UNLV vs TCU — Game notes

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 9:48 a.m.

The Jeff Horton era of UNLV football had just ended with a dismal 41-18 loss to TCU (6-5) Saturday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium as Horton and wife Teri walked off the field with the Tina Turner song, "Simply The Best" blaring over the loudspeakers. Then, UNLV players, many in tears, hugged Teri Horton on the way into the locker room following their 16th straight loss over two seasons, the screeching sound of saw against metal echoed nastily throughout the stadium. Yes, within five minutes of UNLV's winless 1998 season, construction workers were already fast at work on the $17 million remodeling of Sam Boyd Stadium and a new era of Rebel football.

Actually, the sooner Saturday's disaster was put to rest, the better anyway. The Rebels, put through the emotional ringer with the firing of Horton earlier in the week, played their worst game in two months against the Horned Frogs. TCU, taking advantage of three UNLV turnovers, jumped out to a 28-0 lead after just four minutes of the second quarter and never looked back. The Horned Frogs led, 35-6, at halftime and dominated statistically during that span, holding huge edges in yardage (261 to 96), first downs (13 to 4), rushing yards (210 to 26) and time of possession (20:30 to 9:30). So much for sending Horton out with a long overdue win.

"I think we came out too hyped up and that went against us," Horton said. "The team kept coming out and fighting. Those guys played as hard as they could today. They had a very hard week too, but I thought they responded well." One shutters to think how lopsided the game would have been if the Rebels hadn't, as Horton said, "responded well." Leave it to quarterback Kevin Crook, who completed 8 of 21 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns in relief on injured starter Chad Reed, to put the finale in perspective. "It was pretty much a horrible ending to a horrible season," Crook said. "We lost a guy (Horton) we truly loved. A "W" would have at least healed some of the bruises." And what about finishing as the first 0-11 team in school history? "What can you do about it?," Crook said. "It's done now. Obviously, we've tried hard to win every game. We've just got to move on."

Next opponent

To be determined. Rebels tentatively scheduled to open their season on Aug. 28 at North Texas State, but that could change as new Mountain West Conference schedule is put together.

Attendance

Saturday's crowd: 15,441.

Season total: 90,002.

Season average: 18,000.