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UNLV (4-4, 2-2 MOUNTAIN WEST)vs.UTAH (2-6, 1-3 MOUNTAIN WEST)
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2000KICKOFF: 12:00 pm PSTSITE: Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,634/Grass) Salt Lake CityTV: ESPN+PLUS/Gold 33-Cable 6 (Chris Marlowe & J.C. Pearson)RADIO: ESPN 920 AM (Larry Kahn & Tony Cordasco)
GAME PREVIEW
UNLV (4-4) travels to take on Utah (2-6) in Salt Lake City for the first time since 1982 in a key Moutain West Conference meeting ... The Rebels look to win their third conference game of the year for the first time since going 5-1 in the Big West Conference in 1994 ... The Rebels are coming off a wild 43-40 overtime loss at Mississippi while Utah lost at New Mexico 10-7 ... UNLV will look to end a six-game road losing streak that dates back to last season ... The Rebels have lost their last three road games by a total of seven 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 19 games as coach than the program's previous four seasons combined (6-39 from 1995-98) ... UNLV has thrown two interceptions in consecutive games after going 14 straight quarters without a pick ... This will mark the Rebels' second appearance this season on ESPN+Plus and the program's single-season school record seventh TV appearance of 2000.
SERIES NOTES
UNLV and Utah have met five times and the Utes lead the series 4-1 ... The Rebels have never won a game in Salt Lake City ... The two schools met four consecutive years (1979-82) when UNLV was playing a WAC schedule while an independent hoping to join the league ... With the Rebels instead entering the PCAA (Big West), the 1982 game counted as one of UNLV's six league games ... The Rebels' lone victory in the series was a heart-stopping 43-41 win that featured seven lead changes and ended with a last-second, then-school-record long 49-yard field goal by Todd Peterson ... The 69-28 Utah win in 1981 matches the most points ever scored against the Rebels (Houston 69-0 in 1989) ... UNLV has one player listed from the state of Utah -- Salt Lake City native Anton Palepoi who graduated from Hunter High School and attended Dixie JC before joining UNLV this fall ... Utah lists one Nevadan on its roster -- sophomore defensive back Arnold Paker, who attended Cimmarron-Memorial HS in Las Vegas ... Rebel head coach John Robinson is 1-1 vs. Utah, including a 28-21 win over the Utes in the 1993 Freedom Bowl while leading USC.
SERIES RECORD: UU leads 4-1 SERIES SCORES:LAST MEETING: 1999 (UU 52-14) DATE SITE RESULTUNLV at UU RECORD: 0-2 10-20-79 Las Vegas UNLV, 43-41UU at UNLV RECORD: 2-1 9-20-80 Salt Lake UU, 45-29UNLV's LARGEST WIN: 2 (43-41, 1979) 10-24-81 Las Vegas UU, 69-28UU's LARGEST WIN: 41(69-28, 1981) 10-16-82 Salt Lake UU, 24-14 9-25-99 Las Vegas UU, 52-14
2000 SCHEDULES/RESULTS
UNLV (4-4)
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 L, 43-40 (OT)N. 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
UTAH (2-6)
Date Opponent TimeS.2 ARIZONA L, 17-3S. 9 at California L, 24-21S. 16 WASHINGTON ST. L, 38-21S. 23 AIR FORCE L, 23-14S. 30 at Utah State W, 35-14S. 14 at San Diego St.W, 21-7S. 21 COLORADO STATE L, 24-17S. 28 at New Mexico L, 10-3N. 4 UNLV 1 pm MSTN. 11 at Wyoming TBAN. 24 BYU 4 pm MST
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: 182-178-4 (33rd season)All-Time vs. MWC: 21-32-1Head Coach: John RobinsonRecord at UNLV: 7-12 (2nd year)Record Overall: 111-47-4 (14th season)1999 Record: 3-8/1-6 T8thOffense: MultipleDefense: 4-3
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
UTAH 52, UNLV 14
UTES ROMP IN UNLV'S MOUNTAIN WEST OPENER
LAS VEGAS -- (Sept. 25, 1999) Playing its first-ever Mountain West Conference game, UNLV (2-2) was dominated by Utah (3-0) in the Utes' first trip to Las Vegas since 1981. Mike Anderson, who would go on to star in his rookie season for the Denver Broncos, rushed for 116 yards and four touchdowns as Utah rolled up 290 yards on the ground and 475 yards overall in front of 23,532 fans at Sam Boyd Stadium. The Rebels lost their ninth-straight game at home while managing just 63 yards rushing (-18 in the first half) and 90 yards passing. Utah jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Len Ware returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score for UNLV's first points at home in 1999. The return for a score, the first for the school since 1992, was the second-longest in Rebel history after Ken Bowles' 99-yard return vs. Cal Poly in 1976. The Utes, however, continued to pile it on in the second half, scoring six touchdowns in seven red-zone appearances during the game. The lead swelled to 52-7 until Jason Vaughan hit Nate Turner for a three-yard touchdown and mark the hosts' first offensive touchdown in the previous eight quarters. Utah won its fourth straight in the series and UNLV failed to win its league-opener for the fourth straight season.
