Bittersweet return

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002 | 9:36 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: Wisconsin at UNLV

When: Saturday, 5:45 p.m.

Where: Sam Boyd Stadium

TV: ESPN2, Cox cable ch. 31

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Line: Wisconsin by 4.Total is 53.

Tickets: A crowd of more than 40,000 is expected, and fewer than 1,000 seats remain. Standing room tickets will be sold. Order online at unlvtickets.com or call 739-FANS.

Like most college football teams, Wisconsin rotates the job of putting together opponent scouting reports among assistant coaches.

Guess which team quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton drew?

"When it came down to the weather, part of the report, I told them it would probably be about 110 degrees ... but it's a dry heat," Horton joked.

On Saturday, Horton, UNLV's head coach from 1994-98, will return to Sam Boyd Stadium for the first time since a 41-18 season-ending loss to TCU on Nov. 21, 1998, his final game as Rebel head coach.

He had been fired by athletic director Charles Cavagnaro on the Monday prior to that game which capped an 0-11 season and extended the school's losing streak to 16 games.

"Everybody says, 'You're probably excited to be going back,' but it's hard," Horton said. "I spent a lot of time there and put in a lot of effort in that program. Obviously, life goes on. All my thoughts are being put to trying to win this football game now."

For obvious reasons.

"I think he's fired up about going back there and playing," Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger said. "I want to do everything I can to leave a mark for him and get a win."

Horton moved to Madison to coach Bollinger and the rest of the Badger quarterbacks for Barry Alvarez. Two other former Rebel assistants, Brian White (offensive coordinator) and Ron Cooper (secondary), are on the Wisconsin coaching staff and will be having mini-homecomings of their own.

But the man in the spotlight this week is clearly Horton, who recruited a handful of current Rebels before his firing. They include starting tailback Joe Haro, offensive guard Tony Terrell and cornerback Jamal Wynn.

"I just want to walk up and give him a hug and thank him for giving me this opportunity," Terrell said.

"I'll make a point to see him after the game because he was the first coach to give me the opportunity to play Division I football and the first one to stick with me. A lot of colleges backed off of me because I didn't have all my (academic) requirements yet. But Horton stayed in there and offered me a scholarship."

Haro said he would shake Horton's hand win or lose.

"Hopefully we'll be on the winning side," Haro added. "But I want to thank him for giving me a chance to play Division I football. UNLV and Indiana were the only schools that (recruited) me."

Horton isn't only looking forward to seeing some of his old recruits but also refurbished Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I haven't been in there since they fixed it up," Horton said. "They started all that construction about a week after they let me go."

Horton compiled a 13-44 record in five years at UNLV and led the Rebels to the 1994 Big West Conference title and a 52-24 Las Vegas Bowl victory over Central Michigan. UNLV went 7-5 that season.

However, the Rebels managed to win just six more games over the next four seasons. UNLV went 0-24 on the road in that span including a 52-7 loss at Wisconsin in 1998.

It probably didn't help that Horton had to kick star quarterback Jon Denton off the team just before that last winless season or that the Rebels moved up to the more competitive Western Athletic Conference during his reign.

"I think beating Reno and winning the Big West Conference and the Las Vegas Bowl that year were the highlights," Horton said. "Struggling that last year was probably the toughest part. But the one thing I was proud of was that we didn't unraval as a team that year. Everybody stuck together.

"I wouldn't trade those days for anything. If I had it all to do over again, I would. ... only this time I'd hope to win a few more games."