Robinson relying on Rebel seniors

Sixteen seniors reported for the start of their final fall football practice at UNLV on Wednesday.

And new head coach John Robinson is counting on that group, which includes starting wide receiver Len Ware, starting linebacker Jerrad Pierucci and starting defensive lineman Roderick Jones, to help lay the foundation in helping turn around one of the sorriest Division I football programs in the nation.

"I think that's the challenge," Robinson said. "I was impressed with the willingness (with) which they jumped on the program. But there's going to be some severe challenges ahead for them. They'll need to provide the toughness and the focus and the maturity for everybody else because when the going gets tough, you look around to see how somebody else is acting before you know how to act yourself.

"I must have their commitments," Robinson continued. "It's important to me because my memories of playing college football were fabulous. I had more fun than any time in my life. These guys haven't and they have one last chance."

UNLV brings a 16-game losing streak into its Sept. 2 opener at North Texas, the second-longest behind Hawaii (18 games) in NCAA Division I football. Most of the seniors on the squad have won just four times in 34 outings with the Rebels, including a dreadful 0-11 season in 1998.

"I want them when this season is over to go to our banquet and say, 'We started it, we're the ones who got this thing started,' " Robinson said. "And when they're 35 they'll be able to look back and say, 'Hey, I was the beginning of this era of UNLV football.' I want to have that happen for them."

"Just one year, that's all I need," Ware said. "It's very important for the seniors to lay the foundation in this program and leave with a good taste in our mouth. I know a couple of my friends I came in with, Damon (Williams) and Carlos (Baker), wish they had one more year left to play here for Coach Robinson. I'm playing this year for them, too."

"I think the best thing I can do is lead by example, by my actions," Jones said. "I'll probably keep my mouth shut and go out and do my job the best I can each day."

Robinson said it is important for the seniors to realize that have to step their games up a notch for good things to happen.

"They must understand that they must change," he said. "They must do things better and more consistently than they've done them in the past. And if they do change, I don't think anything would please us more than for them to go out having accomplished something this season."

* BOONE TO REPORT: Freshman Royce Boone, a freshman running back from Cathedral City, Calif., High School near Palm Springs, is expected to join the squad by this weekend after receiving his scholarship with the Rebels a semester early.

The Rebels had been saving a scholarship just in case USC strong safety Darnell Lacy had cleared up some academic problems over the summer and was able to transfer. But the hard-hitting Lacy, a part-time starter for the Trojans last year, failed to garner the necessary 2.0 grade point average needed to transfer to another Division I school and now must remain at USC or attend a non-Division I school.

That opened the door for Boone, who was originally scheduled to enroll at UNLV next spring. The 5-10, 205-pounder, who gained 2,106 yards and scored 27 touchdowns as a senior en route to Desert Valley League Offensive MVP honors, was highly recommended to Robinson by one of his former USC assistants, legendary defensive line coach Marv Goux.

Goux recently had a special gate to USC's Howard Jones Field named in his honor.

* SAGAPOLU INJURED: Freshman defensive lineman Kawika Sagapolu showed up at Wednesday's Media Day at the Lied Athletic Complex wearing a protective boot over a sprained ankle suffered during a one-on-one pass blocking drill on Tuesday night.

Sagapolu, who helped lead Cimarron-Memorial to the state 4-A title last year, suffered the injury when a blocker fell across the ankle.

"It's just precautionary," Sagapolu of the boot, which usually is not a good sign when it comes to ankle sprains. "I won't be out long."

In fact, both Robinson and defensive coordinator Jeff McInerney said that Sagapolu could be back at practice as early as today when two-a-day workouts begin for the full squad.

"He's OK," Robinson said.

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