On the brink of a bowl bid last season, Mike Sanford's UNLV Rebels fell short.

Pegged as a dark horse in the Mountain West Conference football race this year, UNLV flopped.

On Monday, Sanford took the fall for those disappointments. The former University of Utah offensive coordinator was fired following a 45-17 loss to Air Force that dropped the Rebels to 4-7 this season.

Hired by UNLV off Urban Meyer's Utah staff the same season Kyle Whittingham was chosen to lead the Utes and Bronco Mendenall was hired by BYU, Sanford never came close to experiencing his peers' level of success.

The Rebels were just 15-43 overall and 7-32 in the Mountain West during Sanford's tenure. During that time, he went through three defensive coordinators and failed to beat in-state rival Nevada.

"Obviously, the season is not going the way that we wanted it to go," UNLV interim director Jerry Koloskie told the Las Vegas Sun . "Certainly, [the Air Force loss] was not any better of an indication. As I said all along, we'll have to figure out what we're going to do."

Koloskie also said that Sanford would finish out the season. He will coach his final game Nov. 28 when UNLV plays San Diego State.

"It's his team, and I think he's definitely earned the opportunity to finish the season out. I just think it's appropriate," Koloskie said to the Sun.

Sanford's stock was high after two seasons at Utah under Meyer. Sanford implemented Meyer's innovative spread offense at the U. and helped develop Alex Smith into a Heisman Trophy contender and No. 1 NFL draft pick. In 2004, the Utes were ranked third nationally in scoring and total offense, and finished an unbeaten 12-0 season with a win over Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl.

But Sanford never found a way to transport that magic to Las Vegas, winning just two games in each of his first three seasons at UNLV.

Sanford and the Rebels made a move last year, finishing 5-7. But UNLV stumbled badly in a season-ending loss at last-place San Diego State -- a game that cost the Rebels a shot at a bowl invitation.

UNLV was picked to finish fourth this season in most preseason polls and tabbed as a contender to break the grip held on the MWC by Utah, TCU and BYU. But the Rebels got rolled by in-state rival Nevada on Oct. 3, and that ushered in what became three straight blowout losses to the Wolf Pack, BYU and Utah.

The Rebels really never recovered from that. But at least one fellow MWC coach believed that UNLV was close to breaking through.

"I am saddened by it. I really believe and still believe they were making progress and tried to do it the right way," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "Coach Sanford is a very good person and I think really, has set a foundation, or set a standard, or re-established a standard for whomever comes next."

mthach@sltrib.com