Friday, Nov. 21, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.
4 p.m., Sam Boyd Stadium TV: KLAS (Ch. 8) Radio: KBAD 920-AM
WHEN COLORADO STATE HAS THE BALL
Colorado State run offense vs. UNLV run defense
Coming into the season, the Rams appeared to have one of the nation's top ground games. But injuries and fumbles have hampered CSU at times this year. The Rams have fumbled 28 times and lost 18 of them this year. Senior Rahsaan Sanders has been bothered by an ankle injury but is expected to start with seldom-used JC transfer Jimmy Green also expected to get a good look on Saturday. Green has carried 32 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns this season including eight carries for 69 yards and a 42-yard touchdown run in CSU's 21-6 win over San Diego State last week. But the key to the Rams' offense is the scrambling and option play of senior quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt, the 2002 Mountain West Conference offensi ve player of the year who has rushed for 2,143 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in his three-year career in Fort Collins. UNL! V's defense has been up-and-down against the run this year and ranks 50th in the nation in rush defense allowing 140.7 yards per game. If Van Pelt gets going, it could be a long afternoon.
Edge: Colorado State.
Colorado State pass offense vs. UNLV pass defense
Van Pelt has made excellent strides in this area and now is one of the more polished passers in the nation.He has an outstanding group of receivers at his disposal including shifty sophomore David Anderson, who currently ranks seventh nationally in receiving yards per game with a 104.3 yards per game average, explosive senior flanker Chris Pittman (51 catches, 679 yards, 4 TDs) and junior TE/H-Back Joel Dreessen, who when healthy is the top tight end in the conference and an NFL prospect. The Rams also have been known to sneak talented corner/return man Dexter Wynn into the offense on occasion, too. The Ram offensive line, led by senior center Mark Dreyer and junior tackle Erik Pears, is perennially one of the best in the conference. Meanwhile, UNLV's secondary, led by junior sa fety Jamaal Brimmer, ranks just 76th nationally in passing defense allowing 234.2 yards per game through the air. The Rebel! s have a conference-high 14 interceptions.
Edge: Colorado State.
WHEN UNLV HAS THE BALL
UNLV run offense vs. Colorado State rush defense
Senior tailback Larry Croom enjoyed his finest game last year in Fort Collins when he rushed for 222 yards on 20 carries, the eighth best rushing day in Rebels history. Croom, hampered since the Kansas game by a thigh strain, appears to be back to almost 100 percent again after the bye week as does junior speedster Dominique Dorsey. However, with UNLV's passing game struggling most of the year, opposing defenses have been stacked to stop the run and have done a good job. The Rebels rank just sixth in the Mountain West Conferene and 92nd in rush offense with an average of 119.8 yards per game. Colorado State, which has been hit with a rash of injuries at linebacker, ranks just sixth in the MWC in rush defense allowing 155.0 yards per game. The Rebels rushed for 390 yards against a better CSU defense a year ago. To pull the upset, UNLV will have to excel in this area.
Edge: UNLV.
UNLV pass offense vs. Colorado State pass defense
UNLV's passing attack has sputtered badly most of the year although junior wideout Earvin Johnson, who is second in the conference in receptions (5.8 per game) and receiving yards (75.8 per game) is usually good for a highlight catch or two each game. Junior tight end Greg Estandia, who got off to such a great start with two touchdown catches against Toledo, has finally recovered from a turf toe injury that hampered him for about two months and could be a factor in the final two games. Colorado State is led by senior Dexter Wynn, perhaps the premier cornerback in the conference. However, the Rams have had problems at safety and last week gave redshirt freshman Lukas Davis his first college start. Good passing teams like Wyoming (337 yards), Colorado (402 yards) and Miami of Ohio (330) hav e enjoyed success against the Rams. However, UNLV is not a very good passing team.
Edge: Colorado State.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The two premier punt returners in the conference go head-to-head in Wynn, who has led the Mountain West Conference each of the past two years, and UNLV freshman Tremayne Kirkland, who leads the MWC this year with a 13.7 average. Wynn also is one of the nation's best kickoff return men which gives CSU a huge edge in that category. Jeff Babcock is having a solid year both punting (42.0 avg., 15 inside the 20) and placekicking (12 of 18, but just 3 of 6 over 40 yards). UNLV punter Gary Cook ranks 14th nationally with a 43.5 average including 18 inside the 20 while senior placekicker Dillon Pieffer is 15 of 19 in field goals and has twice been named MWC special teams player of the week this season.
Edge: UNLV.
INTANGIBLES
Both teams need a win to keep their bowl hopes alive. Colorado State has been quite vocal about getting revenge for last year's stunning 36-33 loss to the Rebels in Fort Collins. Even before last year's upset, UNLV with lesser talent has managed to be very competitive against the Rams. The last three games have been decided by a total of six points and the Rebels have had a chance to win all three. Can't discount the value of a bye week to help heal the wounds for UNLV, which should be the much fresher and healthier team in this one.
Edge: UNLV.
COACHING
You'd be hard-pressed to find two nicer, more colorful and successful head coaches in the country than CSU's Sonny Lubick and UNLV's John Robinson. Both have done excellent jobs of rebuilding floundering programs and are among the most respected by their peers in the game. Flip a coin. Both should eventually find their way to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Edge: Even.
KEYS TO VICTORY
To win, Colorado State must ...
1. Hold onto the football. Key fumbles have turned what could have been another championship season into an average one.
2. Stop the run. You can't beat anybody if you give up 390 yards rushing like the Rams did last year.
3. Bring the house. Whether its true freshman Shane Steichen or hobbled Kurt Nantkes at quarterback, the Rams need to blitz early and often.
To win, UNLV must ...
1. Start fast. The Rebels are 4-1 when scoring first and an early lead allows the defense to take even more chances to try and force turnovers.
2. Put the hammer down. With Van Pelt bothered by painful bruised ribs in his back in recent weeks, the Rebels need to hit the talented Rams quarterback early and often while trying to slow down the most dangerous offensive player in the conference.
3. Control the line of scrimmage. The Rebels upset CSU last year because they won the battle in the trenches en route to 390 rushing yards.
THE PICK
Colorado State 20, UNLV 17.
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