AF coach apologizes for last two scores

THE NUMBERS: UNLV's 351 passing yards was the second-highest of the Jeff Horton era. The 635 vs. Idaho on Sept. 17, 1994, remains the standard. ... Eleven Air Force players rushed for at least 10

Monday, Sept. 9, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Fisher DeBerry didn't want to see the score mount. But when the other team is giving you great field position and can't stop your third string, what's a coach to do?

Air Force did what good teams do. It took advantage of a mistake-prone UNLV attack and added two fourth-quarter touchdowns in the Falcons' convincing 65-17 rout of the 0-2 Rebels Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I felt terrible getting those last two scores," DeBerry said. "We weren't looking to score, but we were just running our basic offense and sometimes, those things happen."

DeBerry had nothing to apologize for. The Falcons' triple-option attack was hitting on all cylinders as quarterback Beau Morgan reverted to form after struggling with his passing in last week's 45-0 win over San Jose State. The senior threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 150 yards and another TD. His ability to dominate was what UNLV coach Jeff Horton feared most going into the Rebels' Western Athletic Conference debut.

"They're good at what they do," he said of Air Force, which improved to 2-0 and has outscored the opposition 110-17. "That's why they're the co-champs."

Will the Falcons repeat and earn another bowl berth? DeBerry said it's too early to predict. But he is pleased with his team's start.

"You'd always rather be the team looking down than the one looking up at the top," he said. "I thought we made a lot of improvement from week one to week two. We played against more speed tonight and we answered the challenge."

Air Force is off until Sept. 21 when it visits Wyoming. It's a huge game for the Falcons, who can entrench themselves at the top with a win. Air Force would be 3-0 and can keep the momentum going until the awaited Oct. 5 showdown with preseason favorite San Diego State.

"We're very pleased with where we are," he said. "I was concerned about the distractions here (in Las Vegas), but our team did a good job of staying focused and not losing sight of why we came down here."

Damon's back

After being limited to just one reception last week, sophomore wide receiver Damon Williams was back in form with seven catches for 85 yards against Air Force.

"We made a concerted effort to get Damon the ball," UNLV quarterback Jon Denton said. "He's a big part of what we do and he's capable of making big plays, so we definitely were looking for him more this week."

Nine different Rebels caught passes Saturday, including Todd Floyd, who has bounced back from a hamstring injury to catch five balls for 55 yards.

Lords of Undiscipline

The last thing struggling teams need is to give the opposition more chances. But whether it was overzealousness or sheer stupidity, UNLV was flagged for three unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties for late hits, two by safety Quincy Sanders.

Sanders got nailed in the first and third quarters and, while neither resulted in an Air Force touchdown, Greg Gales' late hit did help the Falcons eventually find the end zone.

"We can't have that," coach Jeff Horton said of the unnecessary roughness, late hits and trash-talking, even with the score so lopsided against them. "We're going to talk to a few of them and make sure they get the message."

Extra points

* INJURY UPDATE: UNLV suffered two key injuries Saturday. Noseguard Mac Smith has a sprained right knee and receiver Len Ware has a subluxation of the right shoulder. Both are doubtful for Saturday's game with Wisconsin after suffering their injuries in the fourth quarter.

* A ONE AND A TWO ... : You know a team is rolling when it doesn't need half its downs to march its way down the field. In Air Force's six drives in the second half, it faced a third-down situation only three times. There was one fourth-down play and the Falcons scored on a seven-yard run by Ryan Hill in the fourth quarter.