Rib injury could keep Brimmer out of season finale

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004 | 9:23 a.m.

UNLV coach John Robinson said All-American safety Jamaal Brimmer is doubtful to play in Saturday night's season finale at San Diego State because of bruised ribs.

Brimmer, a Durango High graduate, played about half of the Rebels' 45-10 loss at Colorado State and had three tackles before leaving the game.

"It's a rib strain," Robinson said. "He went out there, got hit a few times and just couldn't do it. I don't think it's going to get better."

Sophomore Jay Staggs would start if Brimmer can't play.

Brimmer would be the sixth starter and 11th member of the preseason two-deep to miss the retiring Robinson's finale.

The game will be shown live in Las Vegas on KLAS-TV (Channel 8).

Seward, the all-time Mountain West Conference leader in tackles with 420, led the conference in tackles as a sophomore (133) and finished second to Aztecs linebacker Matt McCoy last year.

Rebels senior linebacker Ryan Claridge continues to lead the MWC in both sacks (9.0) and tackles for loss (15.0) by a wide margin.

Senior running back Dominique Dorsey has all but clinched the Mountain West Conference rushing title with 1,215 yards (121.5 yards per game). New Mexico's DonTrell Moore is second with 932 yards in just nine games (103.6 avg.).

"We've got about 40-percent of our recruiting done," he said. "We've got a list of about 30 guys we're ready to offer."

Because he knew this could be his final year at UNLV, Robinson said he sold recruits more "on the school" than on the overall football program.

"All along I told them it would be a short term relationship and I wouldn't be around that long," Robinson said.

Whether those recruits fit the new coach's offensive system, however, also remains to be seen.

The national letter of intent signing period for high school football seniors begins on Wednesday, Feb. 3.