Before and after the game against the New Mexico Lobos this past Saturday on the road, Fresno State football head coach Tim Skipper kept reiterating “get back time” to his players.

“It means a lot. We wanted to get our first win on the road since we didn’t do it in Michigan. We wanted to win against New Mexico because they beat us soundly at home last year. It was a “get back time” for a lot of things,” Skipper told GV Wire at the news conference on Monday.

That “get back time” mentality worked. They beat the Lobos decisively 38-21 in their Mountain West Conference opener at University Stadium. Their record is 3-1.

Meanwhile, this week’s opponent, undefeated and nationally ranked UNLV, would like to get back the roster it had a week ago.

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka said Tuesday night via social media that he will not play in any more games this season. He later said that he was promised $100,000 in NIL money that he didn’t receive.  Running back Michael Allen also announced on social media that he’ll enter the transfer portal. Whether these are power plays or guarantees, only time will tell.

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Undefeated UNLV Poses New Challenge

Now they have their sights set on another road conference contest against the undefeated (3-0) and No. 23 nationally ranked UNLV Rebels at Allegiant Stadium. It’s their first conference game of the season for UNLV, which is coming off a bye week. The Rebels are more rested and will have more practice time to prepare for the Bulldogs before they roll into town.

These aren’t the Rebels of the past. Winning was not part of their culture for the longest time. Ever since head coach Barry Odom took over last year this is a revamped Rebels program. Last season they finished 9–5 overall and 6–2 in conference play, played in the conference championship game, and appeared in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Being the only ranked team in the conference with their record, this is the first time they’ve experienced this success since 1984 when NFL legend Randall Cunningham suited up for them.

This is not the program Skipper dealt with when he was the defensive coordinator of the Rebels from 2018-19. From a historical standpoint, the Bulldogs have the advantage.

Both teams will meet for the twenty-seventh time in program history where the Bulldogs lead the series 19-7. Fresno State is 8-4 versus UNLV on the road. The Bulldogs also are riding a six-game winning streak against UNLV which began in 2018.

Fresno State’s Defense Looks to Shine Minus Bracha

Fresno State will need another stellar performance to win. On paper, the Bulldogs have the ability to do so.

The Bulldogs are fifth in the FBS in turnovers gained this season, totaling 10 on the year (seven interceptions, three fumbles). The starting cornerback duo of junior Al’zillion Hamilton and senior Cam Lockridge are first and second respectively in the FBS in passes defended. Senior linebacker Tuasivi Nomura is No. 15 in the country in total tackles. Lockridge is No. 3 in overall interceptions and interceptions per game with three. Redshirt junior defensive end Korey Foreman is No. 3 in forced fumbles with two.

Unfortunately, they’ll be without starting senior defensive back Camryn Bracha. He suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter and already underwent surgery. Skipper informed GV Wire that it’s a long-term thing but there’s some optimism going forward. “He’s a tough kid. A fast healer. After a couple of weeks, we’ll see where we are with him,” said Skipper.

That means depth players like senior Kosi Agina and sophomore Jayden Davis will have to step up in Bracha’s absence to contain the Rebels’ playmakers. UNLV returned two All-Americans for the first time in its history: wide receivers and seniors Ricky White III and Jacob De Jesus (who’s also a kick and punt returner).

Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle knows that they’re talented but has schemes in mind to limit their abilities to get open.

“When we do play single high coverages, we have to win on the outside one-on-one. In two-deep coverages we have to make sure nothing is getting over the top. We got to work on those so we can be prepared to defend them on Saturday,” said Coyle.

The Rebels also have the No. 5 best rushing attack in the country. Coyle admires their abilities but with his players’ productivity getting national attention, he’s confident in the challenge.

Nomura knows the Rebels are offensively balanced: “You have to look out for everyone. They’re pretty sound overall in all positions. It’ll be a great game to go against them.”

Offensive Explosiveness Continues to Improve

The offense’s “explosiveness” progressively gets better every week. Even though senior wide receiver Mac Dalena is a top 10 player nationally in overall receiving yards and receiving yards per game, the player who exemplifies the versatility of the offense is Raylen Sharpe.

The junior wide receiver used his hands for catching and throwing against the Lobos last Saturday accumulating 6 receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown pass.

Offensive coordinator Pat McCann spoke highly of the playmaker and what he brings to the team.

“He’s got a unique skill set. He was the starting quarterback for his high school in Texas. He’s incredible and we want to make sure we use a player’s skill set and he’s got that,” said McCann.

Senior running back Malik Sherrod didn’t play last Saturday against the Lobos. It’ll more than likely be the same story this week and the way it has been since last season. He battled injuries that limited his playing time in 2023, and it’s the same thing now. They’ve had to rely on backups like senior Elijah Gilliam to step up in his absence. He’s done it plenty of times.

“It means everything to me. I put in a lot of work to be prepared for moments like this. I just want to show what I can do,” said Gilliam.

When he’s on the field his intentions are to show the coaches that quite possibly, he should be the top ballcarrier. “When I’m out there, whenever I get the chance and get the ball, I’m always trying to prove something,” said Gilliam.

McCann said that with or without Sherrod that they’re committed to the run game. The Bulldogs will have to bring all they got against the Rebels since Las Vegas has done a fantastic job with turnovers and capitalizing on those opportunities.

The Rebels have scored 23 total points off turnovers while allowing zero such points from opponents. They’re only giving up an average of 13.7 points a game while averaging 40.7 points a game.

The “get back time” mentality can serve as great motivation to get a conference win against a ranked opponent to demonstrate what they can accomplish.

“It’ll show what we’re capable of. It gives a push to a long season. We just got to go 1-0 this week,” said Sharpe.