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UNLV (4-3, 2-2 MOUNTAIN WEST)vs.MISSISSIPPI (4-2, 2-2 SOUTHEASTERN)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2000KICKOFF: 11:00 am PDTSITE: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (50,577/Grass) Oxford, Miss.TV: NoneRADIO: ESPN 920 AM (Larry Kahn & Tony Cordasco)
GAME PREVIEW
UNLV (4-3) heads to the deep South to take on SEC power Mississippi (4-2) for the first time in history ... The game is believed to be the first meeting on any level of two collegiate football teams named the Rebels ... UNLV looks for its fourth victory in the last five games ... The western Rebels are coming off a 42-23 win over Wyoming while Ole Miss enjoyed an off week ... UNLV improved to 20-13 in Homecoming games and broke a two-game losing streak in the traditional events ... After going winless at home in John Robinson's first season, UNLV won its fourth straight home game for the first time since 1992-93 and for the first time in the same season since 1989 ... UNLV evened its MWC record at 2-2 after losing two league games on the road by a combined four points ... This marks the first time UNLV has won two conference games in the same season since going 2-6 in the WAC in 1997 ... UNLV has now won more games -- seven -- in Robinson's first 18 games as coach than the program's previous four seasons combined (6-39 from 1995-98) ... The Rebel defense has shut out opponents in 14 of the last 24 quarters ... Rebel QBs threw two interceptions vs. Wyoming after having no picks the previous 14 quarters and only two in the previous 42 quarters dating back to last season ... With six additional pass attempts, UNLV QB Jason Thomas would rank second nationally in passing efficiency behind Florida's Rex Grossman ... Mississippi is ranked 36th in this week's AP poll and 32nd in the coaches poll.
SERIES NOTES
UNLV faces Ole Miss for the first time ever on the football field ... The schools have never met in men's basketball or baseball as well, but have split a pair of women's basketball games (1983 and 1990) ... Mississippi is the only team on the 2000 schedule that UNLV plays for the first time ... The game will be returned by the SEC Rebels when they come to Las Vegas on Sept. 23, 2006 ... UNLV has faced only one other team from the SEC, having lost 62-3 at Tennessee on Aug. 31, 1996 ... Mississippi has faced only one other MWC team, compiling a 2-1 record vs. Air Force -- all coming in bowl games, including the most recent meeting, a 13-0 win over the Falcons in the 1992 Liberty Bowl ... UNLV senior QB Jason Vaughan, who started eight games last year and his first of the season last week vs. Wyoming, attended Ole Miss out of high school and redshirted for Mississippi in 1996 before transferring to D-II school Valdosta State in his native Georgia ... UNLV senior noseguard Anthony Suggs is a 1997 graduate of Oxford High School and a 1998 graduate of Northwest Mississippi junior college ... UNLV starting defensive lineman Ahmad Miller spent the 1997 season playing for Southwest Mississippi JC ... Senior RB Jeremi Rudolph also starred at SW Miss JC from 1997-98 ... UNLV women's tennis coach Kevin Cory is in his second year at the school after serving as an assistant for Ole Miss' nationally respected program.
