Seniors finish as winners

Steve Carp

Monday, Nov. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

As a group, the 11 UNLV seniors had done little to distinguish themselves this year. Which is understandable for a team that had gone winless in 10 tries, 12 dating to last year.

But for three much-maligned veterans, being successful in their final home game carried added significance.

There's Omar Love, the tailback who came here five years ago with such lofty expectations only to underachieve most of his career. People wondered what had happened to Tony Burton, the team's leading rusher a year ago, but seemingly lost in the abyss of what has been a miserable season. And kicker Alan DiLeo, who always seemed to be running uphill in his attempt to keep his job.

Three inconsistent seniors, looking for one day of solid production, one day of redemption.

Saturday, they found it at Sam Boyd Stadium. The trio had a contributing role in the Rebels' shocking 44-42 upset of San Diego State in front of 11,594.

Love scored twice and Burton once. Both ran strong and didn't turn the ball over. DiLeo, whose 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter would prove to be the margin of victory, atoned for an early missed extra point.

"I told our guys how impor tant it was all week for them to play their last game here and how they'll always remember it," coach Jeff Horton said. "That's why I'm so happy, especially for Omar, Tony and Alan. They've been through a lot."

Love said it didn't dawn on him until he got on the bus for ride to the stadium that this was it.

"I broke down and cried," he said. "I knew this would be the last time my family and friends would get to see me play. And to win this game really makes it special."

For Burton, who was a ques tion mark to even be academically eligible, just being part of a win meant a lot.

"I've been through a lot this year, but the whole team has," he said. "The losing's been tough on everyone. But when you can win your last home game, that's something you'll always remember."

DiLeo, who has been in a constant battle to be the team's placekicker the last two seasons, said he felt for Peter Holt, his San Diego State counterpart whose 35-yard miss with 17 seconds allowed UNLV to end its nation-leading 12-game losing streak.

"I've never been in a game-winning situation, but I can imagine he's really hurting," DiLeo said of Holt. "I knew my kick was a big one, so I just tried to stay calm and focused.

"It's a great feeling," he said of leaving the field a winner in his final home game. "It meant a lot to me."

FG right call?

San Diego State coach Ted Tollner would not second-guess himself for having Holt try to win the game with a 35-yard field goal.

"It was the last opportunity of the game," he said. "But there were many more opportunities we didn't take advantage of throughout the game."

The Aztecs had driven to the UNLV 18 and were faced with a third-and-4 situation. Receiver Will Blackwell had shredded the Rebels' defense with a quick-hitting middle screen and George Jones had run roughshod through the UNLV defense.

But Tollner decided to hand it to Jones inside. And for one of the few times Saturday, UNLV managed to stop Jones for no gain. It forced Holt to set up on the left hashmark with a crosswind blowing from right to left.

The Rebels got a good rush up the middle, though they didn't get a piece of the ball. However, there was enough pressure that Holt pulled it to the left.

Holt would not comment after the game. And Horton wouldn't second-guess Tollner.

"I'd have probably done the same thing," he said of going for the field goal.

Extra points

* SIXTH PLACE REBELS?: Strange as it sounds, it's true. A UNLV win over San Jose State this Saturday would give the Rebels sixth place in the WAC Pacific Division as both teams would be 2-6 with UNLV getting the tiebreaker for its head-to-head win. ... As it stands, the win over San Diego State helped the Rebels escape the cellar. Hawaii, which finished 1-7 after losing to BYU late Saturday, is in the basement. UNLV is 1-6.

* HOW LONG?: It has been 378 days since UNLV last left the football field a winner. The Rebels' last win came on Nov. 4, 1995 against North Texas. And now that the 12-game losing streak is history, Duke is the lone Division I-A team without a win this year.