UNR vs UNLV -- Game notes

Give UNLV head coach Jeff Horton credit. If there is a motivational ploy around to fire up his team, he'll use it. And Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium against arch rival Nevada-Reno, Horton pulled out the old new jersey ploy. For the first time in school history, UNLV wore black uniform tops with red numbers and white trim. Hey, it worked for Dan Devine and Notre Dame back in 1977 when they wore the infamous green jerseys in a 49-19 win over USC. Why not try it for UNLV? One of the major differences was that Notre Dame had a quarterback named Joe Montana that year. UNLV, meanwhile, started Kevin Crook Saturday night. Crook completed just 2 of 16 passes for 31 yards and no touchdowns and one interception before getting yanked early in the fourth quarter of a 31-20 loss to the Wolf Pack. How inspired were the Rebels by their new threads? They promptly fell behind, 21-0, after just 17 minutes and didn't record their initial first down until 11:26 remained in the second quarter. "Other teams have done that before," Horton said of the jersey ploy. "Notre Dame and other people have done it. We needed anything to try and make a spark. I thought they looked good, but they didn't give us the luck we needed." ...

Crook, replaced by third stringer Chad Reed (5 of 10, 43 yards, 0 TDs, 1 int.), took full blame for UNLV's 10th straight defeat spanning two seasons. "I told the guys that this one, when it comes to the offensive standpoint of the game, was all my fault," Crook said. "I didn't come to play, obviously, and I didn't execute." Was he nervous? "Nah, I just wasn't executing the way I was taught. This one is on my shoulder and that hurts a lot. We wanted that (Fremont) Cannon. To come out and play like that disappoints me the most." ...

There were a few bright spots for the Rebels. UNLV, which had rushed for a total of 206 yards in four previous games, finished with 268 yards on the ground Saturday night, including touchdown runs of 55 yards by James Wofford and 17 yards by Dahrin Footman. Footman, a junior from Anaheim, Calif., finished with 154 yards on 13 carries and had a run of 50 yards. Wofford's 55-yard spurt up the middle late in the second quarter was the longest run by a Rebel since Tony Burton ran for a 65-yard touchdown against New Mexico State in 1995. ... UNLV's last touchdown came on a 78-yard punt return up the left sideline by redshirt freshman wide receiver Duane James with just 1:40 left in the game. The last time a Rebel had returned a punt for a touchdown before Saturday night was on Nov. 28, 1992 when Henry Bailey went 74 yards for a score against Cal State Fullerton.

Next opponent

The Rebels travel to Provo, Utah to play perennial WAC power BYU (2-3) at noon. The Cougars were upset 31-21 at Fresno State on Saturday night but feature one of the West Coast's top running backs in sophomore Ronney Jenkins, who rushed 126 yards and one touchdown in Saturday night's loss to the Bulldogs.

Attendance

Saturday's crowd: 22,006.

Season total: 42,285 (2 games).

Season average: 21,143.

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