Rebels, Wildcats are eager to move forward

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 | 11:22 a.m.

WHO: Rebels vs. Northwestern

WHEN: Friday, 5 p.m.

WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium

RADIO/TV: KBAD-920 AM, ESPN (Ch. 19)

EXPECTED CROWD: 25,000

TICKETS: Sideline $30; End zone $17. Call 895-UNLV or Thomas & Mack Ticket Office. Tickets are also available at unlvrebels.com or tickets.com.

LINE: Northwestern by 3; Total is 56 1/2

SERIES: Northwestern leads, 1-0

UNLV and Northwestern have something in common heading into Friday night's nationally televised game at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Both schools just want to move on.

John Robinson's Rebels (0-1) would like nothing better than to erase the bitter taste of last week's nightmarish 14-10 loss at Arkansas.

Meanwhile, Big Ten favorite Northwestern (0-0) can finally get back to playing football after being in the national spotlight after the controversial death of starting safety Rashidi Wheeler to an asthma attack during an Aug. 3 conditioning drill in Evanston, Ill.

"It's good to get the season started," Wildcats head coach Randy Walker said this week. "I don't know if you ever get over something like (Wheeler's death). But my faith calls for me to go forward."

"I can't wait, and I know that's the feeling of the rest of the team," senior quarterback Zak Kustok said. "There were a lot of distractions going on. This is just the opportunity for us to go out and do what we know how to do, which is play football."

Wheeler's locker has become a shrine back in Evanston, Ill. The Wildcats will wear special patches on their uniforms with his initals "RAW" this season.

The Wildcats have 16 starters back from an 8-4 squad that tied for the 2000 Big Ten crown but was blasted 66-17 by Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl. But questions remain just how focused the squad will be after Wheeler's stunning death last month.

The school has come under fire for the way its trainers handled the incident. Wheeler's mother, Linda Will, has said the workout, which was filmed, was in violation of NCAA rules governing informal summer drills.

Will, who told the Chicago Sun-Times this week she may attend Friday night's game, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, Walker and six other athletic department employees, alleging they were responsible for her son's death.

Compared to Northwestern's woes the last five weeks, UNLV's last-minute loss at Little Rock seems like small potatoes. Still, the Rebels, who had visions of a possible Top 25 ranking heading into the season, know they can ill afford to drop to 0-2 out of the gate with teams like Colorado State, Arizona and BYU all waiting in the wings.

"It's a must-win game," sophomore middle linebacker Ryan Claridge said. "At least that's the way I feel about it. It seemed like the town was starting to get behind us a little bit but now after the loss at Arkansas you get the feeling maybe some people have jumped off the bandwagon.

"I know we're a good team with a lot of good athletes, though. We just have to keep playing."

UNLV's defense, which held Arkansas to just one first down over the first 3 1/2 quarters and to just 114 yards in total offense, figures to have it hands a lot fuller against a veteran Northwestern offense that averaged 36.8 points and 467.9 yards per game last season.

Leading the way is Heisman Trophy favorite Damien Anderson, who rushed for 2,063 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, and Kustok, who runs the Wildcats' no-huddle spread offense with skill and precision.

"We know that their offense is one of the best in the nation," UNLV defensive end Anton Palepoi said. "We're focused in on Anderson. If we can stop him, hopefully everything else will fall into place."

The Rebels believe they will be well prepared for the no-huddle offense.

"We practiced the hurry-up tempo during camp," Claridge said. "We'd have two offenses. Before the play was over, the other offense would be out there lining up. ... It's not like it will be a surprise thing. We practiced for it and we're prepared for it."

Claridge is a lot more confident than head coach John Robinson.

"Am I worried about their offense?" Robinson said. "Yep. I worry about everything."