Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004 | 9:54 a.m.
UNLV opened as a 21-point underdog for its Sept. 5 opener at Tennessee at the Las Vegas Hilton and the spread quickly moved up to 21 1/2.
"That's OK," said junior Zach Gorham. "They're going to be a tough and very talented team. We all know that."
Inside linebacker Zach Bell said: "You've got to expect to be a big underdog when you go to a place that has the tradition of a Tennessee."
It would be fair to say that UNLV assistant head coach John Jackson has coached some pretty talented running backs in his time.
While at USC, Jackson coached Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Allen and Charles White, consensus All-American Ricky Bell, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last weekend, and NFL-bound fullbacks Lynn Cain and Mosi Tatupu.
None, says Jackson, had the speed of one of his latest pupils, senior tailback Dominique Dorsey.
"He's faster than any back I've ever coached," Jackson said of Dorsey, a 5-foot-7, 170-pounder from Tulare, Calif. "He has outstanding speed. And he has that instant acceleration where he's going full speed in just one step."
Dorsey was recently timed at a blistering 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash by UNLV strength coach Mark Philippi. He entered fall camp as the starter at a very competitive tailback position for the Rebels and has done nothing so far to disappoint.
"I think he's figured out that if he just does what he's supposed to do that he's going to have success," Jackson said. "He never misses a class, never misses a tutoring session. He's always done everything we've asked of him on the field. And he's always been productive."
Philippi also has nothing but praise for Dorsey.
"He hasn't missed a workout in two years," Philippi said. "He just never misses. He's a good kid who works hard. And he's very strong for his size. He squats well over 400 pounds and benches over 300."
It wasn't always that way.
After bursting onto the scene as a true freshman in 2001, when he was voted Mountain West Conference freshman of the year and averaged 34.6 yards on kickoff returns, Dorsey struggled on and off the field as a sophomore. He carried just 78 times for 568 yards and three touchdowns and then missed spring practice for what were termed "personal problems."
When he returned last summer, he developed a close relationship with running back Larry Croom, who is expected to land a roster spot with the Arizona Cardinals, and linebacker Reggie Butler, a transfer from Penn. Butler and Dorsey can be seen kneeling together in prayer after each practice.
"I think Larry and Reggie both had an influence on him," Jackson said.
Asked what he picked up from Croom, Dorsey joked: "I wish I could say I picked up some of his shakes. He had one of the best stop-and-go moves I've ever seen."
Then, turning more serious, Dorsey added, "(Croom) definitely pushed me to the limit in terms of running hard and making sure I came out here and practiced hard each day."
Dorsey, who weighed just 153 pounds as a freshman, now is a rock solid 170 pounds.
"I'm getting stronger," he said. "My legs are stronger than ever. If the coaches would let me I'm pretty sure I could do 500 pounds in the squat."
Dorsey finished second to Croom in rushing as a junior with 626 yards on 158 attempts. He made his first career start in the Rebels' 23-5 upset at 14th-ranked Wisconsin and carried a career-high 26 times for 100 yards. He showed his durability by following with a 111-yard, 25-carry outing against Hawaii six days later.
But the Rebels are hoping Dorsey is saving his best for his last season. And all signs seem to be pointing that way.
"Dominique Dorsey was one of the most improved players on our team this spring," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "He is as quick as any runner that I have coached."
Dorsey, who says he is on track to earn his degree in sociology in the spring, credits his improvement to hard work.
"We've got this slogan here that winners are developed here on the football field and also in life," Dorsey said. "That's the way I go about things every day. I'm trying to stay focused both on football and in the classroom and get the most I can out of it. I'm trying to do everything I possibly can to get better."
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