Utah Football Team Plays UNLV In Las Vegas On Saturday

Oct. 29, 2001

SALT LAKE CITY -

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QUICKLY

Utah (5-2, 2-1 MWC) plays UNLV (3-5, 2-2 MWC) in Las Vegas this Saturday ... Game time is 12:00 p.m. PST (1:00 p.m. MST) in Sam Boyd Stadium ... The Utes saw their four-game win streak snapped last Saturday in Ft. Collins, losing 19-17 to Colorado State ... Utah is 1-2 in road games this year. Three of its remaining four games are on the road ... In the preseason Mountain West Conference poll, UNLV was picked to finish second in the league, while Utah was forecasted for a sixth-place finish. Utah is currently third and UNLV is tied for fourth ... The Utah-UNLV game will be regionally televised on ESPN+Plus, which is shown on KJZZ in Utah. The game can be heard live on KALL 910 (AM) radio and on the Internet (www.kall910.com).

TOTAL TEAM

The Utes rank in the top two in the Mountain West Conference in both total defense (1) and total offense (2). Utah is ranked in the nation's top 20 in scoring defense (17) and total offense (19). The Ute defense is the best in the conference, ranking No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense and No. 2 in rush defense.

SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE

The best rushing offense in the conference (UNLV) will meet the No. 2 rushing defense (Utah) this Saturday in Las Vegas. UNLV is averaging 250.13 yards per game on the ground. Utah is allowing just 110.71 rushing yards per game.

LAST WEEK

Utah suffered its first conference loss of the season, falling 19-17 to Colorado State in Ft. Collins. The Utes had a better statistical scorecard, compiling 442 yards of total offense to CSU's 324, but struggled putting the ball in the end zone. Scoring chances that failed included Ryan Kaneshiro's 18-yard field goal attempt that was blocked, a dropped pass in the end zone and a Ute fumble on CSU's 1-yard line that was recovered in the end zone by the Rams. Dameon Hunter recorded his fifth 100-yard game of the season (148 yards), tying him for fourth in the school records. Josh Lyman caught six passes for 100 yards, his second 100-yard receiving game. Garrett Smith led the defense with eight tackles, two for a loss, and a pass breakup. Sheldon Deckart had seven tackles, three for a loss, a forced fumble and a sack.

HEAD COACH RON MCBRIDE

Ron McBride has an 80-55 record in his 12th year as head Ute coach. He picked up win No. 80 on October 20 against Wyoming. He has the second most wins of any coach in Utah football history. McBride has won a share of two conference titles (1995 and 1999). His teams finished at .500 or better nine times in his first 11 years, with eight winning seasons. He needs to win just one of the four games left on this fall's schedule to ensure his ninth winning season. He has taken the Utes to five bowl games and has a 2-3 bowl record. Utah's most recent bowl appearance was in 1999, when the Utes beat Fresno State 17-16 in the Las Vegas Bowl. McBride is 2-0 vs. UNLV.

MAC IN LEAGUE PLAY

Ron McBride is 53-36 all-time in conference games. Since Utah joined the Mountain West Conference in 1999, McBride's conference mark is 15-11. Against current MWC members, he is 33-27. His record against the other seven MWC schools: Air Force (4-4), Brigham Young (5-6), Colorado State (4-5), New Mexico (8-4), San Diego State (4-4), UNLV (2-0), Wyoming (6-4).

SERIES SHORTS

Only the last two games in this series have been conference games and Utah has won both (1999, '00). Utah has won five straight since losing in the series opener back in 1979. The Utes lead 2-1 in Las Vegas.

BY THE NUMBERS

Utah's offensive line has allowed just four sacks in its seven games (best in the league), while the defense has accumulated 13 sacks ... Utah leads the Mountain West Conference in time of possession, holding a 34:00-26:00 edge over its opponents. The Utes had a better time of possession in every game except CSU ... Utah has run 60 more plays than its foes (536-476) ... Utah is converting on 38% of its third down attempts (43-112) compared to 26% by its opponents (26-101).

BALANCING ACT

The Ute offense is represented almost equally by ground and by air. The Utes are averaging 203.0 rushing yards per game and 234.3 passing yards per game. Nowhere is Utah's balance more obvious than in its three league games. In MWC play, the Utes are averaging 224.3 yards rushing and 233.0 yards passing per game.

GRIDBITS

Utah is 2-1 this year in games televised by ESPN+Plus and 7-2 all-time in ERT games ... all-time Ute record is 527-393-31 ... Utes are 244-128-10 in home games, 13-8 in Rice-Eccles Stadium (1998-on) and 283-265-21 in road/neutral games.

