Moore enjoyed running for the band

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003 | 9:27 a.m.

Leon Moore said there was one thing going through his mind as he scooped up a fumble in the first quarter of Friday night's game with Toledo at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I was just running for the band," Moore said referring to the UNLV's marching band seated in the bleachers behind the north end zone. "I couldn't tell you about the yard markers or anything. I was just thinking, 'Get to the band, get to the band.' I felt like I was going pretty good though. I made it."

Let the record show that Moore, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound sophomore defensive end from Rancho High School, scored UNLV's first touchdown of the 2003 season on a 25-yard fumble return in the Rebels' 28-18 victory against the Rockets.

Moore said it was only the second time in his football career that he had scored a touchdown.

"My freshman year in high school I did it," Moore said. "Other than that, never."

And certainly not on as big a stage as last week's game, which was televised nationally by ESPN.

"I had like 20 people (at the game)," Moore said. "All my family back East was watching, too. It was huge."

Moore praised outside linebacker John Andrews, whose hard tackle of Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski forced the fumble, and freshman nose tackle Howie Fuimaono, who threw a key block, for making his big touchdown possible.

"Oh, man, John Andrews just killed him," Moore said of the hit on Gradkowski. "He hit him with everything he had. When the ball came loose, the quarterback was still coming at me. Then Howie killed him. He got it from both ends. Without them, I would have never, ever, ever have made it."

Once in the end zone, Moore didn't do anything special to celebrate this big moment.

"I wanted to but I was so tired," he said. "I have a new respect for the offensive guys when they score touchdowns."

It was a good thing that Moore decided to conserve his energy. With injuries to two starting defensive linemen, end Chris Eagen and tackle Joe Oniwor, Moore was on the field for all but six of Toledo's 63 offensive plays.

"I wasn't as tired afterward as I thought I would be," Moore said. "I think a main reason for that is because (UNLV strength coach Mark Philippi) runs us every other day. I'm pretty used to it because I also take a lot of snaps in practice."

UNLV coach John Robinson said Moore has made excellent progress from his freshman to sophomore year.

"Sometimes we'd get angry at Leon last year," Robinson said. "As a freshman, he'd kind of play up and then kind of lose his poise a little bit. But he seems to have a lot more poise now.

"He's not a dominant, physical player but he's really quick and elusive and he can kind of worm his way in there past people."

Moore "wormed" his way to three tackles and two pass deflections against Toledo. And scored one very big touchdown.

"That's the dream of every defensive lineman," he said. "It was a big thrill."

Kansas distributed a letter written by Mangino thanking Jayhawks fans who braved a heavy rainstorm to watch his team's opening loss to Northwestern. An announced crowd of 27,775 attended the game. ... KU quarterback Bill Whittemore, the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year in 2002, "tweaked" his right knee in the wet conditions but is still expected to play on Saturday night. Whittemore had major surgery on the knee at the end of the 2002 season.