Rebels could lose Brandon for six weeks

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Oct. 1, 2001 | 11:26 a.m.

After suffering another heartbreaking last-minute defeat, this time a 35-31 setback to No. 20 BYU on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, UNLV head coach John Robinson boldly predicted his 0-4 club would win its final seven games of the season and play in a bowl game.

"I actually predict we'll win the next seven games," Robinson said. "I'll pretend like I'm (New York Giants head coach) Jim Fassel (who made a similar prediction a year ago)."

But if the Rebels do run the table, they may have to do a good part of it without their 2000 team defensive MVP.

Senior strong safety Sam Brandon, the team's top tackler a year ago as well as this season, could miss up to six weeks with a broken right elbow.

X-rays taken at the stadium indicated that Brandon had partially fractured a bone in his elbow. However, team trainer Kyle Wilson said there is a possibility the injury could be related to a dislocated elbow Brandon suffered his senior year in high school.

Brandon is scheduled to have a CT scan done today. The results won't be known for 24 to 48 hours.

"Right now he's probably questionable for Reno (Saturday)," Wilson said. "There is a chance that the fracture that showed up on the (stadium) X-ray is an old fracture and that he has a new bruise on top of that. We'll do the CT scan this week to show us the age of the fracture. If it's an old fracture, then he has a new bruise on there. That would be good news and he might be able to play this week."

If not?

"If it is a new fracture, it usually takes four to six weeks to heal," Wilson said.

Wilson called the fracture "small. The bone is not completely broken. He still has pretty good strength in there."

Brandon, in fact, walked out of the locker room after the game with just an Ace bandage wrapped around the elbow and with X-rays in hand.

"I wrapped up and as I turned the running back around somebody came in and hit me with their helmet," Brandon said. "Then I went back in and there was a fumble. I had the ball in my hands and somebody came in and hit me in exactly the same spot. After that, I went in for X-rays."

Brandon remained hopeful he could play in Saturday afternoon's Battle for the Fremont Cannon in Reno.

"I'll definitely have a chance to come back and play," Brandon said. "It's just a matter of how many weeks if it's any weeks at all. I'd say there's about a 70-30 chance I'll play (against Nevada-Reno). We'll just have to see the severity of the injury (today)."

Redshirt freshman Jamaal Brimmer of Durango High School is Brandon's backup.

"I felt like I was getting too caught up with too narrow of a focus (on the game), so I let Kenny and John call them," Robinson said. "I felt I was more involved with the whole team. I felt that was important for me, to keep our morale and continuity going, to be able to talk with J.T. (quarterback Jason Thomas) without having to worry about what I'm going to call next. I think it worked better for us."

It also gave Robinson time to chat and lobby with officials after a controversial call. Several times he walked several yards on to the field to get their attention.

Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Rob Boras is on a headset with Niumatalolo and Jackson, who are in the press box, and now relays the play calls in.

The 5-foot-7, 153-pound Dorsey came off the bench to rush for 77 yards on 14 carries and score two touchdowns against BYU before being sidelined with severe cramps in his calves. He has returned six kickoffs this year for 280 yards and leads No. 2 Ronald Rogers (40.4 avg.) of Western Michigan by more than six yards.

Junior Jor Haro is still the starter at tailback with Dorsey his backup.

It was the third major surgery for Sunia in less than a year. He twice had undergone right knee reconstruction for torn ligaments suffered first in last year's win over Nevada-Reno and then five months later in a moving accident.

"Someone just fell into it," a tearful Sunia said. "I thought I had just rolled it at first. But then I got to the sideline and I knew it was a lot worse than that."

Sunia, who redshirted in 1997, was playing in just the second quarter of his second game of the season and could petition for a rare sixth year of eligibility if he desires.