November 15, 1998
GAME 11UNLV (0-10, 0-7 WAC)vs. TCU (5-5, 3-4 WAC)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 21, 1998KICKOFF: 1:00 pm PSTSITE: Sam Boyd Stadium (32,000/Artificial) TV: NoneRADIO: KXNT-840 AM, 12:30 pm PST (Tony Cordasco & Hunkie Cooper)
GAME PREVIEW
UNLV (0-10, 0-7) returns home to close out the season with a WAC Mountain Division game vs. TCU (5-5, 3-4) ... Against the Horned Frogs, the Rebels will attempt to snap a school-record 15-game losing streak ... Last week, UNLV lost at Rice 38-16 while TCU broke a four-game losing streak with a 17-7 win at Tulsa ... UNLV has not won its final regular-season game since a 33-16 victory over Cal State Fullerton in 1992 ... The Rebels are 11-17-2 all-time in regular-season finales, including a record of just 6-11-1 when the campaign closes at home ... Four of UNLV's first 10 opponents this season received votes in this week's USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Poll: No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 17 Air Force, Wyoming (30th) and BYU (32nd).
SERIES NOTES
These two teams have met only twice and each school has won once ... This marks the third and last time the programs will meet as WAC opponents ... Saturday marks the third time in the last four games that UNLV will face a team from Texas ... The Rebels list seven players from the Lone Star State while the Horned Frogs have no players from Nevada ... First-year TCU defensive line coach Stan Eggen spent three years as UNLV's defensive coordinator from 1994-96.
SERIES RECORD: Tied 1-1 LAST MEETING: 1997 (UNLV 21-19)TCU at UNLV RECORD: 1-0UNLV at TCU RECORD: 0-1 UNLV's LARGEST WIN: 2 (21-19 in 1997)TCU's LARGEST WIN: 8 (42-34 in 1996)SERIES SCORES: DATE SITE RESULT11-2-96 Ft. Worth TCU, 42-3410-11-97 Las Vegas UNLV, 21-19
UNLV (0-10) 1998 SCHEDULEDate Opponent Result/Time S. 5 at Northwestern L, 41-7S. 12 AIR FORCE L, 52-10S. 19 at Wisconsin L, 52-7S. 26 at Colorado St. L, 38-16O. 3 NEVADA, RENO L, 31-20O. 10 at BYU L, 38-14O. 17 WYOMING (HC) L, 28-25 (OT) O. 24 at SMU L, 10-7O. 31 TULSA L, 20-16N. 7 OPENN. 14 at Rice L, 38-16N. 21 TCU 1 pm PST
TCU (5-5) 1998 SCHEDULEDate Opponent Result/TimeS. 5 at Iowa State W, 31-21S. 12 OKLAHOMA L, 10-9S. 26 AIR FORCE W, 35-34O. 3 VANDERBILT W, 19-16 (OT)O. 10 FRESNO STATE W, 21-10O. 17 at SMU L, 10-6O. 24 at Colorado St. L, 42-21O. 31 WYOMING L, 34-27N. 7 RICE L, 14-12N. 14 at Tulsa W, 17-7N. 21 at UNLV 1 pm PST
ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET SET FOR SUNDAY
The 1998 Rebel Football Awards Banquet will take place beginning at noon this Sunday at Sam's Town Hotel and the public is invited. Nine-year NFL quarterback Joe Reed, who also is father of starting Rebel signal-caller Chad Reed, is this year's guest speaker. Tickets are $35 for the public and $15 for faculty & staff. Tables of 10 can be ordered and player-table sponsorships are also available. Call Terry Cottle for more information at 895-3454.
UNLV HEAD COACH JEFF HORTON
Jeff Horton, who turned 41 this summer, is in his fifth season at the helm of the Rebel football program and sixth as a Div. I-A head coach. The seventh head man in UNLV's 30 years of football history, Horton has a career record of 20-47 and 13-43 for the Rebels. Ending a half-decade in charge, Horton ties original coach Bill Ireland (1968-72) for second-longest stint leading UNLV football. Only Tony Knap (1976-81) coached the Rebels longer. Named the 1994 Big West Co-Coach of the Year after leading UNLV to its second-ever league title and bowl win, Horton graduated from Nevada, Reno in 1981 and later received his master's from the Univ. of San Francisco. He came to Las Vegas after spending the 1993 season as head coach of UNR, where he also had been assistant coach from 1985-89 and '92. Horton also served a stint as a UNLV assistant from 1990-91. Born July 13, 1957, Horton is married to the former Teri Arden of Reno.
