# 2009 UNLV Rebels football team

The 2009 UNLV Rebels football team was the 42nd varsity football team to represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Rebels play in the Mountain West Conference and compete each season against the remaining eight members of the conference and one permanent interstate rival: Nevada. In 2009, UNLV also played non-conference games at home against Sacramento State, Oregon State and Hawaii. Mike Sanford entered his fifth and final season as UNLV's head coach and the Rebels played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada.
In November, head coach Mike Sanford was fired after five losing seasons, a 16-43 record and no bowl appearances. He won his last game as head coach against San Diego State on November 28, 2009, 28-24, with a fourth quarter comeback.

## Pre-season

At the 2009 Mountain West Conference Media Day in Las Vegas, the Rebels were picked to finish fifth in the conference, the highest preseason ranking since the Rebels were picked to finish tied for fifth with BYU in 2004. ESPN NFL analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. named the Rebels, along with Miami (FL), California and SMU, as one of his sleepers that could make "national noise" in 2009. Kiper stated: "If Omar Clayton, their quarterback, can stay healthy and get the ball to Ryan Wolfe, UNLV, I think, can go bowling for the first time in a long time and be a factor in the Mountain West Conference." Paul Myerberg of The New York Times ranked UNLV in the 84th position in their preseason Quad Countdown, in front of Ball State and behind UTEP. The ranking was an improvement of 27 spots from their 2008 preseason ranking of 111th. Myerberg predicted that the Rebels would go 6-6 and earn their first bowl berth since their 2000 Las Vegas Bowl victory against Arkansas.
Junior quarterback Omar Clayton received much praise during the preseason including that from The New York Times and Mel Kiper, Jr. and was named as one of the favorites to be named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year by Bleacher Report's Mountain West Conference writer. Senior wide receiver Ryan Wolfe was named as one of the best non-BCS receivers in the country by The New York Times and was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list during the preseason. Wolfe enters the season only 50 receptions and 900 yards away from breaking the conference's career receptions and receiving yards records. Wolfe and senior linebacker Jason Beauchamp were both named to the All-MWC preseason team.
On July 3, 2009, sophomore linebacker Bryce Saldi suffered severe injuries following a skateboarding accident while in southern California. Saldi was placed in the intensive care unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center. There has been no word on a timetable for Saldi's return.

### Key Losses

The following are some of the key players who will be no longer eligible to play in the 2009 season:

### Recruiting

College recruiting information (2009) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Jordan Barrett LB | Sherman Oaks, CA | Notre Dame HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 4.7 | Jan 28, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| B.J. Bell DE | Santa Ana, CA | Santa Ana College | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 4.65 | Jan 9, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Caleb Herring QB | Perris, CA | Citrus Hills HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.75 | Jun 5, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Bradley Randle RB | Murrieta, CA | Vista Murrieta HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.40 | Nov 25, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Nathan Holloway DT | Las Vegas, NV | Spring Valley HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 332 lb (151 kg) | 5.36 | Dec 7, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Doug Zismann OL | Phoenix, AZ | Shadow Mountain HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | 5.3 | Nov 1, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Kenny Brown DB | Santa Clarita, CA | College of the Canyons | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | — | Dec 16, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Alex Degiacomo DB | Torrance, CA | El Camino College | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.57 | Dec 17, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Brandon Babineaux WR | Folsom, CA | Folsom HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | — | Feb 4, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Courtney Bridget DB | Baltimore, MD | Dunbar HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.5 | Dec 16, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Mark Barefield WR | Mesquite, TX | North Mesquite HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | — | Sep 29, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Charles Childress DB | Las Vegas, NV | Bishop Gorman HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 4.59 | Nov 3, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Mike Grant DB | Rocklin, CA | Sierra HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.5 | Oct 26, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Sidney Hodge DB | Las Vegas, NV | Palo Verde HS | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | 162 lb (73 kg) | 4.47 | Feb 4, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Thomas Kilgore OL | Fresno, CA | San Joaquin Memorial HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | — | Jan 28, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Andrew Mack OL | Plano, TX | Plano West HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | — | Nov 30, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Irshad Stolden WR | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Rancho Cucamonga HS | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | — | Jan 18, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Marcus Sullivan RB | North Las Vegas, NV | Cheyenne HS | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | 162 lb (73 kg) | 4.55 | Dec 11, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| John Therell DB | Las Vegas, NV | Bishop Gorman HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | – | Dec 15, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Reggie Umuolo LB | Peoria, AZ | Centennial HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 4.7 | Jun 26, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Robert Waterman OL | Stevenson Ranch, CA | Vista Ranch HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | — | Feb 4, 2009 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Warren Ziegler DB | San Mateo, CA | College of San Mateo | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.4 | Nov 30, 2008 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "UNLV Commit List for 2009". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 24, 2009. "UNLV: Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved March 24, 2009. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved March 24, 2009. "2009 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 24, 2009. |||||||

