UNLV eyes road success

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 9:19 a.m.

John Robinson said his former boss, USC coaching legend John McKay, used to call it the best minute in football.

Running out of the tunnel to the chears of a sold-out stadium? Nope.

Tearing down the goal posts after a big win? Wrong.

Try the sound of silence as the home crowd begins heading for the exits as the final seconds tick off during a road victory.

UNLV (1-0) hopes to experience that feeling on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan., when the Rebels hit the road for the first time in the 2003 season and play the Kansas Jayhawks (0-1).

"We go into the Big 12 Conference and that's big-time football," Robinson said. "One thing every team has to learn is how to play on the road. John McKay would say the best moment in football is that last minute of a game on the road when the home crowd is filing out and it's all quiet except for your team (celebrating)."

The Rebels got to experience that feeling twice last season after stunning BYU, 24-3, in Provo and also with a season-ending 36-33 upset of No. 13 ranked Colorado State in Fort Collins.

But this is a new team and a new year. And even though UNLV is a rare 11-point road favorite, it remains to be seen how the Rebels will respond away from Sam Boyd Stadium.

"We certainly do hope (there's a carryover)," Robinson said of last season's road success. "The habits and the approach you take to the road ... when you do win people begin to believe you. ... It's a business trip. It's not, 'Oh, boy, we're going to Lawrence, Kansas,' or anything like that."

"It is pretty nice to walk off the field and have the stadium empty because of your victory," quarterback Kurt Nantkes said. "I think we've always played tough on the road because the team comes together. We travel together, we eat together, we spend a lot of time together. We know in the huddle offensively that the only people who have our back are those 11 people in that huddle."

A victory at Kansas on Saturday night would give UNLV only its second 2-0 start in the past 18 years.

"It would be huge," Nantkes said. "We have a point to prove. One game is not enough. We need to go out there and get two under our belts and continue to take it one game at a time."

Robinson was asked what the Rebels, who opened their season with a 28-18 victory against Toledo last Friday night, need to do to bring home a win on Saturday night.

"We just need to play hard and do the things that we can do," he said. "We need to be efficient and play hard. Those are the most important things."