocking wise along the offensive front."
Saturday's scrum was the first for redshirt quarterback Travis Dixon (Chandler, AZ/Hamilton HS) as the clear-cut starter for the Rebels, and he was not allowed to be hit, which limited his dual-threat ability. He finished the morning going 6-for-7 for 78 yards and one interception. He also rushed twice for 15 yards.
"He did a lot of good things and was a little bit up-and-down," Sanford said. "When he is not live it takes away a lot of his running ability and the defense does not have to account for that."
Other highlights for the Rebels on the day included Chris Brogdon (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista HS) rushing for 41 yards on eight carries and one touchdown, Dack Ishii (Huntington Beach, CA/Knoxville Catholic HS) throwing for 118 yards (10-18) and a touchdown and Renan Saint Preux (Immokalee, FL/Immokalee HS) making three catches for 52 yards. On the defensive side of the ball Lafayette Fletcher (Anaheim, CA/Morningside HS) had an interception while Thor Pili (Orem, UT/Timpanogos HS) and Preston Brooks (Los Angeles, CA/Dorsey HS) each recorded a sack.
REBEL CAMP NOTES:
IMPRESSIVE GRABS... During the team's goal line work, Rodelin Anthony (Immokalee, FL/Immokalee HS) shined by making some impressive catches in the end zone for scores. The 6-foot-5 receiver used his tall frame and long arms to go up and make two receptions in crowds along the back of the end zone. Anthony had another scoring grab on a roll out by Dack Ishii to end a drive during the live-action portion of the scrimmage.
SHORT WORK FOR THE TANK... Running back Frank Summers saw limited action during the scrimmage as he tweaked his knee after getting tackled from behind on his first carry. Summers came back in and ran the ball again before being held out the rest of the scrimmage as a precaution. "He tweaked his knee but he is fine. There are no issues stability wise with it," Sanford said.
UNLV SCRIMMAGE STATS (unofficial)
Passing Travis Dixon 6-11, 78 yards, 1 interceptionDack Ishii 10-18, 118 yards, 1 TDOmar Clayton 2-3, 30 yardsMike Clausen 4-7, 55 yards
RushingFrank Summers 2-48Chris Brogdon 8-41, 1 TDRobert Paulele 6-19Omar Clayton 4-16, 1 TDTravis Dixon 2-15Mike Clausen 2-8Dack Ishii 2-(-8)
ReceivingRenan Saint Preux 3-52Lorenzo Bursey Jr. 3-41Aaron Straiten 2-38Rodelin Anthony 2-35, 1 TDGarrien Johnson 2-26Gerold Rodriguez 2-25Ryan Worthen 2-20Chris Brogdon 1-20Casey Flair 1-11Chris Butler 1-9Jerriman Robinson 1-5Robert Paulele 1-1Frank Summers 1-(-2)
DefenseInterception - Lafayette FletcherFumble recovery - KC AsioduForced fumbles - Preston Brooks, Anthony WhiteSacks - Preston Brooks (minus-8 yards), Thor Pili (minus-7 yards)Pass breakups - KC Asiodu, Omega Faga, Daryl Forte, Luke Plante