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 5 | 7:00 p.m. | Sacramento State* | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | | W 38–3 | 22,195 |
| September 12 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 24 Oregon State* | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | CBSCS | L 21–23 | 25,967 |
| September 19 | 8:00 p.m. | Hawaii* | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | MWSN/CBSCS | W 34–33 | 29,717 |
| September 26 | 12:00 p.m. | at Wyoming | War Memorial StadiumLaramie, WY | | L 27–30 | 19,196 |
| October 3 | 1:00 p.m. | at Nevada* | Mackay StadiumReno, NV (Battle for the Fremont Cannon) | | L 28–63 | 24,078 |
| October 10 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 20 BYU | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | MWSN | L 21–59 | 25,597 |
| October 17 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 24 Utah | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | MWSN | L 15–35 | 26,315 |
| October 24 | 5:00 p.m. | at New Mexico | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | MWSN | W 34–17 | 24,021 |
| October 31 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 6 TCU | Amon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TX | Versus | L 0–41 | 33,541 |
| November 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Colorado State | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | MWSN | W 35–16 | 15,902 |
| November 14 | 3:00 p.m. | at Air Force | Falcon StadiumColorado Springs, CO | MWSN | L 17–45 | 25,370 |
| November 28 | 6:00 p.m. | San Diego State | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | MWSN | W 28–24 | 13,730 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Pacific time |||||||
Sources:

## Game summaries
### Sacramento State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Rebels | 10 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
UNLV opened their season as a 22-point favorite against FCS squad Sacramento State from the Big Sky Conference. Both teams' passing games were hampered by the 32 mph wind gusts that were recorded around the stadium. UNLV took a 10–3 lead into halftime after a one-yard touchdown run by junior runningback Channing Trotter and a 39-yard field goal by senior kicker Kyle Watson gave UNLV the 10–0 lead after the first quarter. Sacramento State would get their only points of the game on a 44-yard field goal by Hornets' kicker Chris Diniz
In the second half, the Rebels would explode on offense, starting with another 1 yard touchdown run by Trotter late in the third quarter. Trotter would score his third one-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to push the Rebels lead to 24–3. The Rebels increased their lead midway through the fourth on a 55-yard strike from senior quarterback Omar Clayton to senior wide receiver Rodelin Anthony. Clayton's backup, sophomore Mike Clausen, played the final minutes of the game and sealed the Rebels victory with a 4-yard touchdown run. The win against Sacramento State was their fourth straight opener.

### Oregon State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Beavers | 0 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 23 |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |

### Hawai'i

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Warriors | 10 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 33 |
| Rebels | 7 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 34 |

### Wyoming

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Cowboys | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 30 |

### Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Wolf Pack | 14 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 63 |

### BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 10 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 59 |
| Rebels | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Utes | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| Rebels | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 15 |

### New Mexico

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 14 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 34 |
| Lobos | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |

### TCU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Horned Frogs | 10 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 41 |

### Colorado State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Rebels | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |

### Air Force

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Falcons | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |

### San Diego State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aztecs | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Rebels | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 28 |