Without Deuce running wild, UNLV draws good hand against Mississippi

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2000 | 10:21 a.m.

The Deuce may not be on the loose Saturday afternoon when Ole Miss hosts UNLV.

Mississippi head coach David Cutcliffe said Wednesday that his star tailback and Heisman Trophy candidate, Deuce McAllister, is "doubtful" to play in this weekend's Battle of the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.

McAllister, rated the No. 1 college senior by National Football Scouting, Inc., for next April's NFL draft, suffered a high left ankle sprain in Ole Miss' 45-7 loss at Alabama two weeks ago. Despite his pleas to return to the game, the Mississippi training staff would not let him return.

"He's doubtful for this weekend," Cutcliffe said. "I'm not ready to say he's definitely out of the game because it is an ankle (injury) and you never know."

McAllister, however, seemed more optimistic than Cutcliffe.

"It's coming around pretty good," the 6-1, 220-pound senior from Morton, Miss., said. "I did some light running on it Monday but I didn't do any cutting or anything. We'll just have to wait and see how it comes along the rest of the week."

If McAllister can't play, it would figure to improve UNLV's chances of perhaps pulling an upset of Ole Miss (4-2, 2-2).

McAllister is the Southeastern Conference's active leader in rushing yards (2,739), all-purpose yards (4,287) and touchdowns (35). He has rushed for 446 yards on just 81 carries (5.5 avg.) and scored eight touchdowns. He also is 10th in the nation in punt returns with a 15.9 average per return, including an 87-yarder for a touchdown against Auburn.

"I've never been around a better back," Cutcliffe said.

That's saying a lot considering Cutcliffe was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 1982 to 1998 and helped coached future NFL stars Jamal Lewis, Charlie Garner, James Stewart and Reggie Cobb.

"He's faster than Lewis," Cutcliffe said. "He's a 4.3 (40-yard) guy. He's one of the more versatile players I've ever been around. He runs with power and speed, he catches the ball, and he return kicks. He's a special player."

Cutcliffe isn't the only one who feels that way.

Ole Miss alum Archie Manning, whose son Eli is the backup quarterback for Mississippi, attends each Ole Miss game as well as some practices and has come away very impressed with what he's seen of McAllister.

"I think he's going to be the first back taken in the NFL (draft)," Manning said recently. "That's better than (winning) the Heisman. I'm not a big Heisman guy, if you know what I mean."

Manning's son, Peyton, narrowly lost out to Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson in the 1997 Heisman race.

"I've been so impressed with Deuce," Manning continued. "Deuce has got everything ... a pro football organization wants. He's big. He's fast. He does everything well."

"I just thank him for saying all those nice things about me," McAllister said when asked about Manning's comments.

McAllister turned down scholarship offers from schools such as Notre Dame, Tennessee and Miami to travel 2 1/2 hours up the road to Oxford to play his college football.

"I wanted to help the state team do well," he said. "It was also close to home and I knew the coaching staff."

Ironically, though, McAllister grew up a fan of another team in the state -- Jackson State.

"It's only 35 minutes from my house," he said. "I went to the majority of their games. And Walter Payton was my favorite back growing up. I used to wear his number, 34, in the seventh and eight grade."

"He and his girlfriend had an argument back in August," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "They were breaking up. He shoved her and she fell down and hurt her finger."

Robinson said he thought an out-of-court settlement for the girl's medical expenses was going to be made between the two parties. However, those negotiations fell apart and the girl filed charges in late September.

"They'll go to civil court," Robinson said. "(Brickell) will go through the court process. It'll probably take about six months."

Robinson said the 6-4, 225-pound Brickell, who is sixth on the squad in tackles with 28, will remain with the team while the litigation runs its course. The senior from Fullerton (Calif.) High School will still start Saturday's game at Mississippi.

Robinson said he may even hold Black out of two key Mountain West games against Utah and New Mexico to allow the injury to heal.

"I think (UNLV's training staff) was a little optimistic," Robinson said about talk Black might even play this weekend. "Break your hand and then go hit it against something. It's 'Oh, bleep.'

"I don't think we can be anything but cautious with it. We'll wait. He has another doctor's appointment next week."