In college football, Vanderbilt isn’t exactly Alabama, a perennial football powerhouse.
But Vanderbilt is in the same bruising conference as Alabama, the SEC. So when UNLV football destroyed Vanderbilt last weekend, was it a sign? Writing on the wall that this UNLV football team isn't as dreadful as its record seems to show?
“For little UNLV, from the Mountain West Conference, to go on the road in Nashville and play in their stadium… to go there and win 34 to 10 and to dominate that team. I don’t care what school it was, or what year from the SEC, that was a very impressive win out of UNLV.” Mitch Moss with VSIN, the Vegas Stats and Information Network said.
He agreed with sports pundits that said the Rebels offense and running game were much better. Moss went so far as to call it "one of the best wins at UNLV football in 20 years."
The question for fans is whether the tide is turning for the team. Moss is a little less enthusiastic, especially because of their schedule.
“To get to six wins, they’re 2 and 4 right now, that’s a big ask. I don’t know if they can get to that or not,” he said.
And how many wins the team can put together could make a big difference for the future of head coach Tony Sanchez.
Moss is not convinced the win against Vanderbilt will save Sanchez's job completely.
“If they’re 5 and 7 or they do pull out four more wins and go 6 and 6 to be bowl eligible, I think he would definitely be back for next year,” he said, but if that doesn't happen, Moss doesn't think very many people will want him to be head coach as the Rebels move into the new stadium.
UNLV MEN'S BASKETBALL
There is no question that UNLV Men's Basketball once ruled Las Vegas. The Runnin' Rebels were legendary under Coach Jerry Tarkanian. Those days are long gone and many of the people who now call the city home don't even remember the glory years.
With the new season of Rebel basketball around the corner, it looks like fans will have to wait at least a few more years for the luster to return to the once-storied program.
“I think they were picked 7 th in the Mountain West Conference. That sounds about right to me,” Moss said.
The program has a new head coach in TJ Otzelberger from South Dakota State. Moss believes he has potential but it will take a few years to build the program.
“If the new coach can come in and surprise some people and they finish top 4 or top 5, that would be a tremendous building block and I think then you would have to be absolutely ecstatic about this guy,” Moss said.
Moss would like fans to give Otzelberger some space to grow the program and improve recruiting, which is vital in college basketball.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
And people are already starting to fret about losses by Las Vegas' beloved Vegas Gold Knights hockey team. Mitch Moss says stop; it's a long season; this team is good.
“Way too early, too much talent and do not freak out yet,” he said.
Moss observed that one loss was to Nashville, which is a playoff team, and another to the Boston Bruins, who made a spectacular run for the Cup last year.
“If they have at the end of this month, six losses – okay people are going to freak out and then we’ll adjust accordingly.”
The Knights beat the Ottawa Senators in a shootout Thursday night - 3 to 2.
Mitch Moss, host, Follow The Money on VSIN
