Aug. 12, 2006

With UNLV football holding its first off-campus preseason practices since 1998 on Saturday, the Rebels quickly found out this trip was all business. A visibly and audibly intense head coach Mike Sanford made sure his staff and every one the 97 players pulling on the Scarlet and Gray were ready to work.

"I was fired up and I wanted to set a tone," Sanford said after the first of the day's two sessions. "I don't want to have a day that we waste. You don't have a game to waste so you should not waste a practice."

The players went through 22 periods in full pads before an intense, full-blown situational scrimmage that was highlighted by the first-team offense taking on the first-team defense.

Sanford said his squad responded to the challenge.

"We had a very intense, very physical practice. We did a lot of hitting today. We'll have two good, tough practices leading into an off-day."

After showering and then walking to a lunch of chicken pasta, the team was scheduled for a rest period, meetings and a 20-period evening practice from 4:40-6:20 p.m. The Rebels will not practice on Sunday but will still have meetings.

REBEL CAMP NOTES:

--Sanford announced that grayshirt offensive lineman Ray Lobato has left the team. Also not making the trip was senior offensive lineman Marcus Bryan, who had some academic business to finish, but is expected to join his teammates sometime this week.

--Two players -- redshirt linebacker Mike McDonald, who converted from quarterback, and walk-on receiver Tate Knutson -- suffered mild concussions on Saturday but are expected back on the field soon.