Rebels regroup: Now it matters

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Sept. 13, 2004 | 9:29 a.m.

Battered, beaten but far from discouraged.

That summed up the mood in UNLV's locker room after Saturday's hard-fought 18-3 loss at 21st-ranked Wisconsin.

Battered? You betcha. Three more key players, including quarterback Kurt Nantkes and linebackers John Andrews and Zach Bell, left the game with injuries. Several other players, including running back Alvin Marshall and wide receiver Terry Furlow, were wearing ice bags.

Beaten? The loss dropped UNLV to 0-2. But considering the competition -- both Tennessee and Wisconsin were ranked in the Top 25 -- and the fact both games were on the road in two of the toughest environments in college football, the results were hardly a surprise.

Discouraged? Not on your life. The Rebels' two top goals heading into the season -- winning a Mountain West Conference title and playing in a bowl game -- are still within reach.

In fact, Rebels players were still peeling off the tape and their sweat-soaked uniforms in the locker room afterward when the topic of playing Air Force (1-1) in their MWC opener Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium was being discussed.

"I think this team will be ready for Air Force because this team has a lot of heart," sophomore quarterback Shane Steichen said. "The first thing coach (John) Robinson told us when we came in was that the most important game of the year is Air Force. It's our conference now.

"We need to get that win," Steichen, who completed 12 of 27 passes for an even 100 yards in place of Nantkes, said. "It's crucial."

Outside linebacker Reggie Butler said: "This has got to be our biggest game of the year.

"Tennessee, we wanted to win that. We wanted to win at Wisconsin. But we've got to win Air Force. Winning the conference is the most important thing for us because then you're guaranteed a bowl and those types of things."

The Rebels got some good news on the injuries when they took the field to practice Sunday night.

Nantkes, who looked as if his season might be over after re-injuring his pubic bone on his third play of the game, was back out on the field throwing passes on the side to Earvin Johnson.

"I woke up this morning feeling surprisingly good," Nantkes said. "I talked to my doctor in Vancouver and he said it's very typical for guys to re-injure it, but as long as everything stays in place structurally that they have a super-quick bounce-back."

It took Nantkes 12 weeks of intensive rehabilitation exercises to overcome the injury before. But he says not to count him out for Saturday's game.

"I thought the way I was walking (Saturday) that I'd be super sore," Nantkes said. "But I feel great. (The doctor) said don't be surprised if you can bounce back in less than a week. The way I feel now, I'm hoping I can practice Tuesday."

That's a 180-degree turn from how Nantkes felt after getting laid out by Badgers defensive end Jonathan Welch after delivering a 2-yard completion to Johnson.

"I didn't think I was going to finish the year at first," he said. "Now it's getting better every minute."

Robinson said he would wait until Tuesday night's practice before making a decision on who would start at quarterback Saturday.

The Rebels also got good news on Andrews.

A 6-foot, 210-pound senior outside linebacker, Andrews made the defensive play of the season for the Rebels when he stopped Badgers running back Booker Stanley head-on on a fourth-and-goal play at the 1 in the first quarter. Andrews missed the second half with a slight shoulder sprain, but was back on the field Sunday taking part in the team's walk-through and will play Saturday.

Bell, who suffered bruised ribs after replacing Andrews, is the biggest question mark of the three players who were injured at Camp Randall.

"Ribs scare me a bit," Robinson said. "We'll have to wait and see how things go."

Tight end Greg Estandia (knee) was not at practice Sunday night and still may be a week away from practicing.

"I'm not going to rush him back," Robinson said.