2000 SCHEDULES/RESULTS
UNLV (4-3)Date Opponent (TV) TimeS. 9 at Iowa State (KFBT) L, 37-22S. 16 NORTH TEXAS W, 38-0S. 23 at BYU (KFBT) L, 10-7S. 30 AIR FORCE (ABC) W, 34-13O. 7 UNR (S.West)W, 38-7O. 14 at Colorado St. (ESPN2) L, 20-19O. 21 WYOMING-HC (S.West)W, 42-23O. 28 at Mississippi 11 am PDTN. 4 at Utah (ESPN+) 12 pm PSTN. 11 NEW MEXICO (ESPN+) 12 pm PSTN. 18 OPENN. 25 at San Diego St.(S.West)4 pm PSTD. 2 at Hawaii 8 pm PST
OLE MISS (4-2)
Date Opponent TimeS. 2 TULANE W, 49-20S. 9 AUBURN L, 35-27S. 16 at Vanderbilt W, 12-7S. 30 KENTUCKY W, 35-17O. 7 ARKANSAS STATE W, 35-10O. 14 at Alabama L, 45-7O. 28 UNLV 1 pm CDTN. 4 at Arkansas 1 pm CSTN. 11 LSU 1 pm CSTN. 18 at Georgia TBAN. 23 MISSISSIPPI ST. 7 pm CST
UNLV QUICK FACTS
Location: Las Vegas, NV 89154Founded: 1957Enrollment: 23,000Nickname: Rebels (Not Runnin')Colors: Scarlet & GrayPresident: Dr. Carol C. HarterDir. of Athletics: Charles CavagnaroFaculty Representative: Dr. Myrlene LaMancusaConference: Mountain WestStadium: Sam Boyd StadiumCapacity/Surface: 36,800/Natural GrassRecord in Stadium: 111-69-3 (28 seasons)UNLV All-Time Record: 182-177-4 (33rd season)All-Time vs. MWC: 21-32-1Head Coach: John RobinsonRecord at UNLV: 7-11 (2nd year)Record Overall: 111-46-4 (14th season)1999 Record: 3-8/1-6 T8thOffense: MultipleDefense: 4-3
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW
UNLV 42, WYOMING 23
POKES FALL IN LAS VEGAS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1980
LAS VEGAS -- (Oct. 21, 2000) UNLV (4-3) got touchdowns from six different players and recorded eight sacks as the Rebels won their fourth straight home game in the same season for the first time since 1989 with a 42-23 victory over Wyoming before 19,967 at Sam Boyd Stadium and a SportsWest TV audience. The win, which was the first over Wyoming in Las Vegas since 1980, moved the Rebels above .500 after seven games for the first time since 1994. UNLV saw seven players score six points apiece, including two unusual plays to open the scoring. First, wide receiver Nate Turner took a lateral from quarterback Jason Vaughan, who was making his first start of the season, and hit Bobby Nero for a 33-yard touchdown strike. Just four minutes later, special teams standout Nate Rydalch blocked a Wyoming punt that Kevin Rhaburn recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-0 UNLV lead. It was the first time UNLV scored on a blocked punt since Mark Byers did it at New Mexico State in 1994. After the Cowboys came back with a Jay Stoner to Nate Scott TD, Jason Thomas, who was overcoming a sprained foot suffered a week earlier, entered the game and promptly led his team on a drive that culminated in a 10-yard Thomas rushing score. A Cowboy field goal made the halftime score 21-10 but a three-yard Kevin Brown TD gave the hosts an 18-point lead. The teams traded scores but UW never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way as UNLV posted its most points since a 55-48 overtime loss to San Jose State on Nov. 22, 1997. The seventh player to reach six points was freshman walk-on kicker Dillon Pieffer, who made all of his extra points in his collegiate debut. Jeremi Rudolph led the Rebel runners with 102 yards on just 11 carries, including a game-long 43 yarder, while Turner caught four balls for 96 yards. CB Kevin Thomas had 10 tackles and DE Anton Palepoi had four of his team's sacks to lead the UNLV defense as the Rebels got to four wins in a season for the first time since 1994 and won their first Homecoming game in three seasons and only fourth in the last 11 years.
