Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Robinson offers glimpse of Rebels newcomers

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-4088.

The first UNLV football luncheon droned on so long I thought John Robinson was going to turn into the Energizer Bunny. It almost made a Don King boxing news conference seem snappy. Notice I said "almost."

But in that this is opening week of the college football season when optimism reigns supreme, even on the corner of Maryland Parkway and Harmon, it was one time that nobody seemed to mind Robinson getting a little long-winded.

He used his time at the podium and in front of the video screen to take those in attendance around the field, position by position. Rather than concentrate on the impact players, Robinson spent much of the time introducing the UNLV newcomers via a practice highlight or anecdote.

In football, once the best players are removed from the equation, the most popular ones with fans are often itsy-bitsy guys or great big ones, although Robinson would be the first to say that part of the Rebels' recent problems is that they've featured way too many of the former and not nearly enough of the latter.

But if you're going to the Toledo game Friday and are looking for a new guy to latch onto it, here's one of each variety to keep an eye on.

On the small side, Robinson said the Rebels will try to spot Tremayne Kirkland into the game for a few plays in an attempt to make something big happen.

A freshman redshirt from Sacramento, Calif., Kirkland, who stands 6 feet and tips the scale (with great duress) at 150 pounds, is not listed on the four-deep depth chart at running back for Toledo. But based on the scrimmage clip Robinson showed, where Kirkland took a screen pass and criss-crossed the field for a touchdown, covering the last 5 yards with a swan dive into the end zone, don't be surprised if the Rebels try to spring this retro-sized talent on the Rockets.

On a much larger scale, it shouldn't take backup nose tackle Howie Fuimaono long to endear himself to Rebel faithful.

"He's as Samoan as Samoans get," Robinson said, tracing a square in the air to show that at 5-11 and 330 pounds, Fuimaono is as tall as he is wide.

Still, Fuimaono, said to be fun-loving in the Samoan tradition, doesn't always like to call attention to his girth. He recently approached Robinson, asking him for jersey No. 90 rather than 66 because 66 made him look even wider than he already is.

"I told him 11 would make him look wide," Robinson said. "(No.) 111 probably would be about right."

Robinson was successful in convincing Fuimaono to keep No. 66.

But they still are lacking the type of power running back that usually makes Mountain West Conference rivals such as Colorado State and Utah so formidable.

The closet thing the Rebels have to a bruiser is Dyante Perkins, who at 6 feet and about 230 pounds will get a few carries from the H back/fullback slot. But Perkins began his career as a 190-pound quarterback from Bishop Gorman and might not quite be ready to assume the role that a big guy by nature, such as Cecil "The Diesel" Sapp, filled so well at CSU the past few seasons.

To put it bluntly, he's not exactly svelte, looks uncomfortable in a dress shirt and wears a Dick Butkus flattop. Put a lunch pail in his hand, and I'll bet the whistle at a steel mill would go off.

As his 19-7 record in two years indicates, Amstutz also seems to know his X's and O's. But given he was born and raised in Toledo, I'd be surprised if he hasn't bowled a 220 game at some time in his life.

"I started at Toledo by bringing in the coffee and rolling up the mats," Amstutz says in his media guide biography.

"Toledo is a blue-collar, union town, where you start at the bottom and work hard to make your way up the ladder. So I think people here appreciate a guy like me."

Busch, whose recent run-in -- and run into -- with Jimmy Spencer has made him about as popular as tasselled loafers on the Winston Cup circuit, was skewered again by the Sponsor Celebration Station.

Under the category "Country Music Song Title of the Week," SCS wrote "I've Got 164,000 People Staring at Me, But How Can I Feel So Alone."

For its "Victory Lane Quote of the Night," the Website chose this poor/ slightly off choice of words by Busch: "The crowd will envelope you and circumference you."

Under "Celebration and Dismount From the Car," SCS had this to say: "Downright surreal. There's fireworks, multi-colored liquid being sprayed everywhere, a beauty queen and arms being raised in triumph. But all that doesn't matter because 100,000 people are booing the crap out of him."

As for "Family Present in Victory Lane," the website noted: "No girlfriend (Busch and Melissa Schaper have split up). Mercifully, he also left that wimpy white dog back at the motor home this time."

And "Miss Winston's Contribution?" "Providing an alternate line of vision for fans who can't stand the sight of Kurt Busch."

And finally, under the category "Sunglasses Worn" (the Bristol race was at night) came this final jab at the fast boy from Durango High: "He didn't need them because Jimmy Spencer didn't leave any major marks."

Ouch!

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