Wisconsin 52, UNLV 17

Saturday, Sept. 14, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The game was played in UNLV's Sam Boyd stadium, but seemed more like a home game for Wisconsin, whose red-clad fans comprised the majority of the 40,091 who filled the stands to watch the Badgers (2-0) win for the second time this season.

They had plenty to cheer about in a game that was never in doubt despite a slow start that saw Wisconsin leading only 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Stecker scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter and again from a yard further out in the third quarter. He sat out the fourth quarter after getting his 135 yards in only 12 carries.

UNLV (0-3), which allowed more than 60 points in both its first two games, once again had trouble stopping the run and got beat consistently on deep passes by Mike Samuel.

Samuel threw for a touchdown and ran for another while backup quarterback Scott Kavanagh passed for another score. UNLV's Jon Denton threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times.

The Rebels had some offensive moments of their own, tying a season-high in points against a Wisconsin team that held Eastern Michigan to only a field goal last week.

UNLV drew to within 28-14 on a 18-yard touchdown pass from Denton to Todd Floyd with 6:10 left in the third quarter but Wisconsin took the ensuing kickoff down the field for a 22-yard field goal by John Hall. The Badgers made it 38-14 on the next play when Daryl Carter intercepted a tipped Denton pass and went 14 yards for the score.

The interception was one of four that cost UNLV any chance it had to win a game it went into as a 33-point home underdog.

It was the first meeting in a decade between the two teams, and the biggest UNLV home crowd since 32,207 watched UNLV beat Wisconsin 17-7 in September 1986.

UNLV, which hadn't scored in the first quarter in 13 of its previous 15 games, had a prime opportunity to score first and get its first lead of the season on its second possession of the game.

But after getting a first down on the Wisconsin 15, a scrambling Denton tried to force a ball toward the end zone and Jason Suttle intercepted for the Badgers, killing the UNLV drive.

Suttle intercepted Denton a second time with UNLV on Wisconsin's 3-yard-line late in the second quarter, picking off a pass at the goal line and returning it to the 21.

Wisconsin then took the ball 79 yards in eight plays, with Samuel scoring on an option keeper from the 3-yard-line to give the Badgers a 21-0 lead with 1:07 left in the first half.

Only a Hail Mary pass as time expired kept UNLV from being shut out in the first half.

Denton's 45-yard pass was tipped by two Wisconsin defenders right into the waiting hands of Floyd in the end zone to make it 21-7 at halftime.