Friendly rivals to reunite

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002 | 10:06 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: UNR at UNLV

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Where: Sam Boyd Stadium

TV: None

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Line: UNR by 2. Total is 56.

Tickets: Order online at unlvtickets.com or call 739-FANS.

If UNLV is to upset in-state rival Nevada-Reno on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, the Rebels must slow down Wolf Pack wide receiver Nate Burleson.

Burleson leads the nation in receptions with an average of 11.25 per game. And no one is more familiar with the fancy moves or the outstanding athletic ability of the 6-foot-2, 187-pounder than UNLV starting cornerback Chameion Sutton.

"We all grew up playing basketball in the back yard," Sutton said. "Me and Nate's brother, Kevin (now a starting point guard for the University of Minnesota) went to Rainer View Elementary School in Seattle together. We all know each other very well."

"We're almost like brothers," Burleson said. "We got to know each other through playing basketball together. He used to even spend the night over at my house sometimes."

Sutton also played on a basketball traveling team called the Central Area Youth Association that was coached by Burleson's father, Alvin.

"We traveled all over the country," Sutton said. "We played in tournaments in Tennessee, Vegas ... everywhere. It was great. I know his family really well. In fact, I saw his parents this summer at the adidas tournament here when Nate's little brother was playing."

But Sutton, who is a year older than Burleson, said he had never played football against him before last year's Fremont Cannon battle in Reno.

"One of the reasons for that is that Nate went to O'Dea High School while I played at Franklin," Sutton said of two well-known high school football powers in the Seattle area. "They played in a lower level than we did so we didn't play against each other."

Burleson said he looked up to Sutton while growing up.

"He's a great athlete," Burleson said. "I always kind of watched him. He kind of showed me the way. He didn't just stick to playing one sport all the time. Like him, I played a number of sports in high school."

Sutton says he will match up with Burleson "at certain times" during Saturday night's contest.

"I'm at corner a lot of the time," Sutton said. "They put Nate in the slot a lot. But I'm pretty sure he'll be at wideout for part of the game, so I'll probably get to go against him a few times."

Does Sutton have any secrets on how to defend Burleson?

"Nah, no secrets," Sutton said. "I just know that he's a great player and that he's worked very hard. He deserves everything he's getting right now. I'm just looking forward to competing against him and having fun."

"I'm going to try and flat-back him so I can get some bragging rights," Burleson said with a chuckle.

UNLV's secondary has struggled in recent losses to Oregon State and Toledo. The Rebels rank a dismal 101st nationally in pass efficiency defense and are allowing an average of 233.5 yards per game through the air.

"The last couple of weeks we have been having a lot of communication errors and coverage mistakes," Sutton said. "We've just got to re-focus and try to win one game at a time. We still have a lot of football left to be played."

UNLV trainer Kyle Wilson said Kincaid would undergo an MRI on the knee tonight, but the results will likely not be known until Saturday. It's feared Kincaid may have torn his MCL.

"It's a strain or a tear," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "They won't know until they get the results of the MRI. He's definitely out. Zach Gorham will start, but Eddie Freas can play there, too."

Gorham, a highly-touted 6-foot-4, 295-pound redshirt freshman from El Capitan High School in Lakeside, Calif., has played sparingly this year. He was one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in California during his prep career.

The news also doesn't appear to be good for starting fullback Steven Costa.

Costa suited up for practice for the first time in almost two weeks on Wednesday after straining a calf muscle in UNLV's 38-21 loss at Toledo.

"It's still sore," Costa said before heading off to treatment.

"He's really questionable," Robinson said. "He'll play some, but he'll probably share the job with (junior) Andrew Faga and (sophomore) Dyante Perkins."

There was some good news on the injury front. Backup offensive guard Joe Eddleman, carted off the practice field on Tuesday night with an ankle sprain, practiced with the aid of an ankle brace Wednesday night.