UNLV Dominates Reno (Football)

Fremont Cannon Remains Red
By ARNOLD KNIGHTLY
Published: Monday, October 4, 2004
The Rebel Yell (ryunlv.com)


A week made all the difference.

One week after suffering the team's most embarrassing loss to start the season 0-4, and six days after finding out their beloved coach was retiring at the end of the season, UNLV bounced back to dominate the lesser of Nevada's two four-year universities 48-13 in front of 27,596 fans.

"There's nothing better than this," senior tight end Greg Estandia said. "To beat them the way we did, it just makes us feel that much better."

The win keeps the Fremont Cannon painted red for the fifth straight season.

"I've been here four years, and we kept the Cannon all four years," senior running back and Las Vegas native Dyante Perkins said. "Today feels great. Man, to finally get a win, to get a win against our rival school. It's just a great feeling."

Dominique Dorsey had another big game, rushing for 141 yards on 21 carries. Earvin Johnson led the receivers with 73 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches.Quarterback Kurt

Nantkes overcame last week's four interceptions with none this week. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

Perkins and Erick Jackson also rushed for two touchdowns each.

"This is to start our bus, man," Perkins said. "We're gonna get the bus movin'. The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round. They're startin' to go around."

The bus started out slowly, but Nevada's five turnovers would start the bus rolling down hill. Leading 20-6 headed into the fourth quarter, the Rebels scored four touchdowns to bury the Wolfpack under the bus.

"We physically got beat by a team that is 0-4," Nevada head coach Chris Ault said. "It tells you where our program is at and we got to get better."

The game did not start out promising for UNLV. The Rebels trailed 3-0 in the first quarter when linebacker Joe Miklos intercepted a pass and returned the ball for what appeared to be a 95-yard touchdown return. However, the officials said that Miklos stepped out-of-bounds at the Nevada 16.

On the first offensive play, Nantkes appeared to find Johnson in the end zone for a touchdown. Again, the officials said the Rebels where out-of-bounds.

"Earvin Johnson was clearly in the end zone when he caught that ball," coach John Robinson said. "I thought,'Oh my God, will this never end?'"

UNLV had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Sergie Aguayo on the drive. Aguayo would later hit a 41-yard field goal to give UNLV their first lead 6-3.

With the game tied at 6 late in the second quarter, the Rebels got their second big break of the game. Facing a third-and-one on Nevada's 27-yard line, the Wolfpack's Keone Kauo was called for pass interference when he tackled Michael Freund on a pass that Freund probably could not have caught. On the ensuing play, Nantkes found Johnson in the right corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

Midway through the third quarter ,UNLV got their second turnover when Terrance Young recovered a fumble stripped by Mario Hill. Four plays later, Perkins powered in from the 1-yard line to extend the lead to 20-6.

The Rebels' defense intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles in the game. In the previous four games, the defense had only one interception and two fumble recoveries. The defense had gone two games with out getting any turnovers.

"It was nice to get some turnovers," Robinson said. "God it was nice to get some turnovers. Please, God, thank you for some of those turnovers."

In the fourth quarter UNLV took control of the game scoring on four straight possessions. Perkins scored on a 1-yard run, Johnson scored on a 15-yard pass from Nantkes, and Erick Jackson scored on a 5-yard run and a 2-yard run.

After the game with the Fremont Cannon in the locker room, the atmosphere was completely different than just one week ago.

"It feels good," senior offensive lineman Marcus Johnson said. "Those loses were kind of heavy. They were just on our shoulders, ya know, weighing us down. It feels good to get loose and to say hey, we know we can score, we know we can play, now let's go out and do it."

Miklos, a junior who will return next year to keep the Cannon at UNLV for a sixth straight season, also believes the win could turn the team in the right direction heading into their last six games, all in conference.

"Our conference play is what really matters. That's how we're going to make it to a bowl this year. We hope this is like a spring-board that will help us dive into conference and start us rollin' from here on out."

Fourth-year player and Las Vegas native Jamaal Brimmer was glad to keep the Cannon in town all four years he has been here. He was also glad for the first win and hopes it can translate into a better finish to the season than the start.

"It obviously feels good. I'm not saying we've forgot about the losses we've had. It does feel like one of those breakout games where we played well and everybody's on the same page."

Game Notes:
Adam Seward had 15 tackles making for 363 in his career, the all-time record in the Mountain West.

Johnson has caught a pass in 35 consecutive games.

Dorsey is now the fifth person to reach the 2,000 yard mark in his career at UNLV. It was also his eighth career 100-yard rushing game.

The victory ended a six-game home losing streak.

Robinson will retire having lost the cannon only once, his first year.

Reno's inferiority complex to Las Vegas continues.