‘Tough ending’ haunts Thomas

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Oct. 19, 2001 | 10:20 a.m.

WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium

RADIO/TV: KBAD-920 AM, KLAS-TV (Ch. 8)

EXPECTED CROWD: 25,000

TICKETS: Sideline $25, end zone $12. Call 895-UNLV or Thomas & Mack ticket office. Tickets also available online at unlvrebels.com or at Tickets.com outlets.

LINE: UNLV by 4 points; total is 44

SERIES: Colorado State leads, 5-3-1

Jason Thomas has one simple goal heading into Saturday afternoon's key Mountain West Conference game against Colorado State at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I've got to get my good four quarters in this time," Thomas said.

You might recall that it was a little over a year ago that Thomas suffered a badly sprained foot late in the first half against the Rams in Fort Collins, Colo. UNLV would go on to lose to the eventual Mountain West champions, 20-19, when Rhett Nelson leapt high in the air to block Ray Cheetany's potential game-tying PAT with 34 seconds remaining.

It was an injury that would haunt Thomas the rest of the season, although he still managed to lead the Rebels to four straight victories, including a Las Vegas Bowl upset over Arkansas.

Thomas had struggled in that first half in Fort Collins before going down to injury. He had rushed for just 13 yards on 10 carries and completed just one of three passes for 23 yards.

"That was a tough night," he said. "It was tough having to watch the second half of that game from the sidelines. And it was a tough ending for all of us."

Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick had gone out of his way to heap praise on Thomas before that contest.

"I just had the biggest treat of my life watching (Thomas on film)," Lubick said early that week. "I've never seen a quarterback come to Hughes Stadium as talented as this kid. He's something special. There's nobody in the land as good as this kid is right now."

Looking back, Thomas thinks it was all a setup.

"I think Coach Lubick played a lot of mind games with me last year, trying to make me feel a lot of pressure," Thomas said. "I didn't think that I was, but maybe I did put a little pressure on myself when he said all that stuff."

Lubick, whose Rams (2-4) are reeling from their worst start since 1993 and are coming off a heartbreaking 25-22 overtime loss to eighth-ranked Fresno State on Saturday night, is a perfect 5-0 against UNLV. The Rams have never lost in three previous trips to Sam Boyd Stadium.

Meanwhile, Thomas and the Rebels (2-4) would like to put the bitter memory of that 2000 game behind them.

"I just want to go out and play my game and play hard," Thomas said. "If I can do that, I think I'll be fine and we'll be fine."