HORTON'S CAREER RECORDYEAR SCHOOL TOT CONF FIN1998 UNLV 0-10 0-7 8th1997 UNLV 3-8 2-6 7th1996 UNLV 1-11 1-7 T7th1995 UNLV 2-9 1-5 10th1994 UNLV 7-5 5-1 T1st1993 UNR 7-4 4-2 3rd
TOTAL 6 Years 20-47 13-28
TCU HEAD COACH DENNIS FRANCHIONE
Named TCU's 28th head coach on Dec. 15, 1997, Dennis Franchione currently has a 5-5 record at the school and a career record of 38-41 in almost seven years in Div. I-A. The 1997 WAC Coach of the Year led New Mexico to a 9-4 record and berth in the Insight.Com Bowl and final national ranking of 25th. He rebuilt the Lobo program after previous head coaching stops at Southwest Texas, Pittsburg State and Southwestern (both located in Kansas). In his 16 years as a head coach on all levels, his record is 118-60-2. A 1973 graduate of Pittsburg State, Franchione, 47, has a son, Brad, who serves as offensive line coach at Ft. Scott (KS) Community College.
THE LAST TIME THEY METLAS VEGAS -- (Oct. 11, 1997)UNLV 21, TCU 19
REBELS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT AT HOME
UNLV (3-3) stayed perfect at home with its first-ever win over visiting TCU (0-5) before 18,777 at Sam Boyd Stadium. Counting 1996's final home game, the Rebels won their fourth-consecutive home game for the first time since 1992-93 after former All-American Horned Frog kicker Michael Reeder missed a 34-yard field goal attempt with under a minute to play. UNLV used two Jon Denton to Todd Floyd touchdown passes and an interception return for a score by Amar Brisco to build a 21-6 lead late in the second quarter. However, TCU punched in a rushing TD just before half to cut the lead to 21-12. Earlier, Reeder suffered his first-ever miss of a PAT attempt and snapped his school-record streak of 79 conversions. UNLV was shut out in the second half for the first time since Game One vs. Tennessee in 1996 -- a span of 17 games -- but also held TCU scoreless after a third-quarter TD. Hoping to salt away the game, the Rebels used eight-straight James Wofford rushes to move down field before he fumbled with 3:14 to play. TCU drove to the UNLV 17 and on fourth-and-seven saw the potential game-winning field goal sail left. Denton finished with 246 yards passing, marking his 10-straight game hitting at least 200 yards. Len Ware's 117 yards on five grabs led all receivers while TCU's Basil Mitchell paced all rushers with 104 yards on 20 carries in what became his team's seventh-straight defeat.
GAME TEN IN REVIEWREBELS FAIL TO END ROAD SKID RICE 38, UNLV 16
HOUSTON -- Rice scored 21 second-quarter points en route to handing UNLV its 26th-consecutive defeat on the road. The game, which ended statistically even, essentially was decided on a single first-half play. Rice (5-5) led 3-0 after the first quarter before UNLV's Tim O'Reilly kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal to tie things early in the second. After a 38-yard Michael Perry TD reception, the Rebels drove to the Owls' one-yard-line looking for the tying score. After two Dahrin Footman rushes resulted in no gain, QB Chad Reed went for the sneak on third and goal. The officials ruled Reed fumbled before entering the end zone and the ball fell into the hands Dan Dawson, who returned it 100 yards for a Rice touchdown. It marked only the second time in NCAA I-A history that a fumble had been returned the length of the field (Paul Rivers of Rutgers was the first to do it in a game vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 28, 1995). UNLV (0-10) never recovered from the stunning change of events as the Owls scored again and led 24-3 at the break. Rice improved to 11-1 at home vs. WAC opponents and the Rebels lost their school-record 15th-straight game. Sophomore James Wofford led UNLV with 114 yards rushing and Damon Williams became the school's career receiving yardage leader with his 56 yards on four catches. The senior moved past Henry Bailey, who had 2,515 yards from 1991-94. DB Mark Hays led the UNLV defense with 14 total tackles as Rice converted only one of nine third-down situations. Perry finished with 108 yards on only 10 carries to pace the Owls, who completed four of just seven pass attempts.
