Who let the Hogs in?

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Dec. 4, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

HONOLULU -- If UNLV getting an invite to play in Las Vegas Bowl IX was, as Rebel athletic director Charles Cavaganaro said, the worst-kept secret, the fact the Rebels will be playing Arkansas on Dec. 21 at Sam Boyd Stadium more than made up for it.

Even the Associated Press, which reported on Sunday that the Rebels would play Arizona State, fumbled this one. Other news outlets had similar reports.

But although the Las Vegas Bowl did consider making a trade with the two Hawaii bowl games to get the Sun Devils, the 14-person selection committee voted on Sunday to choose the Razorbacks of the SEC instead.

"Arizona State was available, but the committee just thought that Arkansas was the better matchup," Michael Mack of the LVCVA and the Las Vegas Bowl committee said. "Arkansas makes the game more of a national matchup instead of a regional matchup."

The Hogs (6-5) also closed out the season with impressive back-to-back upsets of Mississippi State and LSU while the Sun Devils (6-5) have a lame duck coach in Bruce Snyder and struggled badly down the stretch, even losing at home to Pac-10 cellar-dweller USC.

"I think it will probably be a pretty good matchup," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "We both played Ole Miss and we both lost. I think a Southeastern Conference team is good for the bowl.

"I hope they bring a lot of fans," Robinson continued, "but I hope they have a hard a time finding tickets to the game because all our fans buy them and sell the game out."

UNLV's players seemed excited about playing another SEC team, this time in their home stadium. The Rebels lost, 43-40, in overtime earlier this year at Ole Miss.

"I think it's awesome," junior defensive end Scott Parkhurst said after swimming at Waikiki Beach on Sunday. "I love the fact we're playing the SEC. It's the best conference in the country. They throw a lot which I like. I think it's a great pick for the fans in Las Vegas."

"I thought we were playing Arizona State," cornerback Amar Brisco said. "That's what everybody was saying today."

When he was assured that it was Arkansas and that Razorbacks AD Frank Broyles had accepted the bid earlier in the day, Brisco flashed his customary smile.

"It's good," he said. "We showed what we were all about already when we played Mississippi. But this time we get them at our house."

"It's great that we get to play them in front of our home fans," running back Jeremi Rudolph said. "After playing Ole Miss, we know that we can play with the SEC. But we're going to have to play our best game of the year to do it."

Interestingly, the Las Vegas Bowl will be the first of back-to-back meetings with Houston Nutt's squad. UNLV is scheduled to open the 2001 campaign on Sept. 1 at Arkansas.

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