Rebels crushed at home -- again

Same old story. Same old song and dance.

UNLV's fifth home game of the 1999 season --- a 37-7 loss to San Diego State on Saturday afternoon --- had to look very familiar to the announced crowd of 18,165 who had been on hand for the team's previous four home losses at still-being-refurbished Sam Boyd Stadium.

The younger, slower and still learning Rebels (3-7, 1-5) once again were easily manhandled up front by a bigger, stronger and faster veteran team.

Ted Tollner's Aztecs (4-6, 2-4), who only 11 months earlier were playing North Carolina in the Las Vegas Bowl, rolled up 501 yards in total offense, including 274 yards rushing, and held a 25-to-10 edge in first downs in cruising to the easy win.

Give this much to UNLV, which was starting a true freshman quarterback in Matt Ray and a young and reshuffled offensive line. At least the Rebels scored an offensive touchdown in the first quarter on a 19-yard pass from Ray to sophomore wide receiver Duane James to cut San Diego State's lead to 9-7.

That's the only first half offensive score at home all year for UNLV.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed," UNLV coach John Robinson said afterward. "It seems to be a reoccuring experience. We're not able to stop the other guy and we're having trouble scoring.

"We're playing a lot of really young players right now, and we're playing against more experienced people. They were just much more physical than us."

Senior Jonas Lewis rushed for 145 yards on 21 carries (6.9 avg.) and one touchdown and junior Larry Ned added 75 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns to lead the Aztecs.

Junior quarterback Jack Hawley, who nearly signed with UNLV last winter before picking the Aztecs, completed 10 of 18 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns, including a 87-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Derrick Lewis in the first quarter that gave San Diego State a 9-0 lead. It was the longest touchdown pass allowed in UNLV history.

"We converted on big plays today and any time you do that you're going to be right in the game," San Diego State coach Ted Tollner said.

UNLV sophomore cornerback Kevin Thomas had three pass breakups in the contest to give him 19 for the season, breaking the school mark in that catagory of 18 set by Anthony Blue in 1984.

"They don't have a long, long way to go," Tollner said of the Rebels. "John (Robinson) has some great kids redshirting this season and I think you'll see steady improvement over the next two seasons."

The Rebels conclude their season next Saturday against conference co-leader Colorado State (7-3, 4-2) at Sam Boyd Stadium.

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