Sept. 2, 1998
DAMON IS DA MAN
With his first catch this fall, senior wide receiver Damon Williams will break a tie with current Pittsburgh Steeler Henry Bailey for the schools career receptions record. Both players currently have 156 receptions. Also, Williams needs just 331 more yards to move past Bailey into the top spot for career receiving yardage (2,515).
With just five more yards, Williams will move past current Jacksonville Jaguar star Keenan McCardell into third place. A quarterback in high school, Williams was pressed into service as a receiver as a true freshman in 1995. Since that opening game, he has grown into one of the nations top ball catchers. His 156 career receptions ranks him fifth in the nation for returning players and his 2,185 yards is seventh-best among all returning receivers.
A consensus first-team All-WAC player a year ago, Williams has caught at least one pass in a school-record 34 consecutive games -- or every game of his career. Rated the nations 18th-best receiver heading into fall by Lindys and 20th-best by The Sporting News, Williams can tie the NCAA record of 46 consecutive games catching a pass (held by Carl Winston of New Mexico -- 1990-93) if the Rebels earn a spot in the 1998 WAC Championship game. 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 schools all-time list.
DAMON WILLIAMS CAREER RECEIVING YEAR REC YDS AVG TD LG1997 61 770 12.6 5 491996 54 900 16.7 1 751995 41 515 12.6 2 39TOTAL 156 2,185 14.0 8 75 UNLV CAREER RECEIVING LISTRECEPTIONSPL PLAYER YEARS RECT1. Damon Williams 1995-pr. 156T1. Henry Bailey 1991-94 156 3. Michael Morton 1978-81 154. Demond Thompkins 1991-93 1425. Keenan McCardell 1987-1990 141 6. Carlos Baker 1995-pr. 140 RECEIVING YARDSPL PLAYER YEARS YDS TD1. Henry Bailey 1991-94 2,515 242. Demond Thompkins 1991-93 2,396 173. Keenan McCardell 1987-90 2,189 154. Damon Williams 1995-pr. 2,185 8
WARE THE BALLS ARE
One of the WACs top scoring threats through the air, Len Ware is a sure-handed star who has become a large part of the high-flying Rebel offense. A former defensive back as a prepster, Ware moved over to offense in college and redshirted in 1995. He burst on to the scene a year later by breaking the schools freshman receptions record with 42. His 1,446 yards after just two years puts him in 12th place on the schools all-time list.
With his next catch, Ware will move into a tie for 11th on the schools career charts. Ware has his sights set on the schools career touchdown reception record as well. His 14 scores in two years puts him 10 behind former Rebel great Henry Bailey. Known for his long scores, Ware has two 82-yard scoring receptions, which are tied for second-longest pass plays in school history. In addition, the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-native has six career 100-yard receiving games, which puts him in a tie for sixth. He is only two off tying the record of eight by Randy Gatewood (1993-94).
LEN WARE CAREER RECEIVINGYEAR REC YDS AVG TD LG1997 49 668 15.9 6 821996 42 628 15.0 8 82TOTAL 91 1,446 15.9 14 82
WARES TOP GAMESYEAR OPP REC YDS TD 1997 UH 8 108 11996 SDSU 7 200 21997 SJSU 7 150 01997 ISU 7 105 21997 at USC 7 96 11996 AFA 6 45 01997 TCU 5 117 01996 at UH 5 73 31997 at AFA 4 121 1
UNLV CAREER RECEIVING LIST100-YARD GAMESPL PLAYER YEARS GMST1. Randy Gatewood 1993-94 8T1. Jim Sandusky 1981 8T3. Damon Williams 1995-pr. 7T3. Sam Greene 1979-80 7T3. Keenan McCardell 1987-90 7T6. Len Ware 1996-pr. 6
CARLOS CATCHES ON
A true senior in 1998, Carlos Baker is one-third of a trio that anchors arguably the WACs top receiving corps. Baker, who finished 14th in the conference with 38.9 YPG in 1997 and was 19th in RPG with 2.9, is looking to regain his 1996 form that earned him Offensive MVP honors as one of the nations top possession receivers. The Burbank, Calif.-native currently stands in sixth place on the schools career receptions list with 140 and will move into a tie for fifth with one catch and a tie for fourth with two grabs. Also, Bakers 1,900 yards are good for fifth place at the school while his 2,606 all-purpose yards puts him 12th all-time.
A defensive back in high school, Baker converted to offense as a true freshman in 1995 and earned 585 yards through the air, which included becoming the first Rebel rookie to earn back-to-back 100-yard games.
His 71 receptions as a sophomore broke the UNLV sophomore record of 54 set by Demond Thompkins in 1992. In 1996, Baker finished fourth in the WAC and 19th nationally with 5.9 RPG.
CARLOS BAKER CAREER RECEIVINGYEAR REC YDS TD1997 32 428 0 1996 71 887 71995 37 585 3TOTAL 140 1,960 10
BAKERS TOP GAMESYear Opp Rec Yds1996 at SJSU 10 1681996 at Tenn. 9 401996 FSU 8 911995 USU 8 741995 at SJSU 7 1541995 NMSU 7 1111996 AFA 7 961996 at TCU 7 791996 at CSU 7 781997 at SDSU 6 451995 at UNR 5 114
