Rebels pen in the Hogs

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Dec. 22, 2000 | 9:35 a.m.

He won the Las Vegas Bowl's pie-eating contest earlier in the week.

He helped anchor a UNLV offensive line that rolled up an impressive 259 yards rushing.

But as he watched Rebel fans carry the south end zone goalposts past him for the second time in just over two months on Thursday night after a stunningly one-sided 31-14 victory over Arkansas in Las Vegas Bowl IX, Rebel senior offensive lineman Brian Hart made one last contribution to the most memorable football season in school history.

"Hey, put this headline in your paper," Hart said. "S-E-C ya later!"

Only two years after finishing 0-11 and compiling a 16-game overall losing streak, the UNLV Rebels (8-5) capped their remarkable turnaround with a convincing win over one of the most storied programs in college football history from arguably the toughest conference in the nation, the Southeastern Conference.

Sophomore quarterback Jason Thomas, despite still being hampered by a sore right foot, earned team MVP honors by completing 12 of 17 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, including a highlight-reel 54-yarder to wide receiver Troy Mason late in the third quarter that broke a 14-14 tie and turned out to be the game-winner.

Meanwhile, the Rebel defense put the clamps on the Razorbacks in the second half, blanking the Hogs and allowing just 116 yards in total offense.

"This is just the beginning for us," predicted the 6-4, 230-pound Thomas. "We're on our way. We've got a lot of guys coming back and we have a great coaching staff. We're looking for bigger and better things."

"We played our best game and we were really dominating in the game," said UNLV head coach John Robinson, the architect of the amazing two-year turnaround. "This win is as good as any I've been around. I've won a national championship, but this won the national championship of our hearts. The look and feel on the player's faces ... it will last forever."

It didn't look like there would be much celebrating for the Rebels at the start.

Arkansas took the opening kickoff and behind the running of freshman tailback Brandon Holmes (26 carries, 99 yards) and the passing of sophomore quarterback Robby Hampton (18-for-40, 183 yards, two touchdowns), methodically drove 69 yards in 14 plays to take a quick 7-0 lead. Hampton connected with senior fullback Robby Stinson for a seven-yard touchdown pass to cap the march.

But UNLV came back to tie it early in the second quarter behind the passing combination of Thomas to senior wide receiver Nate Turner, who finished with eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns, including a 19-yarder to tie it, 7-7.

Five plays later, Arkansas regained the lead on a 25-yard pass from Hampton to 6-4 wide receiver Boo Williams, who finished with seven catches for 97 yards and one touchdown.

The Rebels rallied to tie it, 14-14, at intermission on a five-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Turner capping a 48-yard, four-play drive.

The turning point of the game came late in the third quarter.

Faced with a third-and-9 on the UNLV 46, Thomas went back and threw arguably the best pass of his Rebel career.

Scrambling back to his own 38, Thomas reached back and heaved a long pass for Mason, who caught it in stride behind three Razorback defenders at the 2-yard line and trotted in for the touchdown. The ball traveled 60 yards in the air.

"And it was right on the money, man," said Mason. "I came out of my break and looked up and there it was. I just had to turn on the jets and go get it. I didn't have to break stride or anything."

"I couldn't even see that far," Robinson said. "I just saw Jason throw it and then listened for the crowd."

The touchdown seemed to deflate the Razorbacks (6-6) who found themselves down by 10 points, 24-14, just a couple of minutes later on a 26-yard field goal by freshman Dillon Pieffer following a 41-yard run by James Wofford.

Kevin Brown capped the night with an 18-yard touchdown run off right tackle with 5:39 left to make it 31-14.

"They just dominated us in the second half and played a great game," Williams said.

UNLV defensive line coach Craig Wederquist said the Rebels really didn't make any adjustments in the second half to stop the Hogs.

"We just played harder and faster," he said. "We knew Arkansas had a very physical offensive line. They beat two very good SEC teams in Mississippi State and LSU down the stretch to get here. That's what makes this such a great victory."

"We knew this would be a dogfight. They're an SEC team," Thomas said. "But we knew we had the offensive weapons and the firepower to make the big plays. And that's what we did."