1:19 pm: I’ve been in the press box for a while and getting situated, but I walked down about a half an hour ago from my house and had the highlight of the season, perhaps of my career.

Walking down the winding road behind the indoor facility and next to the outdoor facility, a group of people were pregaming out the back of a hatchback. One fellow — holding a frosty Nestea — goes, “Hey. Hey, Mike. Omar comin’!”

That’s relatively unprecedented. As far as I’m concerned, we can skip the rest of the season.

1:22 pm: No Josh Jenkins today. Everyone else of note is on the dress list and available to play. Noel Devine, by the way, is a game-time decision. Take that for what it’s worth. Game captains are Ed Davis, Sid Glover, Trippe Hale and Pat Lazear.

1:29 pm: This is how Bob Hertzel rolls. Undeterred. Lap top keyboard on the blink? No problem. Don’t ask what happens when the adapter goes bad.

1:32 pm: Someone asked in the live chat the other day about working conditions in the press box and I whined about the crowd. Here’s today’s “Who’s Who in The Press Box.”

2:09 pm: It’s a big recruiting weekend on campus — the weather couldn’t have complied any better — and the visitation spans all sports. The prospective student-athletes for gymnastics invaded the press box and had us outnumbered about 2-to-1. I took a picture and was promptly told I could not publish it because of NCAA rules prohibiting publicity for recruiting purposes. (I know that rule, but I didn’t know those were recruits … that was when I was told they were.) I was then told compliance was with the group as it went about campus. Promising!

3:05 pm: Final reminder: Texts from Game Day. It’s on.

3:32 pm: UNLV has roughly 50 players on the sideline. Never seen a travel team that small. Then again, I wouldn’t leave Vegas on a college football Saturday, either.

3:35 pm: Check out the attendance today.

3:38 pm: Noel Devine doesn’t start and WVU exchews running backs the entire first drive: Three plays, 80 yards, 1:01. All 5-wide sets and 41- and 38-yard passes, the second from Eu to Brad Starks for a 38-yard touchdown. It should be mentioned UNLV has one of the very worst run defenses in the country.

3:47 pm: WVU gets Noel a six-snap rest (to start the game) and then brings the toe-slowed running back in for a first-down carry at the UNLV 28-yard line. Devine promptly runs left, cuts back right, gets blocks from Eu and Jock and scores while he’s tackled awkwardly from behind as he sneaks into the corner of the end zone. I’d give the lad the rest of the day off now.

4:13 pm: Press box banter:

Person A: “Starks must think this is a scrimmage.”
Person B: “He’s right.”

4:27 pm: Cole Bowers is out. Noel Devine is still in.

4:29 pm: …maybe they just want to get him to 100 yards. That 48-yard touchdown puts him at 84 for the day — on three carries. It’s also the second-longest run of the season. UNLV will get you right every time.

4:30 pm: As criticized as the WVU offense is this season, this is the second 28-0 second-quarter lead (Maryland) adn the third lead of at least 28 points (Coastal Carolina).

5:16 pm: UNLV dominating time of possession: 19:58-10:02. Nevertheless, WVU has its most prolific half of football under Stewart.

5:19 pm: Damn. New quarterback. Where’s Kenard?

5:23 pm: Well, UNLV’s No. 88 is not better than WVU’s No. 8. Tandy, just a few days away from USF, gets another tip-drill interception. He has three of those this season, all in the past two games. The rest of the team ahs two interceptions.

5:27 pm: I can’t begin to tell you what the Brad Starks performance is doing in the press box. The three TD receptions ties a school record.

5:39 pm: Brandon Hogan is in street clothes on the sideline with a presumed left upper-arm injury.