Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Rebels win, but lack respect in national polls

If UNLV coach John Robinson needs anything to keep his team focused during this week's bye workouts, all he has to do is show them this week's Top 25 polls.

Despite impressive back-to-back nationally televised victories against Big Ten power Wisconsin and WAC preseason favorite Hawaii, the Rebels (3-1) find themselves still getting very little respect from the pollsters.

UNLV received just six votes in Sunday's Associated Press writers poll which put it in a tie for 41st place with Cincinnati. To make matters worse, two teams the Rebels soundly beat on national TV, Toledo (28-18) and Wisconsin (23-5 in Madison), were still rated well above them.

The Rockets, who upset No. 11 Pitt at home, 35-31, just missed cracking the AP Top 25 with 109 votes which placed them 26th behind 2-2 Florida.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, was rated 33rd.

It wasn't much better in ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll which had UNLV tied for 40th place with BYU, a 14-12 home loser to Pac-10 bottom fisher Stanford, and Boise State, a 26-24 loser at Oregon State on Saturday.

Wisconsin was rated 30th in that poll while Toledo came in at No. 33.

So just what was Robinson's opinion of the polls Sunday?

"Don't know, don't care," he said matter-of-factly.

Might he use that old "No respect" angle to fire up the troops?

"Nope. Nope. Nope," Robinson said. "I don't think it matters. We need to just focus on the next game, not the polls or anything else. If we keep going and winning and get better each week, the rest will work itself out.

"The only poll that really matters anyway is the one after Round (game) 12 and that might not really matter, either. The thing that we're focused on is trying to win a conference championship."

UNLV (3-1) has a bye this week before heading up to Reno on Oct. 4 for the latest edition of the Battle for the Fremont Cannon. The Wolf Pack (2-1), who trounced San Jose State, 42-30, last week, also could be 3-1 heading into that contest. Chris Tormey's squad hosts winless SMU (0-3), which was hammered at home by Oklahoma State, 52-6, on Saturday night at Mackay Stadium.

Robinson said he felt the bye was coming at a good time even though his team has put together impressive back-to-back performances on national TV.

"I do think it's a good time for one," he said. "We have a lot of guys who have been injured who can now rest and get healed up. Our defensive line has been banged up and suffered through some injuries. Dietrich Canterberry (knee) didn't play against Hawaii. Chris Eagen (ankle) and Brian Nicholson have both been hurt. And it will also give (starting tailback) Larry Croom (strained thigh) time to get better."

The Rebels held a short practice Sunday night and will only practice Tuesday night and Wednesday and Thursday afternoon this week.

"We'll work on fundamentals and start getting ready for the next two teams we play," Robinson said. "The extra week gives us to prepare for both."

That could be a really big plus because after the trip to Reno the Rebels open Mountain West Conference play on Oct. 11 at Air Force. So look for UNLV to get a little bit of a head start of defending Chance Harridge and the option this week.

The Rebels have forced 11 turnovers in those two games, held the Big Ten co-favorite Badgers without a touchdown, and finished Friday night's win against Hawaii by holding the high-powered Warriors scoreless on their final nine possessions.

"I think it just says that we've finally woken up and realized that we have to come out every week and play hard," linebacker Adam Seward said. "It's like what Coach Robinson and Coach Brad (defensive coordinator Mike Bradeson) keep stressing to us about the next play, the next play, because you never know what's going to happen on the next play."

Robinson made forcing turnovers the No. 1 priority for his very fast but somewhat undersized defense this year. The Rebels forced a total of just 18 turnovers all season during a disappointing 5-7 campaign in 2002 but have already forced 15 in just four games this season.

"This is what we've been working all summer and all fall for," sophomore safety Joy Miklos said.

Added linebacker Reggie Butler who had six tackles and an interception against the Warriors: "We run fast, we hit hard, we break up passes, we intercept balls and we hit runners and knock the ball out. We expect to force turnovers and we expect to make big plays."

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