Sellout possible for BYU showdown

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Oct. 19, 1999 | 10:29 a.m.

UNLV's all-time single-game attendance record of 40,091 set at its 52-17 loss to Wisconsin in 1996 at Sam Boyd Stadium is safe for a while.

That's because refurbished Sam Boyd Stadium has just 36,800 tickets available for Saturday night's homecoming date with BYU.

But don't be surprised if the Rebels end up with the second-largest crowd in school history.

More than 28,000 tickets -- 28,236 to be exact -- had already been sold for the Mountain West Conference contest as of 5 p.m. Monday. And that number figures to continue to grow as game time approaches.

"I'm hoping we can keep the steam going all the way through Saturday," Terry Cottle, UNLV's associate athletic director in charge of sports marketing, said Monday night. "Usually we get anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 tickets sold by walk-ups (day of the game sales)."

If that trend continues, the Rebels could well achieve the second-largest home crowd in school history.

Currently the No. 2 mark is 32,207 set in 1986 and also against Wisconsin, which had more fans than UNLV did at both contests. The third-largest home crowd of 31,406 was for a 54-14 loss to BYU in 1980.

Those three games are the only time UNLV ever attracted more than 30,000 to a home game.

What makes Saturday night's potential crowd total even more impressive is the fact the game is going head-to-head with the Mike Tyson-Orlin Norris fight, the first game of the World Series and free local TV of the game.

"Hopefully, we can keep pumping along," Cottle said. "And contrary to what many people believe, I don't think it will be a sea of (BYU) blue out there. I think it will be mostly (UNLV) red."

BYU was allotted 1,250 tickets by UNLV for the contest, but a number of Cougar fans and alums in the Las Vegas area could have bought their tickets from the UNLV box office.

* RECRUITING UPDATE: Three players from perennial California junior college powerhouse City College of San Francisco took official recruiting trips to UNLV over the weekend.

Wide receiver Mike Wegener, who originally signed with Baylor after starring at The Woodlands High School near Houston, outside linebacker Tyrone Tucker and safety Connie Brown (6-2, 200) all visited.

Wegener (6-1, 190) has run a 10.4 in the 100 meters and could give UNLV the kind of R. Jay Soward-like deep threat that Rebel coach John Robinson has made a top priority. He reportedly enjoyed his visit but also has a trip to Oklahoma planned.

Tucker (6-4, 230) and Brown (6-2, 200) are expected to get strong looks from a number of top national powers, so they're considered long shots at this point.

* FETERIK FEATURED: It's a big week for BYU senior quarterback Kevin Feterik, who ranks fifth nationally in total offense (328.3 yards per game) and seventh in passing efficiency (149.2 rating).

Sports Illustrated is sending a reporter to spend Wednesday and Thursday following Feterik around for a story. In addition, the school's sports information department is beginning a publicity campaign to try to garner Feterik some postseason honors with the theme, "BYU's Quarterback Factory, Version 7.0."