Robinson gets Rebels back in win column, but knows work isn’t done

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Nov. 29, 1999 | 11:33 a.m.

Don't be satisfied with just being OK.

That will be John Robinson's message to his UNLV football team when it begins off-season workouts in the next few weeks.

The Rebels (3-8, 1-6), who finished the 1999 season with a closer-than-the-score-would-indicate 35-17 loss to Mountain West Conference co-champion Colorado State on Saturday afternoon, had a lot more positives this past season than in the final three years of the Jeff Horton era, when UNLV won just a total of four games.

Consider:

* UNLV snapped a school-record 16-game losing streak with a 26-3 season-opening win at North Texas.

* The Rebels snapped a school-record 16-game conference road losing streak with a stunning 35-32 victory at 24-point favorite Wyoming, the school's first win at Laramie since 1979.

* And thanks to the bonehead coaching maneuver of the year by Baylor's Kevin Steele, UNLV and sophomore cornerback Kevin Thomas found themselves splashed all over ESPN's SportsCenter and Sports Illustrated with their comeback win of the decade, a 27-24 victory at Waco when Thomas returned a fumble 100 yards for the game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game.

But on the other side of the coin:

* UNLV laid probably its biggest egg of the season in a 26-12 loss to in-state rival Nevada-Reno.

* The Rebels, despite an upgraded facility and strong early home crowds, went 0-5 at Sam Boyd Stadium and will carry a school-record 12-game home losing streak in 2000.

* And with a tight Colorado State team on the ropes entering the second half in Saturday's finale, the Rebels couldn't find a way to deliver the knockout blow and were outscored 21-0 after intermission.

Still, considering where the program was when Robinson inherited an 0-11 squad last December, the season in most people's eyes would have to be viewed a success.

Three wins equals the two-season total before Robinson took over. And teams such as Air Force and BYU actually had to work up a sweat when playing the Rebels this year.

And, as anybody who has stopped by the Rebel Park practice field this fall can tell you, things figure to improve dramatically next season when highly touted transfers such as ex-USC quarterback Jason Thomas, former all-Pac-10 running back Kevin Brown of Washington State and Florida State whippet Raymont Skaggs join a young and improving offensive unit.

In addition, converted sophomore wide receiver Sam Brandon, who redshirted this year because of academic problems, figures to join secondary mate Thomas on an NFL roster when his college days are over.

"I think the thing that stands out when you look back at the year as a whole is that we have this program going in the right direction," Robinson said. "Now perseverance will be the key. We've got to stay after it and be determined to keep improving. We can't be satisfied with just being OK."

For Robinson, that means getting the players to upgrade a defense that ranked 110th out of 114 Division I teams in rush defense (yielding almost 240 yards per game on the ground) and gave up 324 points.

"I think recruiting obviously is a big issue for us, particularly on defense," Robinson said. "We have to get some defensive players who can come in and contribute next year."

Robinson, who hits the road on Wednesday to begin scouting and observing players, said he hoped to bring in "two or three" mid-year junior college defenders. The Rebels already have two mid-year scholarships committed to prep players who signed last year: TE/LB Ryan Claridge (6-3, 215), the younger brother of USC all-Pac-10 offensive lineman Travis Claridge, and DB Derek Olson, who played eight-man football at Indian Springs in 1998.

Brown, who gained 1,046 yards in just six starts at Washington State in 1998, also gets a mid-year scholarship after transferring in from Pullman.

Here's how the Rebels look entering the 2000 season.

Offense

The long-awaited debut of sophomore Jason Thomas (6-4, 230), a Michael Vick-like quarterback with a cannon arm and 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash, should immediately jump-start UNLV's offense next season.

Thomas was considered by many scouts to be the finest athlete to come out of Southern California in over a decade. He redshirted at USC as a freshman while recuperating from a high school ankle injury, then transferred to UNLV after a falling out with Trojan coach Paul Hackett last spring.

Matt Ray, who didn't throw an interception in three solid starts as a true freshman, should give Thomas a good battle for the starting quarterback job in the spring. And Jason Vaughan, who started eight games before being sidelined with a concussion, adds experienced depth.

"It's going to be a much more wide-open offense," Robinson promised. "The quarterback is going to become much more of a focus."

The running game, which stalled after the mid-year groin injury to Jeremi Rudolph, gets a big boost with the addition of Brown (6-1, 230), who has the speed to get outside and supplies Robinson with a much-needed power inside back for third-and-short situations. Dependable James Wofford and Skaggs also figure to see plenty of action and provide excellent depth along with University of Washington transfer Jabari Johnson (6-0, 220).

A starting backfield of Thomas, Brown and a healthy Rudolph could match up with any team on the West Coast next year.

The offensive line figures to be much improved after a trial-by-fire year.

Three-year starter John Greer comes back to anchor one tackle spot with improving youngsters such as Peter Tramontanas, Tony Terrell, Allen Williams and Marquez Ologbosele expected to improve greatly with another year in the weight room.

The Rebels lose wide receiver Len Ware, the school's No. 2 all-time receiver, to graduation. But Nate Turner, who caught 45 passes and scored six touchdowns (imagine what those numbers would have been if he had a quarterback who could get him the ball the first half of the season) returns, as do improving youngsters Duane James (12 catches) and Troy Mason (2 catches). Still, Robinson said one of the No. 1 recruiting priorities will be finding a JC home run threat at wide receiver.

Defense

The Rebels need to improve their speed and toughness in the front seven to make any big kind of improvement here.

Senior tackle Roderick Jones graduates, but youngsters Ahmad Miller and Kawika Sagapolu figure to improve with another year.

"Miller came on at the end of the year while Sagapolu was in and out all season," Robinson said. "They both need to realize their potential."

Two-year starter James Sunia returns for his junior year at middle linebacker. But the Rebels need to recruit some speedy outside linebackers/defensive ends to make rapid improvement here.

The secondary, with Kevin Thomas back for his junior year --- there isn't a better corner on the West Coast --- and the addition of hard-hitting Brandon at safety should be one of the best in the conference. However, strong safety Quincy Sanders and corner Andre Hilliard graduate.

Look for converted running back Joe Haro and sophomore Jamal Wynn to battle at corner. Hard-nosed rover Randy Black could return to safety.

Special teams

Ray Cheetany, named one of the nation's top 10 special teams players by Sports Illustrated this week, returns to handle punting and kickoff chores again. And with Tim O'Reilly graduating, Cheetany will likely inherit field goal and placekicking duties as well next fall.

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