Rebels off and running

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005 | 10:04 a.m.

Lost in the excitement over the recent transfer of USC quarterback Rocky Hinds to UNLV is a more urgent question surrounding the Rebels football team.

Who will be the starting quarterback for the 2005 season-opener on Sept. 5 at New Mexico?

Hinds must sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules. That means the competition for the No. 1 spot will be between junior Shane Steichen, who has started games in each of his first two seasons at UNLV, and junior college transfer Jarrod Jackson.

Although it appeared that Steichen had the edge following spring practice, the duo enter fall camp ranked co-No. 1's on the depth chart. And first-year UNLV head coach Mike Sanford says both are starting out dead even in fall practice, which officially began Tuesday with separate workouts for rookies and veterans.

"I think it's wide open," Sanford said. "I would say we will go a good week before we make a decision (on a starter)."

And starting today, Steichen and Jackson will be taking snaps with different units divided up by the coaches and practicing at separate times. Steichen will quarterback the Silver squad while Jackson will lead the Red team. That will enable each player to get twice as many snaps in practice every day.

"We're going to chart them," Sanford said. "We're going to evaluate them."

What will Sanford be looking for?

"I'd say decision-making and productivity," Sanford said. "In other words, do they know where to go with the football? Are they making good decisions? And are they being productive? That means they're being accurate. That means they're getting it to the right guy. That means they're completing passes."

Both Steichen and Jackson say they feel a lot more confident running Sanford's vaunted shotgun spread option attack than in the spring practice.

"I'm a lot more comfortable now and will be a lot better than I was that first day of spring," Steichen said. "Knowing the offense and knowing what to do at all times makes it a lot better."

Both Steichen and Jackson have spent the 3 1/2 months since the end of spring practice helping run the team's voluntary workouts. The continued practice reps developed a better understanding for running their new offense.

"I'm 100 times more familiar now with this offense than I was in the spring," Jackson said. "I understand why we're calling the things we're calling now. It's like night and day.

"The hardest part of the spring was that they kind of threw everything at you at once, and also adjusting to what they wanted. But now I have a greater understanding of what they want, why they're calling the play they're calling, the timing, and everything like that. So I feel real good about going into fall camp."

"Jarrod has gotten a lot better," Steichen admitted. "Everyone has come a long way since spring ball. You've just got to go out and compete. It's a wide-open competition. You just have to go out and work hard and do what you can do."

Steichen says having started games in each of his first two seasons at UNLV, including five last year, has helped him in his development as a quarterback.

"Starting and playing games definitely makes you more confident on the field," he said. "Right now I'm the most confident since I've been here."

Senior tight end Greg Estandia and senior offensive tackle Jesse Knight were voted offensive captains by the team while senior safety Joe Miklos and senior tackle Isaiah Tafua were selected as defensive captains.

The Rebels will also have a special teams captain who will be selected on a weekly basis.

"I think he's going to be pretty good," Sanford said. "He has a lot of ability but he also has a lot of technique, too. He can be a bump-and-run defender for us. He's going to be good."

The Rebels are still awaiting word on whether another highly touted potential USC transfer, cornerback Eric Wright, will be admitted into school. That decision is expected to be made by the end of the week.

Anderson, who along with fellow freshmen Justin Marvel and Renan Saint Preux are expected to battle for playing time this season, ran a streak up the left sideline. Hinds then lasered a pass that traveled at least 50 yards in the air that Anderson caught in stride with his fingertips for what would have been a touchdown.

"I think he's going to be pretty good," Sanford joked about Hinds.