Alpha male

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, July 19, 2005 | 9:17 a.m.

CORONADO, Calif. -- When the Mountain West Conference released its 2005 football schedule this spring, it looked like UNLV might get a little bit of a break.

Sure, the Rebels were forced to open the Mike Sanford Era with a conference road game at New Mexico. However, it seemed doubtful that the Lobos would have their best player, senior running back DonTrell Moore, back by then following major surgery February to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

But after weaving his way through the buffet line without even the slightest sign of a limp at a Mountain West Conference football media day luncheon here Monday, Moore hinted he'll be ready to play in the Sept. 5 opener against UNLV.

"I feel good," said Moore, who was voted the MWC preseason offensive player of the year. "I feel well. My strength is good. Things are going incredibly well. My rehab is going extremely well."

In fact, the 5-foot-10, 211-pounder recently was cleared by famed sports orthopedist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., to take part in informal 7-on-7 non-contact passing drills this summer. That's a big step for his rehab because it enables Moore to resume cutting off his repaired knee at full speed.

"It also helps you to get back into the flow of the game," Moore said. "I was excited by that. It's not the final step by any means, but it's another step in the comeback."

Barring any setbacks, the final and perhaps biggest step in that comeback will be when Moore returns to full-contact drills. That, according to New Mexico coach Rocky Long, probably won't be until the UNLV contest.

"We probably won't know if he's 100 percent until that first game," Long said. "We're not going to let him get hit in practice. If he does all the (practice drills) at full speed, then he'll play in that first game."

Moore suffered the injury early in New Mexico's 34-19 loss to Navy in the 2004 Emerald Bowl on Dec. 30. He waited until Feb. 3 to have his knee surgery, which means it will be just a shade over seven months removed from the surgery if he returns against the Rebels. Some players need up to a year to come back from that kind of injury.

A three-time all-MWC first team selection, Moore has eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in each of his previous three seasons. He already owns the conference career rushing record with 3,675 yards and has scored a school-record 42 touchdowns.

"DonTrell's a great football player," Long said. "If he's healthy, it's going to make our team a lot better."

Sanford said the Rebels will prepare for the contest as if Moore will play.

"We've got to be prepared for him playing," Sanford said. "We'll probably find out more when the game gets closer but it sounds like he's doing very well."

Moore has already used up his redshirt season, which means he'd have to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility if he sat out this year.

"I've been consistent and persistent on my rehab," Moore said. "I've just got to work hard and put it in God's hands. If He allows me to be back on Sept. 5, then I'll do my best to help the team out. If not, then I'll come back when I'm ready."

The altered helmet logo, which is featured prominently on the team's new football media guide, includes a black facemask and a bolder black accent around the letters "UNLV" on the side of the helmet.

The team also will sport new uniforms, which feature black in the color scheme. Those will be revealed after the team's first day of practice in pads on Aug. 12.

Senior safety Joe Miklos, a member of the team's leadership committee which had input in the new uniform design, gave a big thumbs up to the new look.

"I like them," Miklos said. "I think they're really sharp. I like them a lot. There's going to be a lot more black in it. It says Rebels on the front. It's got a stripe down the side. It's going to be sharp."

Miklos, the team's top returning tackler (86), was the only Rebel selected to the squad. He follows in the footsteps of three-time all-MWC safety Jamaal Brimmer (2002-04) and Sam Brandon (2001).

Miklos, who also was picked all-conference by both Athlon and Lindy's preseason magazines, said his goal is to make the all-conference team selected at the end of the season.

"I think the most important one is the postseason one," Miklos said. "Hopefully I'll be on that one. You can't really look at this like I accomplished anything because it's the preseason and it's projecting the future. It's a nice compliment, though."