UNLV to put in Reed for BYU game

The game of musical quarterbacks will continue for UNLV's struggling football team this week.

Senior Chad Reed, whose game experience as a UNLV quarterback consists of the final 11 minutes of Saturday night's 31-20 loss to Nevada-Reno, will start the Rebels' WAC game at BYU on Saturday afternoon. He's the third different starting quarterback in six games this year for UNLV (0-5).

"He deserves the opportunity to see what he can do," UNLV coach Jeff Horton said Sunday. "He works hard every day. He does what he's supposed to do. He works hard and doesn't whine."

Reed, whose father, Joe, starred at quarterback at Mississippi State before going on to a nine-year NFL career with San Francisco and Detroit, completed 5 of 10 passes for 43 yards, no touchdowns and one interception after replacing starter Kevin Crook with 11:15 remaining in the game. He also had a 17-yard run.

The 6-1, 210-pounder from Lubbock, Texas, played parts of six games at quarterback at Memphis in 1994 under then-offensive coordinator Charlie Stubbs, who later coached at UNLV in 1996-97. He was moved to wide receiver in 1995 by the Tigers where he had one catch for six yards before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

After transferring to UNLV and sitting out the 1996 season, Reed lettered as a special teams contributor for the Rebels in 1997 and split time as a wide receiver and scout team quarterback earlier this year.

"We wouldn't put him out there if we didn't think he could get it done," Horton said.

Reed won't be the only player in UNLV's backfield making his first college start in Provo on Saturday.

Junior tailback Dahrin Footman, who came off the bench to rush for 154 yards on 13 carries and score one touchdown against Nevada-Reno, also will start Saturday. Footman will replace James Wofford, who Horton said may have broken a toe late in the game against the Wolf Pack.

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