NO ORDINARY JOE
KRISTOSIK CONTINUES TO LEAD NATION IN PUNTING
UNLV senior Joe Kristosik is attempting to become the fourth punter in UNLV history to earn All-American honors. The Las Vegas native currently leads the nation with a 46.2 average coming on 69 attempts, which is 28 more than the No. 2 man. Two weeks ago, he was named as one of Sports Illustrated's Top-10 Special Teams Players. The Rebels have risen to second in the nation in net punting with an average of 41.3 yards. At BYU, Kristosik tied the UNLV record for punts in one game with 13 and averaged an amazing 52.5. Of those boots, eight went 50 yards or longer and four went 60 or longer, including two at a season long of 67 yards. On the year, Kristosik has 24 kicks that traveled at least 50 yards, including eight that went 60 yards or longer. The former prep quarterback at Bishop Gorman High School has twice been named the WAC's Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 28 after averaging 51.3 YPK at CSU and Oct. 12 after the BYU game) to become the first punter in school history to earn a conference player of the week honor since the program joined the Big West in 1982. Kristosik is just three punts away from the UNLV single-season record set by Steve Gortz in 1978 and 13 away from the career record of 232 held by Jim DiFiore (1970-73). Also, with six more punts, Kristosik will qualify for the NCAA record for highest average with a minimum of 75 punts, which is currently held by Bill Marinangel of Vanderbilt (46.57 in 1996).
1998 NCAA DIV. I-A PUNTING LEADERS NO AVG 1. Joe Kristosik, UNLV 69 46.162. Josh Bidwell, Oregon 41 45.41 3. Stephen Baker, Arizona State 51 45.314. Dave Zastudil, Ohio 48 45.215. Brian Schmitz, North Carolina 61 44.97
ON THE OFFENSIVE...
James Wofford, who currently stands 10th in the WAC with 75.0 YPG, is only the seventh Rebel to rush for more than 600 yards in consecutive seasons and the first since Kirk Jones and Tony Lewis both hit the mark in 1984-85 ... UNLV has started three quarterbacks this season: senior Chad Reed (5 games), senior Kevin Crook (3) and redshirt freshman Chris Hayward (2) ... Damon Williams, who became UNLV's career leader in both receptions and receiving yardage this season, was one of 32 players on the 1998 Biletnikoff Award Watch List ... The Rebels have gone eight consecutive games without a 100-yard receiver ... Senior Sam Mineo is tied for 32nd nationally among tight ends with six receptions while his 55 yards tie him for 37th in the country.
FOR THE DEFENSE...
The Rebels have 13 QB sacks in five games after recording only three in the first five ... UNLV has two defensive scores this season and six in two years ... All of the Rebels' seven interceptions this season were by different players -- including four by non-defensive backs. DEs Ted Darnell (who scored a TD with his) and Talance Sawyer join DL Robin Maile and LB Greg Gales with one pick each this fall ... Preseason First-Team All-WAC DE Sawyer leads the conference in tackles for loss with 21 for 64 yards. Sawyer, who leads the team with four QB sacks, also has five pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception on the year ... Redshirt freshman and team captain James Sunia, who leads the team in tackles with a total of 105, had a team season-high 17 vs. Air Force. He has found a home among the WAC's top-five in total tackles.
SPECIAL (TEAMS) DELIVERY...
As a team, UNLV leads the conference and is second nationally with a net punting average of 41.3 YPK ... Boosted by Duane "Toy Train" James' 78-yard punt return vs. UNR, the Rebels are third in the league and ninth nationally in team punt returns with 13.9 YPR ... Tim O'Reilly's 40-yard field goal at Rice was a career long and the longest for the Rebels since 1996.
DAMON IS DA MAN
Now the unquestioned king of UNLV receivers, Damon Williams became the school's career leader in receiving yardage last week at Rice. His 52 yards enabled him to pass Henry Bailey (1991-94) and head into his last game with 2,552. In the season opener at Northwestern, the senior broke a tie with Bailey for most receptions and now has 186 -- which earns him a spot among the top-50 NCAA I-A receivers of all time. A quarterback in high school, Williams was pressed into service as a receiver as a true freshman in 1995. Since that opening game, he grew into one of the nation's top ball catchers. His 156 career receptions ranked him fifth in the nation for returning players and his 2,185 yards was seventh-best among all returning receivers. A consensus first-team All-WAC player a year ago, Williams caught at least one pass in a school-record 39 consecutive games -- or every game of his career -- before being shut out at BYU. Rated the nation's 18th-best receiver heading into fall by Lindy's and 20th-best by The Sporting News, Williams is the only UNLV player in history to have two double-digit receiving games in career, which both came last season (11 at USC & 10 at Fresno State). Also, his seven 100-yard receiving games rank him second on the all-time list.
