*** NCAA Football Preview - UNLV ***
From The My Sportsbook
By Gregg Xenakes, College Football Staff Writer
2003 SEASON IN REVIEW: It was only a couple of years ago that the Rebels were being touted as the up-and-coming team in the Mountain West Conference, especially with Heisman hopeful Jason Thomas at quarterback. But the dream for Thomas died without him even getting drafted, and the UNLV program seemed to take a bit of a dive with him even after he left. In 2003 the Rebels of UNLV bounced back after having the worst start to a John Robinson-coached team in his career a year earlier. The team won four of the first five games, those victories coming against respectable opponents such as Toledo, Wisconsin, Hawaii and in-state rival Nevada. Then conference play began for the Rebels and they seemed to lose their focus and ability to win, dropping three straight decisions to Air Force, Utah and BYU, the last one being a 27-20 overtime setback at home. Although UNLV closed out the campaign by splitting four games, the team could have easily swept the month of November, having lost a 7-0 decision to SDSU and a heartbreaking 24-23 contest versus Colorado State in back-to-back weeks, again both of those losses coming at Sam Boyd Stadium in the desert. Overall the team finished a respectable 6-6 after Robinson resigned as the school's athletic director in order to devote more time to the gridiron. What hurt the program most was that the Rebels were a mere 2-5 in conference play, the wins coming against New Mexico (37-35) and Wyoming (35-24) on the road.
2004 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: Moving into the hot seat last year was quarterback Kurt Nantkes, who actually saw plenty of playing time the previous year behind Thomas when he failed to perform. Nantkes took the bulk of the snaps for the team in 2003, completing 51.7 percent of his pass attempts for 1,883 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he was also picked off 10 times. What should help Nantkes more than anything is the addition of offensive coordinator Bruce Snyder to the sidelines. The former head coach at both California and Arizona State has been tasked with opening up the offense and stretching the field, rather than trying to power the ball up the gut and dinking and dunking passes from one end of the field to the other. Behind Nantkes, ready to carry the ball or collect the short pass, are experienced running backs in Dominique Dorsey and Dyante Perkins. Dorsey, the stealthy speed back who can also be seen on kick and punt returns, scored just one touchdown last year on his 158 carries, but many of his 626 yards rushing simply set the table for Perkins to collect all the glory. Perkins finished with a third the attempts, yet led the team in rushing touchdowns with seven. Three experienced offensive linemen (Marcus Johnson, Joe Critchfield and Tyler Crandal) will clear the way for the pair, as well as JaJa Riley, a transfer from Ohio State he hopes to start anew in the Silver State. As a second-team All-MWC choice, wide receiver Earvin Johnson returns for his senior season and expects to create his own brand of magic by splitting defenses and reaching the goal line, which he did four times last year.
DEFENSE: While the linebacker and defensive back positions are full of talented (and experienced) players, the front line of the defense is in dire need of someone to step up and take charge. The 3-4 system for the Rebels still has plenty of room for improvement, but junior lineman Leon Moore is up to the task, expecting to better his four sacks and six pass break-ups from a year ago. After redshirting last season with a sports hernia, Pete Dunbar is a competent player at the other end of the line. Faauo Faga, although just a freshman who originally started out as a linebacker in the system, should see significant time in the lineup as well. Without a doubt the strength of the Rebels on defense is at the linebacker position, which is anchored by two-time All-MWC selection Adam Seward, already the school's all-time tackles leader with 312, Seward is also on the Lombardi Watch List to start his senior season. Joining Seward is Ryan Claridge, the record holder for forced fumbles at UNLV with nine already, along with Zach Bell. When one talks about the UNLV defense, Jamaal Brimmer has to be one of the first names mentioned. As one of the top defenders in not just the MWC but the nation (he was named First Team All-American in 2003), Brimmer was also a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award a year ago. The two-time MWC Defensive Player of the Year, Brimmer led the league with six interceptions and ranked sixth nationally with 186 yards in returns. Over the last two seasons Brimmer has three picks returned for touchdowns and a total of 27 tackles for loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior punter Gary Cook carries on the tradition of kicking excellence at UNLV, a school where four of its all-time All-Americans have played the position. Cook, who averaged 43.4 ypg kick last year and should be a lock for consideration for the Ray Guy Award as a senior, was a second-team All-MWC choice following the 2003 season. The placekicking department is a different story though, with the team's leading scorer Dillon Pieffer having moved on. The Rebels will be hard-pressed to replace him and his 20 field goals last year, but they will try and do just that with either redshirt freshman Sergio Aquayo or Hubi Schulze Zumkley, a former German soldier.
OUTLOOK: The 2004 schedule for the Rebels is certainly no picnic. The team plays three of its last four games of the season on the road against Utah, Colorado State and San Diego State in league action, and continues its run against Wisconsin in Madison on September 11. But even before that telling contest versus the Badgers, the Rebels will be on the road in Knoxville to take on the Volunteers of Tennessee in the season-opener. That game could easily set the tone for the rest of the season. Should UNLV be blown out of the water by a seasoned program to start off the year, there's no telling when the Rebels will stop reeling, if at all. It helps that the squad plays three straight at home against Air Force, Utah State and Nevada following the Wisconsin affair, but the unbalanced schedule could well do more harm than good for this group.
