To QB or not to QB

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 10:44 a.m.

A year ago at this time, Shane Steichen was getting ready to help quarterback Oak Ridge High School near Sacramento, Calif., to a CIF football title.

"We beat Granite Bay, 20-17, for the championship," the 6-foot-3, 175-pounder recalled. "It was a great game. Our whole team played well that night. It was pretty exciting."

Now the lanky 18-year-old, who had planned to redshirt this year, could find himself making his college debut in one of the biggest games of the season for UNLV when the Rebels (5-4, 1-3) host San Diego State (4-5, 1-3) at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

UNLV coach John Robinson said Steichen would start against the Aztecs if junior Kurt Nantkes, still bothered by a strained groin muscle in his left leg, can't play.

"I'm pretty excited about it," Steichen said after practice on Thursday night. "They planned to redshirt me but I'm just out here to help the team win. If I'm going to play, I'm going to go out there and do the best I can to help this team win and get to a bowl game."

The Rebels would become bowl eligible with a win over the Aztecs but likely would have to finish at least 7-5 to get a Las Vegas Bowl bid.

Steichen, who vaulted past sophomore Scott Turner and redshirt freshman Tyler Arciaga with an impressive fall camp, took the majority of snaps in practice this week while Nantkes slowly began his comeback from a groin injury that forced him to leave in the first half of UNLV's 37-35 upset of New Mexico last week.

Nantkes took his first snaps under center this week in practice on Thursday and threw the ball well.

"He's getting better," Robinson said. "We will know on Saturday. I think it will be a gametime decision. I think Shane Steichen is ready to go and I think Kurt is mentally ready to go."

"I'm getting better slowly but surely," Nantkes said. "I've still got two days to go. I can still feel it when I do everything. It's just a matter of sucking it up and still going through your play progressions and reads and playing the game. Hopefully by Saturday I'll be good to go."

Nantkes said Robinson left the ball in his court when it comes to deciding to play or sit on Saturday. The Rebels have a bye the following week before hosting Colorado State on Nov. 22 which would give Nantkes even more time to recuperate from the injury.

"He said that it's my decision," Nantkes said. "If I feel I can go out there and get the job done then I'm going to play. But he doesn't want me out there getting hurt or trying to do anything more than I should be doing."

"We'll see what happens," Steichen said. "Hopefully Kurt will be ready to play. If he doesn't, I'm going to be ready to go in and help out the team."

Even if it means sacrificing his redshirt this late in the season.

"If he's going to do it he wants to play," Robinson said. "He doesn't just want to go in for two plays or something. ... If Kurt can't go, he'll start."

"We talked about (the redshirt year) with just three games left," Steichen said. "This is what they want to do and I'm all for it.

"I just want to help the team win. If it means me playing this game and then Kurt coming back next week, so be it. We'll see what happens."