Utah defeats UNLV, 52-14

UNLV's slogan this season, seen all around town on everything from posters to billboards, is "It's a new game!"

But long-suffering Rebel fans who have attended UNLV's first two home games in 1999 would have a hard time noticing much improvement from last year's dreadful 0-11 squad.

One week after getting blanked 24-0 by Iowa State in head coach John Robinson's home debut, the Rebels were once again overwhelmed, this time suffering a 52-14 loss to the University of Utah in their Mountain West Conference opener before a crowd of 23,532 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

The Utes (3-0, 1-0), behind the running of senior tailbacks Mike Anderson (19 carries, 116 yards, 4 TDs) and Omar Bacon (14 carries, 92 yards), dominated this one from the start, jumping out to a 24-7 halftime lead and building it up to 45-7 after three quarters.

It could have been worse. UNLV's only touchdown came on a 97-yard kickoff return by senior Len Ware midway through the second quarter that cut Utah's lead to 17-7 and actually gave Rebel fans some faint hope. And safety Randy Black intercepted a pass in the end zone, wrestling it away from tight end Matt Nickel to deny Utah another touchdown.

But UNLV's offense and quarterback Jason Vaughan struggled badly for the second straight week.

The Rebels (2-2, 0-1) had just two first downs and 23 total yards in the first half, including minus-18 yards rushing. By the end of the third quarter, when Utah coach Ron McBride began substituting freely, the Utes held a huge 372 to 68 advantage in total yards, including a 229 to 27 edge on the ground.

Vaughan, under heavy pressure at times and without the benefit of a competent running game, completed just 10 of 22 passes for 90 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But he was just 5 of 17 for 41 yards in the first three quarters against Utah's starters.

UNLV's offense never crossed midfield until 8:17 remained in the contest thanks to a 26-yard run by third string tailback Dahrin Footman. The Rebels scored their first offensive touchdown in eight quarters at Sam Boyd a few minutes later when Vaughan hit Nate Turner on a three-yard fade with 5:36 left.

"Our football team is now 2-2," Robinson said. "We have had two bad performances. It seems to me we are not playing with the same skill and recklessness and passion as we did in our first two games. ... I am disappointed in all of us right now. I expected us to play much better."

The Rebels travel to winless Nevada-Reno next Saturday in their annual battle for the Fremont Cannon.

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