REBELATIONS ON THE OFFENSIVE:
UNLV topped 200 points in seven games after not nearing that mark in the last two entire seasons (160 in `99 and 156 in `98) ... With 240 points scored through eight games, the Rebels are on pace to finish the year with 320 points, their highest scoring total since racking up 387 points in the 1984 season ... UNLV rushed for a season-high 378 yards at Ole Miss, its highest single-game rushing total since a 383-yard day against Pacific in 1989. It was the third time this season UNLV has rushed for more than 300 yards in a game ... UNLV has totaled more than 400 yards in offense in four of eight games this fall after failing to hit the mark even once a year ago ... The Rebels have 19 rushing TDs through eight games, which is five more than the previous two seasons combined and more than any entire season since posting 21 in 1990 ... After going 55 games and more than four years without a two-point conversion, UNLV has tied a school record with four successful two-point tries this year. The Rebels are 4-of-5 (80%) on two-point tries this year, and WR Nate Turner has caught two of those ... Backfield mates Kevin Brown and Jeremi Rudolph are tied for the league lead with three 100-yard rushing games apiece, and UNLV boasts eight of the 20 century games in the MWC this season. UNLV has had four different players gain 100 yards in a game eight times this fall: Brown (three), Rudolph (three), James Wofford (once) and QB Jason Thomas (once). Rudolph was the only Rebel to pass 100 yards in 1999, doing it twice ... Wofford earned his first 100-yard rushing game in nearly two years with a 10-carry, 138-yard performance at Ole Miss. Entering the game with only 17 yards on the season, Wofford rushed for more than eight times his season total in the game. He raised his career yardage total to 1,827, climbing from 10th place to seventh on UNLV's all-time rushing list. He needs just 24 yards to move past Mack Gilchrist into sixth place and 99 to surpass Ickey Woods in fifth ... Nate Turner (41) has 54 percent of the team's receptions (76) this season ... Turner has at least two receptions in all 19 of his games at UNLV ... Turner, who is averaging nearly one TD reception a game this fall, needs only one more score to tie Len Ware (1996) for sixth on the school's single-season record list with eight and four to tie Demond Thompkins (1991-93) in fifth place for career TDs at the school with 17.
FOR THE DEFENSE:
UNLV has outsacked its opponents 24-17 this fall. After eight games of 1999, the Rebels had been outsacked 22-12 by opponents ... The 24 sacks are the most in a season since the team had 41 in 1994 and the 17 allowed ties for second in the conference ... 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 seven of its eight 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 59.
SPECIAL (TEAMS) DELIVERY:
Troy Mason continues to climb the national charts in punt returns, ranking sixth with an average of 17.9 on 15 attempts, including a long of 41 ... Freshman walk-on kicker Dillon Pieffer was perfect in six PAT 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 ... Pieffer also scored six points at Ole Miss, hitting on all three PATs and making his first collegiate field goal attempt, a 33 yarder in overtime ... UNLV is 6-of-8 on field goals this season, which triples 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 ... UNLV blocked its first field goal attempt in 18 games when Sam Brandon blocked a 38-yard try at Ole Miss that allowed UNLV to score a tying TD and send the game into OT ... The Rebels' last blocked field goal came in the 1999 season opener at North Texas.
GAME EIGHT IN REVIEW
MISSISSIPPI 43, UNLV 40
BATTLE OF THE REBELS GOES TO OLE MISS IN OT
OXFORD, Miss. -- (Oct. 28, 2000) UNLV (4-4) fell to 0-4 all-time in overtime games and wasted a furious comeback at Mississippi in the first-ever football meeting between the two Rebel programs. Injured Heisman Trophy candidate running back Deuce McAllister came off the bench in overtime to pick up key third-down conversions and then the winning one-yard touchdown plunge to end the wild game, 43-40, before 40,338 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss looked like it would run away early on Homecoming by taking a 21-7 lead and adding a safety off a blocked punt just before halftime. The western Rebels, however, used a punishing ground game to fight their way back into a game filled with big plays (five touchdowns longer than 30 yards). Ole Miss got 65- and 53-yard touchdown receptions from Grant Heard in the second half but UNLV used two short Jason Thomas touchdown rushes and a James Wofford 41-yard scoring burst to pull within 37-29 with nine minutes remaining. Ole Miss drove to the UNLV 20 yard line but a game-icing field goal attempt was blocked by Sam Brandon. That was the good news. The bad news was that the football was recovered by UNLV on its own one yard line with five minutes remaining. Forced to go the length of the field, UNLV marched to the Ole Miss 17 with just five seconds left. UNLV coach John Robinson gambled and won by calling a running play that resulted in Jeremi Rudolph diving into the end zone as the clock ran out. UNLV then tied the game with a last-second option pitch by Thomas to Kevin Brown for the team's second two-point conversion of the game. UNLV lost the coin flip and was forced into nailing a 33-yard field goal on its possession. Ole Miss then used nine plays tos score a touchdown from the 25-yard line, including McAllister's game winner. UNLV lost its second-ever meeting with an opponent from the Southeastern Conference, dropped its sixth-straight road game dating back to last season. UNLV outgained its host 471-452, including a stunning 378 yards rushing -- the most for the Rebels since 1989. James Wofford led the way with 138 yards on just 10 carries while Jeremi Rudolph had 108 yards and Kevin Brown added 95 more. Despite running for two scores and throwing for one, Thomas had his worst day as a Rebel, hitting on just seven of 25 pass attempts, five of which went to Nate Turner, and had his first two-interception game as a collegian.
UNLV at Utah
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) 54 Brian Hart (6-5, 290, SR-3L)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 7 Jeremi Rudolph (5-9, 175, SR-1L) 4 Kevin Brown (6-2, 225, SR-TR)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)