REBELATIONS
ON THE OFFENSIVE:
UNLV has scored 200 points in seven games after not nearing that mark in the last two entire seasons (160 in `99 and 156 in `98) ... The Rebels (6.3) are averaging 1.6 yards more per play than their opponents (4.7). Last year they were outgained 5.4 to 4.2 ... UNLV has totaled more than 400 yards in offense in three of seven games this fall after failing to hit the mark even once a year ago ... The Rebels have 15 rushing TDs through seven games, which is one more than the previous two seasons combined and more than any entire season since posting 18 in 1991 ... Through seven games, UNLV has averaged more than three minutes less per game in possession time ... Senior transfer Kevin Brown has a league-leading three 100-yard games this season to go with his six century-mark games while playing at Washington State in 1998 ... UNLV has had three different players gain 100 yards in a game six times this fall: Brown (three), Rudolph (twice) and QB Jason Thomas (once) ... Rudolph was the only Rebel to pass 100 yards in 1999, doing it twice ... Nate Turner (36) has 52 percent of the team's receptions (69) this season ... Turner has at least two receptions in all 18 of his games at UNLV ... Turner, who is averaging nearly one TD reception a game this fall, needs only two more scores to tie Len Ware (1996) for sixth on the school's single-season record list with eight ... Turner needs five more scores to tie Demond Thompkins (1991-93) for career TDs at the school with 17 ... The Rebels' 321 yards rushing vs. UNR were the most for the program since 334 in a 28-23 win over Arkansas State on Sept. 9, 1995.
FOR THE DEFENSE:
UNLV has outsacked its opponents 24-13 this fall. After seven games of 1999, the Rebels had been outsacked 21-11 by opponents ... The 24 sacks are the most in a season since the team had 41 in 1994 and the 13 allowed ties for the conference lead ... Anton Palepoi leads the Rebels and is tied for third in the MWC with seven sacks ... Preseason All-American Thomas leads the MWC with 14 passes defended (12 PBU, two INT) ... UNLV has held six of its seven opponents at 200 yards or less rushing this season. Air Force picked up 219 yards but the Falcons still finished 118 yards below their average heading into the game ... Free safety Sam Brandon, a former receiver who is playing his first season on defense this fall, leads the Rebels in tackles with 45.
SPECIAL (TEAMS) DELIVERY:
Troy Mason continues to climb the national charts in punt returns, ranking seventh with an average of 18.2 on 13 attempts, including a long of 35 ... Freshman walk-on kicker Dillon Pieffer was perfect in six attempts in his collegiate debut vs. Wyoming, marking the first time a UNLV kicker had six XPs in one game since Tim O'Reilly booted six of seven attempts on Nov. 22, 1997 ... Pieffer replaced senior punter Ray Cheetany on kicks after the Rebels missed five PAT attempts, including four blocks, in the first six games ... Although it has not attempted a field goal in the last nine quarters, UNLV is 5-of-7 on field goals this season, which already more than doubles the team's total from a year ago (2-of-5) ... The two misses in 2000 were both blocked ... Cheetany's 48-yard field goal vs. UNT was the longest for UNLV since Nick Garritano's 54-yarder vs. UNR in 1994.
PICK ME!
UNLV preseason All-American cornerback Kevin Thomas has moved into a tie with four former Rebels for 10th on the school's career interception list. The junior led the squad a year ago with five picks and paces the Rebels again this fall with two. With his next interception, the Sacramento, Calif., native will move all the way into a four-way tie for seventh.
UNLV CAREER INTERCEPTION LIST
Marlon Beavers (1973-76) 17Charles Jarvis (1978-81) 14David Hollis (1983-86) 11Patt Medchill (1970-72) 11Rodney Mazion (1991-94) 9Jim Farnham (1970-71) 9Alvin Horn (1984-86) 8Aaron Mitchell (1977-78) 8Jim Thompson (1968-69) 8Kevin Thomas (1998-PR) 7Carlton Johnson (1989-91) 7Anthony Blue (1983-86) 7Harvey Allen (1982-85) 7Rich Logan (1968-70) 7
BREAK IT UP
Cornerback Kevin Thomas, only a junior, has already obliterated the school's career pass breakup record with 43 -- an amazing 16 more than second-place Anthony Blue totaled in 1983-86. Thomas, who had a career-high six breakups vs. UNR on Oct. 7, also set UNLV's single-season mark with 24 in 1999.
