Oct. 29, 2001

LAS VEGAS - UNLV junior tailback Joe Haro has been named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week after turning in a career-best rushing performance, the league announced Monday.

Haro led the Rebels to a 47-26 victory at Wyoming by rushing 22 times for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He was the first Rebel to gain more than 200 yards in a game since Shannon Wilson got exactly that number vs. Arkansas State in 1995. Haro turned in the seventh-best performance in school history and produced the most yards since Ickey Woods ran for 265 on 37 carries at Pacific in 1987.

Haro's day included a career-long 65-yard touchdown and another 64-yard run. He now has 950 total rushing yards in eight games this season, which already ranks sixth in UNLV single-season rushing history. Haro, a native of Clifton, N.J., currently stands fourth in the MWC and 17th in the nation with a 118.8 YPG average.

He is the first Rebel to receive the league's offensive honor this season and the first UNLV running back to earn the recognition since Jeremi Rudolph on Oct. 11, 1999. UNLV already had two players - punter Gary Cook and punt returner Troy Mason - earn a MWC Special Teams Player of the Week award this season.

Senior defensive back Jason Gallimore of Colorado State was named MWC Defensive Player of the Week while senior punter John Cortney of Air Force took home special teams kudos.