Upstart Rebels will provide test

LAS VEGAS — UNLV coach Mike Sanford is learning first-hand about how difficult it is to turn a football program around.

Under Sanford, the Rebels posted two wins in each of his first two seasons. But he inherited a program that hasn't experienced a winning season since 2000 and has enjoyed only three winning seasons since 1987.

Still, there have been some signs of progress.

UNLV (2-4 overall, 1-1 in the Mountain West) opened the season with a victory at Utah State — its first road win in three years. The following week, the Rebels battled nationally ranked Wisconsin before falling at home, 20-13. After a loss at nationally ranked Hawaii, UNLV shocked Utah, 27-0.

"They whipped us pretty good," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said of the Rebels. "They're definitely an improved football team."

With that win, UNLV equaled its victory total from each of the past three seasons. It also made the Rebels 2-0 this season against teams from the Beehive State.

Then came back-to-back losses to archrival Nevada-Reno and MWC foe Air Force.

"We lost a game tonight, but I'm not going to allow this team to be defeated," Sanford said after his team fell to Air Force. "Defeat means that you give up, and we're not giving up. We're going to fight back."

The Rebels get their chance Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, where they host defending Mountain West Conference champion BYU. Sanford knows a victory over the Cougars would be a huge step forward for his team.

"We've got an exciting but challenging matchup with BYU," said Sanford, whose squad has lost by a combined 107-21 to the Cougars in 2005 and 2006.

One of the keys to changing the fortunes of UNLV football, Sanford said, is changing the mindset.

"Our biggest thing is, we've had to overcome the mental hangover from the past. That's an ongoing thing," he explained. "When you're in the process of turning a football program around, like we're in the process of doing, part of it is getting good coaches, part of it is recruiting good players. But the other part of it is changing the mentality. In our case, that's an ongoing thing that we're working on to develop."

UNLV's offense, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Travis Dixon, is ranked No. 109 in scoring offense (18.5 points per game). Running back Frank Summers is among the MWC's top rushers, averaging 86 yards per game. The 5-foot-10, 240-pound Summers is a bruising back who can be tough to bring down.