Nevada 2015 Football Season Preview

A state known for its business climate that caters to gambling may not get a great deal of attention from Nevada college football aficionados, but two members of the Mountain West Conference make up the school’s most prominent example of play on the field. Nevada online sports betting makes it easy to bet on your favorite football teams from the state making the games that much more fun to sweat.

Nevada Wolf Pack 2015 Football

Getting ready for his third season as head coach of the Wolf Pack, Brian Polian took a major step by getting the team into a 2014 bowl game. What lies ahead for the 2015 college football season is trying to fill the holes on offense to again reach the postseason. There’s no clear starter at quarterback, with either Tyler Stewart, Dante Mayes and Hunter Fralick in line to start. Stewart is the only one who has actual game experience, so that might give him an edge.

In the backfield, Don Jackson and James Butler provide a solid one-two punch, having combined for close to 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2014 season. Whoever goes behind center, might need to move fast early in the 2015 season. That’s because only two starters are back for the offensive line, which already had issues related to consistency following them into this campaign.

On the defensive line, defensive end Ian Seau looks to close out his collegiate career with a strong effort after collecting 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles-for-loss last year. Tackle Rykeem Yates will attempt to follow in Seau’s footsteps, having also shown he can be effective in the trenches. Linebackers Bryan Lane and Matthew Lyons combined for 150 tackles last year, which makes it comforting to know that they’ll be back in 2015. Meanwhile, the secondary might have some sketchy moments this year, since the group consists primarily of sophomores and redshirt freshmen.  If Nevada is able to get past its weaknesses, they’ll go bowling. One subtle advantage they have is a home schedule that’s in their favor.

UNLB Rebels 2015 Football

Risk is a part of the appeal of Las Vegas, and the Rebels are certainly not immune to that after hiring local high school coach Tony Sanchez to take over as head coach. Sanchez has favored the running game in the past, but certainly won’t ignore the talent he has on the receiving unit.

Incumbent quarterback Blake Decker could be challenged by Kurt Paladech, a junior college transfer. Decker ended the 2014 season with more interceptions than touchdown passes, so Sanchez’s patience may not keep him in the lineup. Either quarterback will have the luxury of throwing to Devonte Boyd, who led the team with 65 catches and nearly 1,000 receiving yards. Kendal Keys is another talent to watch, while newcomers Darren Woods, Jr. and Brandon Presley could produce right away.

Depending on whether another pair of freshmen in Lexington Thomas and Xzaviar Campbell are prepared to run the ball, the Rebels may have to rely again on Keith Whitely to carry the ball. The line is the weak spot on offense after two key losses, though Kyle Saxelid and Will Kreitler are expected to lead this unit.

The UNLV defense was shredded in 2014, but the potential of some of the front line players could change that. Chief among them are newcomers Mark Finau and Salanoa-Alo Wily.  Linebacker has Tau Lotulelei, who had 10.5 tackles-for-loss, while the secondary has senior Peni Vea at free safety. One key addition could be Jay’Onn Myles at cornerback. There won’t be any bowl games for UNLV in 2015, but if they can win three games, it might be the first step in a long road back.

Nevada’s NFL Presence

While any NFL team in the state has appeal if someone has money wagered on them at a sports book, there are three regional teams that have an effective amount of fans within the borders of Nevada: the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals.

The success of the 49ers over the past three decades is one reason why they have a little stronger hold than the Raiders, who have struggled mightily for over a decade. In addition, the possible move (again) to Los Angeles may put an end to any Raider allegiance. With the Cardinals, their recent improvement has finally created an awareness that had been lacking since the team first arrived in the desert in 1988.