Rebels can’t escape rut vs. Lobos

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Nov. 12, 2001 | 10:58 a.m.

The UNLV Rebels proved one thing in their 27-17 loss at New Mexico on Saturday night.

No matter if it is Jason Thomas or Kurt Nantkes starting at quarterback, the Rebels (3-7, 2-4 Mountain West) are equally adept at dropping key passes, making special teams blunders, failing to convert on fourth-and-1, and fading badly in the fourth quarter.

With Thomas sidelined because of a case of the flu, Nantkes made his first college start and completed 12 of 28 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also fumbled three times, losing one, and was sacked twice.

Considering it was the first time he had started a football game since the 1997 Class 4-A Colorado state title game when he led Aurora Hinkley past Grand Junction Central, Nantkes more than held his own.

"It was a good performance for someone who hadn't started before," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "It was a great opportunity for Kurt to play and start on his career. I thought he did very well. I thought he threw the ball accurately and I thought he led the team well."

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Nantkes, who takes about a third of the snaps in a normal practice week, found out only about 30 minutes before kickoff that he would start for Thomas.

Thomas, who began throwing up about six hours before kickoff and was also experiencing headaches, stayed in the locker room during pregame warmups.

"We came back in and they were going to see how far J.T. could make it," Nantkes said. "We were sitting in here and he threw up one more time. They looked at me like, 'Get ready.' "

Thomas apparently picked up the bug from roommate Chris Hayward, a backup quarterback who was sick with the flu on Friday.

"Maybe I gave it to J.T.," Hayward said. "If anybody saw me (Friday), I wasn't looking too good."

"I had headaches (Friday night), but Chris was sick," Thomas said. "We slept in the same room. I guess from that night until the morning I got sick. It started about 11 in the morning. We're on the bus over to the stadium and I have a big bag in my face. Then we get in (the locker room) and I was dry-heaving. And then there were the migraines. The only way I could get rid of the headaches was to close my left eye."

After getting some medication, Thomas said he started feeling better around halftime and possibly could have played in the second half. Instead, he watched in sweats.

"There was no need for me to try and take Kurt out then," Thomas said. "He was doing good out there."

Hayward, who signals in the plays, almost saw action as well in the game when Nantkes was dazed after having his head rammed into the ground on a sack by Lobo defensive end D.J. Renteria in the fourth quarter. UNLV had to call a timeout to allow Nantkes to regain his bearings.

"He grabbed my face mask and just pulled my head into the ground," Nantkes said. "For a minute, the crowd was quiet and I just heard a bell ringing. Then I stood up and the whole stadium felt like it was spinning."

Wilson was more optimistic about the condition of freshman running back Dominique Dorsey, who tweaked his sore right ankle in the first half of Saturday's game and didn't return.

"I'd say he's probable," Wilson said. "There was some soreness, but no swelling. So he should be able to go."