UNLV CAREER PASS BREAKUPS
Kevin Thomas, 1998-PR 43Anthony Blue, 1983-86 27Rodney Mazion, 1991-94 26Randy Black, 1997-PR 24Carlton Johnson, 1989-9124Charles Dimry, 1984-87 21David Hollis, 1983-86 21Clarence Mack, 1991-92 20
UNLV at Mississippi
TENTATIVE DEPTH CHART
REBEL OFFENSE
WR (Z) 6 Nate Turner (6-3, 200, SR-1L) 8 Michael Johnson (5-10, 180, FR-RS) WR (X) 86 Troy Mason (5-10, 170, SO-1L) 1 Bobby Nero (6-1, 180, JR-TR) LT 69 Bradon Bair (6-6, 295, JR-1L) 63 Greg Hulett (6-3, 300, JR-RS) LG 63 Greg Hulett (6-3, 300, JR-RS) 75 Shane Wagers (6-5, 300, JR-1L) C 61 Peter Tramontanas (6-5, 275, JR-2L) 78 Joel Menendez (6-3, 275, FR-RS) RG 70 Tony Terrell (6-4, 295, SO-1L) 73 Dominic Furio (6-2, 285, FR-RS) RT 72 John Greer (6-5, 290, SR-3L) 75 Shane Wagers (6-5, 300, JR-1L) TE 80 DeJhown Mandley (6-4, 240, SO-1L) 83 Trevan Sorensen (6-4, 240, SO-1L) QB 2 Jason Thomas (6-4, 235, SO-TR) 10 Jason Vaughan (6-4, 210, SR-1L) TB 4 Kevin Brown (6-2, 225, SR-TR) 7 Jeremi Rudolph (5-9, 175, SR-1L) FB 33 James Wofford (6-0, 200, SR-3L) 24 Steven Costa (6-1, 225, SO-1L)
REBEL SPECIALISTS
PK 95 Dillon Pieffer (5-11, 169, FR-HS) 39 Ray Cheetany (5-11, 180, SR-1L) KO 39 Ray Cheetany (5-11, 180, SR-1L) HOLD 23 Toby Smeltzer (5-10, 185, SO-1L) LS 53 Ryan Hanson (6-2, 220, FR-RS)
REBEL DEFENSE
LDE 47 Anton Palepoi (6-4, 275, JR-TR) 37 Scott Parkhurst (6-3, 235, JR-TR) DT 44 Ahmad Miller (6-4, 295, JR-1L) 91 Dietrich Canterberry (6-4, 290, FR-RS) NG 98 Anthony Suggs (6-0, 260, SR-1L) 92 Phil Reed (6-3, 270, SO-1L) RDE 90 Ahmad Briggs (6-3, 230, SO-1L) 45 Steve Newton (6-3, 245, JR-1L) 99 Adrian Watson (6-3, 240, JR-TR) SLB 48 Tyler Brickell (6-4, 225, SR-3L) 13 LaMar Owens (6-2, 235, JR-TR) MLB 49 Ryan Claridge (6-3, 235, FR-HS) 59 Bill Cofer (5-11, 235, SO-1L) WLB 36 Shanga Wilson (6-1, 215, JR-TR) 18 Tosh Burrus (6-0, 210, SO-1L) CB 5 Amar Brisco (5-10, 170, SR-3L) 19 Jamal Wynn (6-0, 185, SO-1L) SS 31 Sharif Hamilton (6-0, 195, SR-1L) 41 Ross Dalton (6-3, 205, SO-1L) FS 42 Sam Brandon (6-3, 195, JR-1L) 23 Toby Smeltzer (5-10, 185, SO-1L) CB 28 Kevin Thomas (5-11, 180, JR-2L) 25 Sean Mackey (6-1, 190, FR-RS)
REBEL SPECIALISTS
P 39 Ray Cheetany (5-11, 170, SR-1L) 17 Ryan McDonald (5-10, 175, SO-1L) PR 86 Troy Mason (5-10, 170, SO-1L) 7 Jeremi Rudolph (5-9, 175, SR-1L) KOR 7 Jeremi Rudolph (5-9, 175, SR-1L) 86 Troy Mason (5-10, 170, SO-1L)
