DEKALB, Ill. — Since he became UNLV’s football coach in December, Tony Sanchez has made one promise — his team would play with what he calls a “fanatical effort.”
The Rebels did exactly that Saturday night at Huskie Stadium. They gave Northern Illinois everything they had, including a major scare.
They fell just short of pulling off a major upset in the season opener, the 23½-point underdog Rebels losing 38-30.
“I feel like we had a chance to win this game,” Sanchez said. “I looked at personnel, and I looked at our guys. I like our guys.