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UNLV (2-3, 0-0 MOUNTAIN WEST)
vs.
NEW MEXICO (2-4, 0-1 MWC)
DATE:    Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002KICKOFF: 4:00 pm PDTSITE:    Sam Boyd Stadium (37,500/Natural Grass)TV:  NoneRADIO:   ESPN 920 AM (Tim Neverett, Bruce Snyder)

GAME PREVIEW

UNLV (2-3) opens its Mountain West Conference schedule by hosting New Mexico (2-4) and hoping to reach .500 for the first time since finishing 8-5 in 2000 ... The game marks the latest conference opener in Rebel history, beating the league lid-lifter vs. Big West foe Utah State on Oct. 10, 1987 ... UNLV will look for its third straight win at home while the Lobos will be out for their first road victory in four attempts this fall ... UNLV improved to 3-1 under John Robinson vs. its in-state rival UNR last week with a 21-17 victory ... UNM had a bye week after being shut out by Texas Tech, 49-0, on September 27 ... UNLV has not won a conference opener since downing Arkansas State 28-23 in 1995 to kick off Big West play ... All-time, UNLV is 8-12 in league openers (.400) but 6-6 when they have taken place at home ... The three teams that have defeated UNLV this fall currently stand a combined 12-5 ... Five of UNLV's 2002 opponents received votes in this week's coaches' poll: No. 19 Air Force, No. 22 Wisconsin, Colorado State, Oregon State and BYU.

LOBOS vs. REBELS NOTES

UNLV leads the all-time series 5-4, but this is only the fifth meeting in the last 20 years ... The home team has won this matchup in all three games since the formation of the Mountain West Conference ... The Lobos have never won a game in four trips to Las Vegas, including falling to Colorado State 41-13 in the 1997 WAC Championship at Sam Boyd Stadium ... UNM is one of only three MWC schools against whom UNLV owns a winning record (Rebels lead Wyoming 6-4 and SDSU 6-5) ... The two schools played five consecutive seasons (1978-82) when UNLV first thought itself headed to the Western Athletic Conference ... Ironically, these two teams never met while both were members of the WAC (1996-98) ... UNLV's highest-ever scoring output and second-greatest margin of victory came against the Lobos in 1980 when the Rebels won 72-7 at University Stadium.