Brutal sked works against lowly Rebels

Friday, Sept. 11, 1998 | 9:22 a.m.

THE SCHEDULE is merciless, unrelenting.

At a time when UNLV badly needs a victory, and, therefore, something like a Tulsa on its schedule, instead the Rebels are looking at Air Force this Saturday and Wisconsin and Colorado State the following weeks.

Did someone say 0-4?

"We got to play 'em as they come," UNLV head coach Jeff Horton said Thursday, chuckling yet accepting the hand that has been dealt to his team.

One thing about it, UNLV basketball coach Bill Bayno never would have done this to himself. No way he'd OK a schedule that guarantees a series of difficult games -- and likely losses -- to open a season.

The spinoff for the football team is this: There's a very real risk that by the end of September, those who follow UNLV sports will already be counting the days to basketball season.

Horton would say there's only one favorable solution, and that's to win.

Yet Air Force comes into this game off a heady 42-0 victory over a decent Wake Forest team, while the Rebels show up 0-1 after a 41-7 pasting at Northwestern. Realistically, UNLV is a three-touchdown underdog.

"There are two ways to go," Horton said. "We could let that loss negatively affect the rest of the season, or we could learn from it and play better."

Saying that practice has gone well and that the players have taken a more "physical" approach, Horton opts for the positive view after a weekend of introspection.

"Even Sunday, there was still a lot of hurt and disappointment," he said. "I was the most shocked guy around. We worked for eight months preparing for Northwestern and to not do what we wanted to do hit us all right in the face.

"It was embarrassing."

It was also grueling for the UNLV defense, stuck on the field most of the day as the offense came up lame. But, worse yet for the Rebels, here comes an Air Force team that runs the option and is big on ball control.

It's easy to picture UNLV in a Northwestern sequel, watching the Falcons duplicate the Wildcats and running the Rebels ragged.

"Our defense has to do something about that," Horton said. "We do have a choice in the matter; we don't have to let them keep getting first downs."

Yet even if the effort is there, there's the matter of talent. Northwestern was physically dominant because its players were bigger and stronger, and Air Force may be more of the same with a dash of speed added for good measure.

Ability has its virtues.

Set aside the rose-colored glasses and the Rebels are clearly going to be challenged and maybe even overwhelmed. By the same token, it's still early enough in the season to allow for a breath of optimism.

"I really think something good is going to happen," Horton said. "I sense a different feeling these last couple of days. There are still 10 games out there, so we still have a chance to do some good things.

"We just need to get a win under our belts."

But if it doesn't happen this week, it isn't likely to happen for a while, or at least until Nevada-Reno pops up on the schedule Oct. 3.

By then, basketball practice will be only 14 days away.