Rebels could have hands full with strong Utah backfield

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Nov. 2, 2001 | 11:26 a.m.

WHEN: Noon Saturday.

WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium.

RADIO/TV: KBAD 920-AM, ESPN-Plus/Gold 33, Cox Cable Ch. 6.

EXPECTED CROWD: 22,000.

TICKETS: Sideline: $25. End zone: $12. Call 895-UNLV or available at the Thomas & Mack ticket office. Tickets also may be purchased at unlvrebels.com and at Tickets.com outlets.

LINE: Utah by 1; total is 48

SERIES: Utah leads, 5-1.

A power running game has become the trademark of Utah football under Ron McBride.

Jamal Anderson, Mike Anderson, Chris Fuamatu-Maafala and Juan Johnson are among the big, strong and fast Ute running backs who have gone on to star in the National Football League. And this year's Utah squad, which faces UNLV on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium, is no different.

In fact, this year's squad has two NFL-caliber running backs the Rebels will have to contend with.

Call it Double Trouble.

Senior Dameon Hunter (5-foot-11, 223 pounds) ranks third in the Mountain West Conference and 16th in the nation in rushing, averaging 119.9 yards per game. Meanwhile, senior backup Adam Tate (6-1, 230) was a second-team all-MWC pick a year ago and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He has scored a team-high seven rushing touchdowns.

"Utah is the type of team that tries to 'outphysical' you," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "It's important that we hold our own physically against them."

Especially when it comes to trying to contain the 1-2 punch of Hunter and Tate.

"They both are hard runners," Rebel middle linebacker Ryan Claridge said. "You can't arm-tackle them. If you can lay some pads on them, that's when they'll go down. But if we arm-tackle them, they'll run on us all day."

Although Tate was a returning all-MWC pick, it is Hunter who has had the better season this year with four 100-yard games, including 148 yards in last week's 19-17 loss at Colorado State.

"I think Dameon is similiar to Jamal Anderson," McBride said. "In the fourth quarter of the Colorado State game he ran like a man possessed. He was just taking it to the house. Tate is a lot like Juan Johnson. Both of those guys are really good runners. We're real fortunate to have two backs as good as they are."

McBride gave credit to Hunter's hard-work ethic in winning the starting job.

"He has great resolve," McBride said. "He wasn't going to sit on the bench and be No. 2 and he practiced like it everyday. He wasn't going to play behind anyone."

"He's a big back but he's not just physical," Utah offensive coordinator Craig Ver Steeg said. "He won't run away from defenders, but he can make them miss. He hits the hole fast, he's a downhill runner, but he does more than just run over guys."

"If he beat out Tate, that says a lot," Claridge said of Hunter. "I thought Tate was a good runner last year."

Claridge said he's not worried about matching up physically with the Utes.

"We've played against Arkansas, Northwestern, BYU, Colorado State ... how much more physical can you be?" Claridge said. "It just depends on the day and how prepared you are to play."