DAMON WILLIAMS CAREER RECEIVING YEAR REC YDS AVG TD LG1998 30 367 12.3 1 201997 61 770 12.6 5 491996 54 900 16.7 1 751995 41 515 12.6 2 39TOTAL 186 2,552 13.7 9 75 UNLV CAREER RECEIVING LISTSRECEPTIONSPL PLAYER YEARS REC1. Damon Williams 1995-pr.1862. Henry Bailey 1991-94 156 3. Michael Morton 1978-81 155 Carlos Baker 1995-pr.1555. Demond Thompkins 1991-93 142 RECEIVING YARDSPL PLAYER YEARS YDS TD1. Damon Williams 1995-pr.2,552 92. Henry Bailey 1991-94 2,515 243. Demond Thompkins 1991-93 2,396 174. Keenan McCardell 1987-90 2,189 155. Carlos Baker 1995-pr.2,068 116. Nat Hawkins 1968-71 1,896 20 7. Randy Gatewood 1993-94 1,832 138. Len Ware 1996-pr.1,830 15
UNLV vs. TCU TENTATIVE TWO-DEEP
REBEL OFFENSEH 8 DAMON WILLIAMS (6-4, 225, SR-3L) 16 Duane James (5-9, 175, FR-RS)
LT 72 JOHN GREER (6-5, 290, SO-1L) 71 Glenn Pilarowski (6-4, 315, JR-TR) LG 64 JERALD PIERUCCI (6-5, 290, SR-3L) 74 Brandon Ellena (6-4, 275, SR-1L)
C 76 BUBBA GONZALEZ (6-2, 260, SR-2L) 59 Aaron Hall (6-0, 265, FR-RS)
RG 61 PETER TRAMONTANAS (6-6, 260, FR-HS) 78 Mike Reily (6-3, 290, SR-3L)
RT 71 GLENN PILAROWSKI (6-4, 315, JR-TR) 78 Mike Reily (6-3, 290, SR-3L)
TE 89 SAM MINEO (6-3, 250, SR-3L) 83 Mike Leatham (6-4, 230, SR-1L)
QB 7 CHAD REED (6-1, 210, SR-1L) 11 Chris Hayward (6-4, 210, FR-RS)
WR (X) 3 LEN WARE (6-1, 185, JR-2L) 42 Sam Brandon (6-3, 180, FR-RS) WR (Z) 16 DUANE JAMES (5-9, 175, FR-RS) 82 Carlos Baker (5-10, 195, SR-3L) RB 33 JAMES WOFFORD (6-0, 200, SO-1L) 21 Dahrin Footman (5-8, 195, JR-2L) 4 Coury Hankins (5-9, 185, JR-2L) REBEL SPECIALISTSKO 13 DANA BARSUHN (5-10, 180, SR-1L)PK 17 TIM O'REILLY (6-0, 205, JR-2L)HOLD 5 KEVIN CROOK (6-3, 200, SR-3L)LS 83 MIKE LEATHAM (6-4, 230, SR-1L)
REBEL DEFENSELE 99 TED DARNELL (6-5, 270, SR-3L) 58 La'anui Correa (65-3, 230, FR-HS) LT 92 DERRICK MONROE (6-2, 285, SR-3L) 73 Justin Conway (6-1, 280, SO-1L)
RT 91 ROBIN MAILE (6-1, 290, SR-1L) 70 Troy Kirkpatrick (6-5, 260, SR-1L) RE 9 TALANCE SAWYER (6-2, 290, SR-3L) 10 Roderick Jones (6-2, 235, JR-2L)
WILL 55 JERRAD PIERUCCI (6-2, 225, JR-2L) 51 Devon Rose (6-0, 205, FR-RS)
MIKE 43 JAMES SUNIA (5-10, 240, FR-RS) 50 Dusty Pearce (6-2, 250, JR-TR) BANDIT 44 GREG GALES (6-2, 235, SR-2L) 48 Tyler Brickell (6-4, 230, SO-1L) LC 26 ANDRE HILLIARD (5-8, 155, JR-TR) 23 James Teele (5-10, 180, SR-1L) NICKEL 22 RANDY BLACK (5-10, 190, SR-1L) 31 Tumua Vitale (5-11, 185, FR-RS)
FS 1 MARK HAYS (5-10, 190, SR-1L) 36 Anthony Brown (6-0, 205, SR-2L) RC 28 KEVIN THOMAS (5-11, 165, FR-RS) 23 James Teele (5-10, 180, SR-1L) REBEL SPECIALISTSPUNT 97 JOE KRISTOSIK (6-3, 220, SR-3L) 17 Tim O'Reilly (6-0, 205, JR-2L)KOR 16 DUANE JAMES (5-9, 175, FR-RS) 3 Len Ware (6-1, 185, JR-2L)PR 16 DUANE JAMES (5-9, 175, FR-RS) 3 Len Ware (6-1, 185, JR-2L)