COMMON FOES

Utah and UNLV have played two common opponents this year, Wyoming and CSU, and fared the same in each case. Utah defeated Wyoming 35-0 and lost to Colorado State 19-17, UNLV defeated Wyoming 47-26 and lost to CSU 26-24.

RUNNING BACKS' NOTEBOOK

> Senior running back Dameon Hunter (5-11, 223) ranks third in the Mountain West Conference and 16th in the nation in rushing, averaging 119.9 yards per game. He has rushed 155 times for 839 yards and has a team-best 5.4 yards per carry average. He has 5 TDs.

> Dameon Hunter has five career 100-yard games, which ties him for fourth in the school single-season record book. All four of his 100-yard games have come this year. He had 104 yards vs. Oregon, 164 vs. Indiana, 177 vs. New Mexico, 109 vs. Wyoming and 148 vs. CSU. His 177 yards against New Mexico was a career-best and came against a defense that was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time, allowing just 27.0 rushing yards per game.

> Senior running back Adam Tate (6-1, 230) is Utah's second leading rusher with 85 carries for 406 yards, an average of 58.0 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry. Tate has a team-best 7 rushing touchdowns. His season best effort was 122 yards vs. South Florida. He also has 9 receptions for 124 yards, ranking him fourth on the team, and a touchdown catch.

RECEIVERS' NOTEBOOK

> Senior wide receiver Cliff Russell (6-0, 185), the fastest player ever at Utah (runs a 4.27 40), has a team-high 35 receptions for 532 yards and 3 touchdowns. He averages 76.0 yards per game, best on the team, and 15.2 yards per catch, second on the team.

> Cliff Russell has five career 100-yard receiving games, two this year. He had 100 yards vs. Oregon and a career-high 157 yards against Wyoming. > Junior receiver Josh Lyman (6-0, 196), a one-time walk-on, recorded his second career and season 100-yard game last week against CSU. Lyman had a career-high 117 yards against South Florida and 100 yards against CSU.

> Josh Lyman is Utah's second leading receiver with 26 catches for 406 yards, an average of 58.0 yards per game, and a team-best 4 receiving TDs. Lyman's 15.6 yards per catch average is best on the team.

QUARTERBACKS' NOTEBOOK

> Starting quarterback Lance Rice (6-2, 200, So.) is completing 57 percent of his pass attempts and has thrown for 1,428 yards and 11 touchdowns (6 interceptions). Rice has completed 119 of 209 passes and is averaging 204.0 yards per game, third in the MWC. His pass efficiency rating of 125.96 ranks second in the MWC. He threw 4 touchdown passes against South Florida, which is tied for third in the school records.

> Lance Rice is 7-3 as Utah's starter. He is 5-2 this year and was 2-1 in games started as a freshman in 2000.

> Sophomore backup quarterback Ryan Breska (6-4, 209) has seen playing time in four games this year (Oregon, New Mexico, South Florida, Wyoming) and has completed 9 of 22 passes for 186 yards and 1 touchdown (no interceptions). His best game was against UNM, when he was 3 of 4 for 63 yards and his first college touchdown.

LINEBACKERS' NOTEBOOK

> Utah's tackle leader is rover linebacker Sheldon Deckart (6-2, 239, Jr.) with 51 total tackles. He had a career-best 15 tackles in the season-opener against Utah State. Deckart also leads the Utes in tackles for loss (9), sacks (4) and pass breakups (6).

> Two former walk-ons are starting at linebacker and having fine seasons. Senior middle linebacker CR Dwinell (6-1, 228) has 30 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 3 pass breakups. Junior strong side linebacker Brooks Bahr (6-3, 219) has 21 tackles, 1 for a loss.

DEFENSIVE BACKS' NOTEBOOK

> Free safety Antwoine Sanders (6-3, 193, So.) is an all-conference candidate in his first year of Division I ball. Sanders, No. 2 in tackles for Utah (41 total), has a team-best 3 interceptions.

> Sophomore strong safety/nickel back Arnold Parker (6-2, 214) is putting up all-conference numbers wherever he plays. Utah's third-leading tackler with 38, Parker has 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 2 pass breakups. He is Utah's starting strong safety when the Utes are in their base 4-3 defense and plays corner when Utah is in its nickel package.

DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK

> Sophomore defensive end Jason Kaufusi (6-2, 249), the 2000 MWC Defensive Newcomer of the Year, is tied for first on the team in sacks (4) and is tied for second in tackles for loss (8). He also has 21 tackles and 3 pass breakups. The all-conference candidate's best game this year was against Indiana, when he had 7 tackles, 3 for a loss.

> Junior defensive lineman Garrett Smith (6-3, 285), a preseason all-MWC pick, has 32 tackles, 8 for a loss. He also has a sack and 2 pass breakups.

SPECIAL TEAMS 'NOTEBOOK

> Senior Ryan Kaneshiro has taken all 12 of Utah's field goal attempts this year and has made 7. He is 25-26 in PATs, with the lone miss coming against UNM on Sept. 29. He has made two 33-yard field goals, for a season long, and is 7-9 from 39 yards and in. Three of his misses were from 40-49 yards.

> Brian Lewis has punted the ball 40 times for 1,584 yards, an average of 39.6 yards per punt. He has placed 8 punts inside the 20. His 75-yard punt vs. Oregon is tied for the sixth-longest punt in school history.

> Brian Lewis has handled all of the kickoffs this year for Utah. He has 40 kickoffs and 17 touchbacks.

> Freshman Morgan Scalley is Utah's main return man. He has 21 punt returns for 170 yards (8.1 yard average) and 4 kickoff returns for 77 yards (19.2 yard average). His first collegiate kickoff return was for 44 yards against Indiana. Scalley sprained his knee against Colorado State and is listed as questionable for this week's game.

INJURY REPORT

Player, Pos.                       Injury/Status/Games MissedMarty Johnson, RB            Ribs/out for season/6Morgan Scalley, PR/KR    Sprained knee/questionable/0

RED ZONE REPORT

Utah OffenseTimes at or inside 20: 30(USU 6, UO 2, IU 3, NM 5, USF 6, UW 4, CSU 4)Touchdowns: 17(USU 2, UO 1, IU 3, NM 3, USF 3, UW 4, CSU 1)Field Goals: 7(USU 3, UO 1, IU 0, NM 1, USF 1, CSU 1)Scoring percentage: 88%TD percentage: 57%
Utah DefenseTimes opponent at or inside 20: 23(USU 3, UO 3, IU 6, NM 3, USF 4, UW 1, CSU 3)Touchdowns: 12(USU 1, UO 2, IU 4, NM 1, USF 3, UW 0, CSU 1)Field Goals: 5(USU 2, UO 1, IU 0, NM 0, USF 0, UW 0, CSU 2)Scoring percentage: 74%TD percentage: 52%

THIS GAME LAST YEAR

Then freshman Lance Rice got the win in his first career start at quarterback, directing Utah to a 38-16 upset of UNLV in Salt Lake City. Rice completed 13 of 21 passes for 157 yards and 3 TDs. Utah dominated on both sides of the line from start to finish, gaining 350 total yards to UNLV's 241. The defense gave up just one TD and a field goal, with the other score coming on a 31-yard fumble return against Utah's second string offense with less than a minute remaining in the game. Adam Tate rushed for 108 yards for Utah. Marcus Jones, who replaced the injured Jason Kaufusi at defensive end, had a career day for the defense with 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

UNLV PREVIEW

3-5, 2-2 MWC ... picked to finish No. 2 in MWC in preseason poll ... 1-3 in Sam Boyd Stadium this year ... lost 4 straight to open season before beating Nevada (Oct. 6) and San Diego State (Oct. 13) on back-to-back weekends ... Head Coach John Robinson is 0-2 vs. Utah as UNLV's coach. He directed his former team, USC, to a win over Utah in the 1993 Freedom Bowl.

MCBRIDE SAYS

"That (the CSU game) was a learning experience for us and we're ready to go forward. We lost that game. It wasn't anything they did. We dropped a touchdown pass, fumbled on the 1-yard line, made mistakes on special teams and didn't take make the plays that were there to be made. We know we're a much better team than that and we're ready to take care of business again. Losing that game made it a little tougher for us because we lost our cushion, but everyone else in the league has tough games left too.

"UNLV is a very talented team. If not the most talented team in the conference, they are one of the three most talented. It looks like they are now reaching their stride, sort of like Colorado State had when we played them. UNLV is a very physical football team with a power running game and an efficient offensive line. The quarterback is very talented and can hurt you in a lot of ways. He (Jason Thomas) looked like he struggled a little early in the season, but we are well aware of what kind of talent he is. UNLV will be hungry for this game because we have embarrassed them the last two years."

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