UNLV Football Notebook: Differing outlooks for Paulo, Fuimaono

By Ryan Greene

Monday, Sept. 8, 2008 | 6:50 p.m.

Ronnie Paulo can play, Starr Fuimaono (probably) can't.

That was the indication given Monday by UNLV football coach Mike Sanford in the wake of losing two of his top tacklers on nearly consecutive plays in the second quarter of Saturday's 42-21 loss at Utah.

Paulo, a sophomore linebacker, was able to walk comfortably again on Sunday after leaving Rice-Eccles Stadium on crutches with ice wrapped around his lower leg. Sanford said he will probably return to practice at Rebel Park on Tuesday. The injury was diagnosed as a bruise on a combination of the bone and the muscle just above his ankle. X-rays came back negative.

The news doesn't sound to be as positive for Fuimaono.

The junior linebacker had an MRI performed on his left knee on Sunday, and final word on his status for the rest of this season is expected late Tuesday morning.

"Preliminary indications are serious knee injury," Sanford said. "I can't say exactly what."

Paulo is UNLV's leading tackler this season with 16 stops. He had four on Saturday before leaving the game. Fuimaono has 14 - all of which came in the opening night victory over Utah State. He was hurt on special teams against the Utes, saying his knee buckled while being double-teamed in coverage. He also said that he felt a pop.

With the injuries taken into consideration, the depth chart was updated Monday for this Saturday's trip down to Tempe, Ariz., to face No. 15 Arizona State.

Junior Jason Beachamp was moved from his normal slot as the team's weak side linebacker, and will start at strong side. Taking his place on the other side is true freshman Nate Carter, who has one tackle so far in two games. Paulo is listed as the starter at middle linebacker, and will be backed up by junior Jimmy Miller.

Sanford wants better preparation out of backups

While the injuries to Paulo and Fuimaono certainly didn't help the Rebels' cause in Salt Lake City, there was a silver lining for Sanford, now that he's had a chance to reflect.

The reality of two starters going down one right after the other may have sent a message to those listed in the Nos. 2 and 3 slots on the depth chart.

"If somebody goes down, the guy that goes in the game needs to be prepared better," he said. "That's a combination of us doing a better job coaching, but also our players being more accountable that they're one play away from going in the game. Sometimes you get a false sense that you're a backup and you're probably not going to play. We've got to have more of a sense of urgency from our No. 2 and No. 3 guys to be ready to go when the first guy goes down, whether it's temporary or long-term.

"It's all about learning lessons, and not having to learn them twice," he continued. "I'm going to make sure we don't have to learn them twice. It's positive to have to face that situation early."

More character praise

Sanford praised the efforts of his players late in Saturday's double-digit loss for never throwing in the towel, something he said may not have been the case just a couple of years ago.

He elaborated further on Monday.

"One thing that's changed in this program is we had a lot of guys get banged up and they kept playing," he said. "I think those are positive things as far as where this program has come. We've got guys, from a character standpoint, that want to play."

The two names he mentioned were sophomore offensive linemen John Gianninoto (knee) and Evan Marchal (ankle sprain).

Pointer progression

While it was nice to have sophomore cornerback Quinton Pointer back on the field Saturday, he still has a ways to go before looking like the Pointer of 2007.

After missing almost the entire fall camp due to an elbow dislocation, Pointer returned to action Saturday against Utah. He was beaten a couple of times by Ute receivers, and also had trouble handling two potential interceptions and a loose ball he tried to scoop up in the second half.

Some of it has to do with the elbow directly. Some is indirect.

"Both of those times he got beat, those are correctible," Sanford said, pointing out fundamental flaws from Pointer looking into the backfield while covering. "As far as the coverage part of it, his elbow didn't affect him. As far as catching those two interceptions? No question."

Sanford said Pointer did not have full range of motion with his left elbow Saturday, but he gets more each day.

A quick look ahead

This week, the Rebels will face Arizona State for the first time in school history.

The Sun Devils, like the Rebs, opened their conference schedule this past weekend. They ousted Stanford at home, 41-17.

Sanford could have some added insight on top of his film studies this week, as his son, Mike, is an offensive assistant at Stanford under second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh.

The headliner for ASU is senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who in two games is an impressive 49-of-64 for 733 yards, four TDs and just one interception.

"The one thing I'll say is he's very productive, very physical," Sanford said. "Stanford tried to pressure him. Pressure did not affect him. He has enough athletic abililty to get away."

A question mark for ASU, and big ones at that, are the availability of a senior standout on offense - senior running back Keegan Herring.

Herring, who missed the season opener with a hamstring injury, re-tweaked it in his 2008 debut against Stanford. He finished with 59 yards and a score on 12 carries, but his status for this Saturday is unknown. His backup, junior Dimitri Nance, has 105 yards on 29 carries this season.

Elsewhere, 6-foot-4 senior wideout Michael Jones leads the Sun Devils with 12 receptions for 241 yards in two games. No. 2 wideout Kerry Taylor is also averaging 20-plus yards per catch, with 185 yards so far on nine grabs.

Sanford also pointed out ASU sophomore cornerback Omar Bolden, who he said is a potential first-day NFL draft pick.

A potential trap game?

One of the major surprises last weekend in the national college football scene was how close Ohio University hung with No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus. Many attributed that to the Buckeyes looking forward to their marquee non-conference showdown this Saturday with No. 1 Southern California.

If that was the case, UNLV might have some help on their side this weekend. Arizona State in Week Four will host its biggest non-conference matchup of the season, with No. 2 Georgia heading out to the desert.

Several students last Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium were seen holding up 'Bring on Georgia' signs which were produced by a local fast food chain.

What the town is saying

The Rebels head to Tempe as 22.5-point underdogs. UNLV is 1-1 against the spread this season, with Phillip Payne's late touchdown in Salt Lake covering the 21.5-point spread which was in Utah's favor.