Rebels face another test against Lobos’ defense

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001 | 10:56 a.m.

Ask UNLV center Peter Tramontanas what exactly went wrong with the Rebel offensive line in last week's 42-14 loss to Utah and he just shrugs his shoulders.

"We just got our butts kicked," the senior from Alturas, Calif., said. "That's all it pretty much was."

The Rebels gained just 38 yards rushing on 26 attempts in that contest. But the offensive line gets a chance at redemption against the best run defense in the Mountain West Conference on Saturday when UNLV travels to bowl-hopeful New Mexico.

Coach Rocky Long's Lobos are ninth in the nation in rush defense, allowing just 80.9 yards per game. They also lead the MWC in sacks with 22.

"This week the challenge is different," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "The challenge is picking up stunts and blitzes and all that."

Tramontanas, the man in the middle of the Rebel offensive line, will be responsible for helping get his unit into its correct blocking assignments.

"This is a very unique defense that we're going against," Tramontanas said. "We just have to go out there and execute our plays. Even if we do something wrong, we've just got to keep going, get a man on a man, keep our feet moving and be physical."

Until last Saturday's setback against Utah, it has been UNLV's offensive line that has dominated in the trenches this season. Despite last week's meager 38-yard rushing output, the Rebels still rank 12th nationally out of 117 Division I-A teams in rushing with a 226.56 yard average per game.

"I'm looking forward to these last two games as much as I would be if we were still playing for a bowl game," Tramontanas said. "We still have two games to redeem ourselves and show everyone what we are all about."

The Rebels will make their first trip to the Glass Bowl to play Toledo on Sept. 21 next year while the Rockets will visit Sam Boyd Stadium the following season on Aug. 30, 2003. UNLV will play six home games in both the 2002 and 2003 campaigns.

The Rockets take the place of Baylor, which bought its way out of the return game of a home-and-home series with the Rebels, on next year's schedule. UNLV's six home games will be Wisconsin (Aug. 31), Kansas (Sept. 7), Nevada-Reno (Oct. 5) and Mountain West Conference games against Air Force, New Mexico and Wyoming on dates to be determined next spring by the MWC.