UNLV Rebels NCAA Football News

UNLV head coach Mike Sanford embraces Malo Taumua after the team's 24-20 season-ending win against San Diego State on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Even now that his UNLV football career has ended, wide receiver Ryan Wolfe hasn't taken much time to reflect on his remarkable four seasons.

As UNLV searches for a football coach and athletic director, more is on the line than simply the immediate future.

UNLV's Ryan Wolfe scores a touchdown against New Mexico on Oct. 24, 2009, in Albuquerque, N.M. UNLV won 34-17. 2:04 p.m. Saturday's 28-24 come-from-behind victory over San Diego State wasn't the last bit of good news for the 2009 UNLV football team.

This will be a night of goodbyes, and not just for UNLV football coach Mike Sanford and possibly his entire staff.

UNLV wins 28-24 over San Diego State Eds: APNewsNow.UNLV 28, San Diego St 24. LAS VEGAS UNLV's Omar Clayton threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Payne with 1:24 to play on Saturday night to give the Rebels a 28-24 come-from-behind victory against San Diego State in the season finale for both Mountain West Conference schools.

Date: Nov. 28, 6 p.m. Where: Sam Boyd Stadium All-time series: SDSU leads, 11-7 The line: UNLV by 4 Both teams are 4-7, meaning both UNLV's and San Diego State's seasons officially come to a close on Saturday night, no matter the outcome of their regular season finale at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Editor's note: Former UNLV wide receiver Casey Flair writes a weekly column for the Las Vegas Review-Journal as a member of the United Football League's Las Vegas Locomotives.

UNLV senior defensive end and linebacker Jason Beauchamp will play his hometown team, San Diego State, on Saturday in his final game for the Rebels.

The firing of UNLV coach Mike Sanford has rekindled debate over what it takes to have a strong college football program here.

UNLV fired coach Mike Sanford on Sunday. Sanford is 15-43 in his fifth year. 'There's empathy for him and his family,' linebacker Jason Beauchamp told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'Everyone has something different to say, but ... after having gone through all the years and all the work I put in, I feel like something needed to change.' Our take: ...

Sanford's firing comes after a 45-17 loss to Air Force on Saturday made the Rebels ineligible for a bowl game.

Dr. Neal Smatresk stands before his office bookcase on which rests a model of a Guatemalan squirrel, which he acquired doing rain-forest research.

* NEXT: San Diego State at UNLV, 6 p.m. Nov. 28, The Mtn. , KWWN-AM Air Force running back Asher Clark bolts past UNLV defensive lineman Malo Taumua, right, and linebacker Starr Fuimaono on a 24-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of the Falcons' 45-17 victory Saturday.

Defense has kept Air Force in every football game this season, but the Falcons are still defined by their triple option.

Nick Oppenneer helps stop a run during the game against San Diego State Oct. 24. In 2007, the Rams lost six games in a row to begin the season and 13 total spanning from the end of 2006.

Dyone Youmans of Effingham County High School dives to sweep the legs of Jimmy Wilkins of Ware County during the Rebels last home game Friday night.

UNLV receiver Ryan Wolfe, right, runs past Colorado State defenders Mychal Sisson and Eugene Daniels in the first half Saturday.

Clayton leads UNLV over Colorado State, 35-16 Eds:APNewsNow. UNLV 35, Colorado State 16.

Conventional wisdom might suggest UNLV is catching Texas Christian at the right time.