UNLV matchups: Possession time will be key in Rebels-Ohio clash

MATCHING UP

What: Frisco Bowl

Who: UNLV (10-3) vs. Ohio (8-4)

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas

TV: ESPN

Outlook: There are some streaks to this one. UNLV plays in its third straight bowl game while Ohio has won six straight such postseason contests. A victory would give Ohio its ninth bowl trophy in the last 15 years. The Bobcats have experienced some internal turmoil of late with the firing of coach Brian Smith for cause last week. Defensive coordinator John Hauser has taken over for the bowl game in an interim role. The Rebels have not missed a beat under first-year coach Dan Mullen, hired in December of last year following Barry Odom’s departure to Purdue. UNLV has won 30 games the past three seasons. The only thing that has eluded the Rebels is a Mountain West championship, with UNLV having fallen to Boise State in three consecutive finals. Ohio failed to make the MAC title game this year due to a three-way tie, but at 6-2 in league was still one of the better teams in an always-competitive conference. This is just the second meeting all-time between the schools, with UNLV prevailing 26-18 in September of 1988. The Bobcats have been in most all their games this season, only losing once by seven points or more. And that was to Ohio State. Funny. Both teams have proven capable of scoring, but neither has a high tempo rate. Nobody here is really pushing the ball downfield with much aggression. Be wary of a total over 65. The Rebels have cashed the under in four of their last five games. Ohio’s senior class is attempting to finish its time in the program with a 40th win.

When the Rebels have the ball: Not much will change here if anything at all. The Rebels will still count on junior quarterback Anthony Colandrea to make plays with his arm and legs to get UNLV into the end zone enough times to secure a victory. Colandrea hasn’t completed the goal of a 70 percent passing rate, but 66 percent isn’t too shabby. He has also rushed for over 600 yards and nine scores to go along with 3,275 passing yards and 23 touchdowns But one of Ohio’s strengths is its defensive backfield, so Colandrea must be careful not to force things into the secondary. UNLV averages nearly 36 points and 460 yards. Colandrea will be supported again by a group of talented running backs and wide receivers. Depth is the key for UNLV. No one player is purposefully highlighted beyond its quarterback. Coming into the season, there were several questions about Ohio’s defense due to graduation and transfer portal exits, but a host of new faces stepped up to again allow for the Bobcats to feature one of the MAC’s better units. Keep an eye on junior safety Jalen Thomeson (team-leading 80 tackles) and senior safety Adonis Williams Jr. (75 tackles). EDGE: UNLV

When the Bobcats have the ball: Things can get pretty methodical here. Ohio is not going to create many five-play scoring drives, The Bobcats are much more interested in ball control. They are led by all-conference quarterback Parker Navarro, who has thrown for 2,232 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for eight more scores. He also has 843 yards on the ground. The star for which UNLV will be most concerned about is running back Sieh Bangura and his 1,200-yard season. Ohio also features wide receiver Chase Hendricks (67 receptions, 950 yards, seven scores). Here’s where things might get tough for UNLV. It’s true the Rebels played better defensively at the back end of a schedule, but getting a team like Ohio off the field will indeed be challenging. The best way for Ohio not to have to deal with Colandrea and all his weapons is keeping them on the sidelines. Possession time will be interesting in this one. If the Bobcats are allowed to earn a decisive advantage, UNLV will need more than a few chunk plays on offense to get the job done. EDGE: Ohio