Brown finding niche on Rebels’ defense

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2002 | 10:44 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: UNLV at San Diego State

When: Saturday, 4 p.m.

Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

TV: None

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Line: SDSU by 2 1/2, Total is 49.

Connie Brown knew defeating BYU 24-3 last Saturday in Provo, Utah, was a big win for UNLV, but the senior transfer from the University of Alabama admits he had no idea just how big.

"I guess it's rare," the 6-foot-3, 205-pound safety said of the Rebels' first win over the Cougars since 1981. "I wasn't aware that they hadn't beaten them in over 20 years."

And Brown, who played a key role in holding BYU to its lowest home point total since 1971 with a game-high 16 tackles and two passes defensed, said he didn't realize the significance of holding the Cougars' normally high-powered offense to just a field goal until he got into the locker room afterward.

"I just felt like we were all out there doing our job," Brown said. "You don't know the history until after the game. It wasn't like we came into the game saying we were going to hold them to a field goal. But it turned out that way."

And the centerfield play of Brown was a big reason for that.

"A good safety is a really important part of our defense," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "It helps you everywhere else. He makes tackles when something breaks which (Brown) did and he is also a really important part in pass coverage in denying certain routes to the opponent."

Robinson coached a number of top-notch safeties, including Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith, Joey Browner and Sammy Knight, during his USC days. And the man who preceded Brown at free safety for the Rebels, Sam Brandon, started for the Denver Broncos last week.

"Connie's play Saturday against BYU was very similiar to the level that Sam played here," Robinson said. "And that was very impressive to us. I think he's really fitting into that position for us now. He's getting comfortable back there."

"It was one of my better games," Brown said.

The Rebels will need some more of those kinds of games in the final five weeks of the season starting with Saturday afternoon's game at pass-happy San Diego State.

"He has nice size and his instincts are good," Robinson said. "Now that he feels comfortable, I think he's going to have a good last half of the season for us."

And if Brown does that, he could be following his friend Brandon into the NFL next spring.

"It's still early," Robinson said. "He's getting used to us and we're getting used to him. But his play on Saturday was outstanding. If he continues to improve, he'll rank up there with any safety in the conference."

According to weather.com, the projected high on Saturday in normally sunny San Diego is just 63 degrees with a 30 percent chance of showers.