Thursday, April 21, 2005 | 10 a.m.
Mike Sanford celebrated his 50th birthday on Wednesday. And on Friday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, he will hit another milestone: the end of his first spring practice as a college head football coach.
The Rebels finish up their 15 days of spring drills with a scrimmage that is open to the public beginning at 6 p.m. The next time UNLV puts on the pads will be in the 100-plus degree heat of early August with just a little more than three weeks to get ready for its Sept. 3 season and conference opener at New Mexico.
Sanford, in his 28th year as a college or professional coach, said he installed about 50 percent of his new spread-option offense this spring. But perhaps more important, he and his new coaching staff changed the tone of spring drills dramatically with crisp, physical and fast-paced practices that often lasted nearly three hours.
So even though Sanford won't go into fall camp with a definitive starting quarterback -- juniors Shane Steichen and Jarrod Jackson will continue that battle in August -- and there are still major question marks on an injury-plagued offensive line and at wide receiver, he felt good about a number of his team's accomplishments in spring practice.
"I think we were able to get across what we wanted ... the kind of effort and attitude that we want," Sanford said. "I think we found some guys that love to play the game and love to play hard. I think that's a big deal.
"Defensively, we tackled a lot this spring. We worked hard on that and improved in that area. Offensively, we put in about 50 percent of our offense. I'm not sure if we'll put in 100 percent. We'll have to play that by ear. That could evolve as time goes on."
Injuries kept three potential offensive line starters -- tackles Chris Bowser (shoulder surgery) and Marco Guerra (leg, knee surgeries) and guard Zach Gorham (ankle surgery) -- out of spring practice. They also hampered three potential starters at wide receiver in sophomore Tremayne Kirkland (shoulder), senior Alvin Marshall (chest pains) and sophomore Marques Johnson (wrist), which slowed the development of the team's new offense.
"That was probably our biggest concern," Sanford said. "There are some guys who are going to play (next season) who didn't play this spring. How hard they work in the summer and how quick they can pick things up and are able to execute is a major concern for us on the offensive line and at receiver. They're huge issues."
Sanford is counting on his new team to continue to work hard both in the weight room and in player-organized workouts throughout the summer.
"This summer will be huge for us," Sanford said. "We have to rehabilitate our injuries. We've got to get those guys ready to go and stronger. We've got to get in great condition so we can avoid injuries in the fall. And guys need to spend time working on improving their skills."
So is Sanford more or less optimistic about his new squad now that he is on the verge of completing his first spring practice?
"I would say I'm very optimistic," Sanford said. "The only thing that shadows my optimism is the injury situation and the need to get the guys who didn't practice in the spring ready to go in the fall."
Five Questions That Were Answered
1. Will the Rebels find a place in their new spread option attack for talented 6-foot-8 senior tight end Greg Estandia?
A: Yes ... when he's healthy. Look for Estandia to line up in a variety of spots, including the slot and even split end in goal-line situations.
2. Who gets the chance to try to fill the big shoes of All-American safety Jamaal Brimmer?
A: Senior Will Tagoai, originally expected to be a starting cornerback when he first arrived from junior college in 2003 but slowed each of the last two seasons with a knee injury, would appear to hold a slight lead over junior Jay Staggs heading into fall camp.
3. Can the Rebels overcome the loss of both their starting corners from a year ago, Ruschard Dodd-Masters and Charles Ealy?
A: Junior John Guice, a first team J.C. All-American, appears to be the real deal and is potentially the team's best at the position since former Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year Kevin Thomas. Another J.C. transfer, E.J. Whitley, is battling junior Ernest Gordon for the other spot. Depth is the biggest concern at the position. Don't be surprised if a couple of true freshmen, Daryl Forte of Culver City (Calif.) High School and Wiselet Rouzard of Immokalee, Fla., get a good look in fall camp.
4. Can anybody replace 2004 Mountain West Conference rushing champion Dominique Dorsey?
A: Junior Erick Jackson did a pretty fair Dorsey impression at times and was one of the stars of spring practice. Senior JaJa Riley, trying to bounce back from knee surgery, improved steadily as spring drils went on.
5. Did the Rebels, perhaps pampered a little too much in the past by John Robinson and company, buy into new coach Mike Sanford's no-nonsense, hard-work approach?
A: So far, so good. The intensity and enthusiasm level seemed to be way up compared to recent spring practice sessions.
Five Questions That Weren't Answered
1. Who will be the starting quarterback when UNLV opens its season on Sept. 3 at New Mexico?
A: Although junior Shane Steichen appeared to be well in front most of the spring, Sanford said he won't make a decision until late in fall camp, which gives junior college transfer Jarrod Jackson plenty of time to catch up.
2. Who will step up to lead a new and inexperienced group of linebackers now that Adam Seward, Ryan Claridge, Reggie Butler and John Andrews have graduated?
A: Sophomore Beau Bell showed signs of being a future all-conference player. Hard-nosed senior Bobby Kelly also had a good spring.
3. What will the starting offensive line look like at New Mexico?
A: Your guess is as good as mine. Only converted TE Jesse Knight seems assured of a starting position.
4. Do the Rebels have the kind of talented receivers needed to make Sanford's spread-option attack, which usually employs four wideouts, work?
A: Hard to say since potential starters like Tremayne Kirkland (shoulder surgery), Alvin Marshall (chest pains) and Marques Johnson (wrist) saw limited or no action during spring practice. Ditto tight end Greg Estandia (concussion, shin), who continues to have his share of injury problems.
5. How big a loss will the loss of standout punter Gary Cook be?
A: Brian Pacheco, a second-team J.C. All-American from Glendale (Ariz.) CC, doesn't enroll until the fall so it remains to be seen if there will be any dropoff at the position.
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