April 2, 2011
Photo Gallery
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - With its spring game back on campus for the first time since the John Robinson era, the UNLV football team ended its allotted 15 off-season practices with the well-received Spring Showcase on Saturday morning at Rebel Park.
In front of a crowd of approximately 750 fans on hand to see the second edition of Head Coach Bobby Hauck's Rebels in action, the briskly paced scrimmage was highlighted by the two quarterbacks currently leading the race to start this fall. Playing with the No. 1 offense, returning sophomore-to-be Caleb Herring shook off a rough start to complete 7 of 13 attempts for 65 yards. Manning the No. 2 offense, junior-college midyear transfer Sean Reilly hit on 8 of his 12 attempts for 73 yards and notched the only touchdown pass of the day - a 15-yard strike to Jordan Butler - a walk-on from Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas. The only other touchdown came on a one-yard rush by Bradley Randle, who will be a sophomore next season.
Rising senior Deante' Purvis led all rushers with three carries for 24 yards. Another JC newcomer, RB/WR Eric Johnson, led all Rebels with four receptions for 31 yards. DB Kenny Brown led the way with five total tackles while rising sophomore defensive lineman Ian Bobak turned in an outstanding day on defense. The Bishop Gorman High School product finished with one of the day's two quarterback sacks to go with two pass breakups and two total tackles.
The only other scoring at the showcase was a 31-yard field goal by returning starter Nolan Kohorst out of Green Valley High School.
In between signing autographs and surrounded by his players running a free youth clinic on the field, Hauck met with reporters about the Rebels' spring.
" We are a young team and looked like a young team but the attitude and effort was there 100 percent in 14 of our 15 practices, which is not bad," Hauck said. "Today we moved the ball too well for my taste a lot of the time and the No. 2 offense scored on the No. 1 defense, which you don't want to see."
Asked about the quarterback competition, Hauck seemed pleased about the progress made to replace four-year starter Omar Clayton.
"It was good, they were pretty effective today. We're a lot further along than a year ago at quarterback."
Herring, who played in eight games off the bench as a freshman, said he was upbeat about his team's progress in the spring.
" We started off real slow today but we got into a flow and put on a show for the people out here," Herring said. "We progressed as a team and the challenge now is to keep going and not lose any of the steps we just made during the spring."
The Spring Showcase was part of a busy day on campus with the Get Your Reb On Apparel Sale next door as well as a track meet, softball game and tennis match all going on to create a feeling of a sports festival.
"This was fun," Hauck said. "I think our players are having fun with the kids clinic. Just a great atmosphere today at Rebel Park. I hope we do it again out here and double the number of people coming out to see us."
The Rebels will next pull on the pads in early August when preseason camp opens. UNLV will open the 2011 campaign on Sept. 1 at Wisconsin. The first home game is Sept. 17 when Hawaii comes to town. Season tickets, which start as low as $75, are on sale now.
2011 UNLV FOOTBALL SCHEDULEDATE OPPONENT SITESept. 1 at Wisconsin Madison, WISept. 10 at Washington State Pullman, WASept. 17 HAWAII LAS VEGASSept. 24 SOUTHERN UTAH LAS VEGASOct. 1 OPENOct. 8 at Nevada, Reno Reno, NVOct. 15 at Wyoming* Laramie, WYOct. 22 OPENOct. 29 COLORADO STATE* LAS VEGASNov. 5 BOISE STATE* LAS VEGASNov. 12 at New Mexico* Albuquerque, NMNov. 19 at Air Force* Colorado Springs, CONov. 26 SAN DIEGO STATE* LAS VEGASDec. 3 at TCU* Fort Worth, TX*Mountain West Conference Game
2011 UNLV SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!VALUE ZONE $75 (Limited number available)END ZONE $100 (Payment plans available)SIDELINE $185 (Payment plans available)Limited amount of UNLV faculty & staff and new graduate discounts are available.
Fans can purchase season tickets three convenient ways:1. Log on to the website www.unlvtickets.com2. Call 739-FANS3. Visit the Thomas & Mack Box Office (M-F 10 a.m.-6 p.m./Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
2011 UNLV FOOTBALL SHOWCASE STATISTICS
PASSINGName C-A Yards INT TDCaleb Herring 7-13 65 - -Sean Reilly 8-12 73 - 1 (15)Taylor Barnhill 2-4 12 - -
RUSHINGName Att Yards TDDeante' Purvis 3 24 -Bradley Randle 9 20 1(1)Tim Cornett 4 16 -Dionza Bradford5 12 -Brian Bennett 7 13 -Taylor Barnhill 2 (-6) -Sean Reilly 3 (-15) -
RECEIVINGName Rec Yards TDEric Johnson 4 31 0Mark Barefield 3 15 0Austin Harrington 2 29 0Jonathon James 2 11 0Charles Childers 2 9 0Anthony Vidal 1 15 0Jordan Butler 1 15 1 (15)Phillip Payne 1 15 0Max Johnson 1 10 0
DEFENSIVE LEADERSTacklesKenny Brown 5SacksIan Bobak 1James Dunlap 1Pass BreakupsIan Bobak 2
SCORINGNolan Kohorst 31-yard field goalJordan Butler 15-yard pass from Reilly (Kohorst kick)Bradley Randle 1-yard rush
