Rebel ‘D’ must pressure UNR

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Sept. 30, 1999 | 11:03 a.m.

Sack it up.

That very well could be the motto for UNLV's defense this week as it prepares for Saturday afternoon's Fremont Cannon battle at in-state rival Nevada-Reno.

The Rebels have just one quarterback sack in four games this season. They'll need to put a whole lot more pressure on strong-armed Wolf Pack quarterback David Neill this weekend if they want to have any chance of snapping their four-year losing streak to Nevada-Reno.

"That's bad," UNLV defensive coordinator Jeff McInerney said of his team's sack total. "We're not happy about it. We have to develop a better pass rush. And that's on me."

Part of the problem is that UNLV has played predominantly run-oriented teams so far in North Texas, Baylor, Iowa State and Utah. When you're allowing 249.5 yards per game on the ground, as the Rebels are, there usually is not much need for an opponent to throw a lot.

"I think that's part of it," McInerney said. "And those teams kept us off-balance, too. They had a lot of third-and-shorts. It's hard to play defense in those situations because there are screens, draws -- it's not a direct passing situation where you can just turn it loose."

Still, McInerney believes a big key this weekend will be how well the Rebels can pressure Neill, who threw for 3,249 yards and 29 touchdowns in just nine games last year as a true freshman, including 611 yards in one game against Big West Conference champion Idaho.

"We have to find a way to pressure (Neill)," McInerney said. "The kid's a very good quarterback. When he does struggle, it's like most quarterbacks. ... when he does get hit. If we don't do that, it will be a struggle for us. We have to get after him."

McInerney said he is stressing pass-rush drills in practice this week. But he says the Rebels also must guard against focusing too much on Reno's spread passing attack because of the running of hard-nosed senior Chris Lemon.

Lemon destroyed UNLV in last year's 31-20 win over the Rebels, rushing for 199 yards and one touchdown on an amazing 44 carries.

"If I looked at our tape, I'd run Lemon downhill," McInerney admits. "But I don't think they'll be like Utah and be that conservative and just pound us to death. That's not their M.O. But they could try it. Lemon is real good."

Still, McInerney believes the key to the game will be putting pressure on the talented Neill, who somehow escaped bigger conferences such as the Pac-10 despite a talented prep career at Hart High School in Newhall, Calif.

"The whole key is Neill," McInerney said. "If he has time to throw it, they can all catch it and they all can run with it. We have to be able to pressure him. ... If we don't hit Neill, it will be a long day."

* REBEL NOTES: Cle Brooks, one of the Wolf Pack's starting wide receivers, will miss the game with a broken hand. Brooks suffered the injury in Reno's 72-10 loss at Oregon two weeks ago. "They X-rayed his hand again and it just wasn't healed enough," UNR coach Jeff Tisdel said. However, the Wolf Pack should learn today whether freshman speedster Nate Burleson (6-2, 175) of Seattle, Wash., O'Dea High School, who has been a star in Wolf Pack practices, will receive clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse over a disputed math course. Tisdel said Burleson would play Saturday if cleared. UNLV FOOTBALL