Columnist Ron Kantowski: QB is still a sore spot for Rebels

Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005 | 8:34 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's column appears on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

Have you ever noticed how coaches of bad football teams start using psychology to motivate their players during this stage of the season?

UNLV coach Mike Sanford is fast becoming the Dr. Joyce Brothers of the Mountain West. Sanford tried to sell the Rebels on the notion that because they had a bye last week, Saturday's game against Brigham Young at Sam Boyd Stadium was the start of a "second season" for the home boys (who must have thought they were the away boys, given that Rebels fans were sadly outnumbered by those from BYU).

"This is a whole new season for us," Sanford said. "A new energy and a new approach. This game is Game One."

Maybe so, but a 55-14 loss to 5-4 BYU looked an awful lot like Game Nine of a 2-7 season to me.

During the real Game One, the Rebels actually looked pretty good. They rallied and almost beat New Mexico, which is probably headed to another unneccessary bowl game. But that was back in the days the Rebels had a healthy quarterback.

Sanford on Saturday had to choose from one guy who practiced most of the week with what appeared to be a jai-alai cesta on his injured hand. And another guy whose ribs were so tender that Tony Roma was considering adding them to the lunch menu.

But the Rebels' biggest problem is that even when Shane Steichen and Jarrod Jackson are healthy, they aren't all that great.

Case in point: Jackson was coming off one of the biggest statistical games in recent UNLV history (29-for-54, 356 yards against Utah). Yet Sanford hemmed and hawed almost until game time before naming him the starter when Steichen could not be fitted with a brace that would have enabled him to play.

Jackson completed 31-of-52 passes for 330 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Again, with the exception of the interceptions, those are decent numbers. But let's not forget this was against a BYU pass defense that allowed five touchdown passes last week. To Air Force. Which never met a forward pass it didn't disdain.

The main reason it was wrong to expect too much (anything?) from these Rebels is that Sanford doesn't expect very much from his quarterbacks. He'd never say that, of course. But you can tell by the frequency of short, safe pass plays he has been calling and the infrequency with which UNLV tries to stretch the field with vertical ones that Sanford's confidence in his quarterbacks has gone horizontal.

It appears to have flat-lined.

The importance of having a good quarterback, or at least one the coach has confidence in, cannot be understated. Just look at Saturday's contestants.

BYU has produced fancy passers such as Virgil Carter, Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Robbie Bosco, Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Ty Detmer, and has won a ton of football games.

UNLV produced Randall Cunningham and won 11 games in 1984 (although the Rebels kinda, sorta had to forfeit those for using ineligible players during the Harvey Hyde reign of terror -- er, era).

The Rebels' yearly passing leaders since Cunningham were Steve Stallworth, Scott Sims, Charles Price, Derek Stott, John Ma'ae, Bob Stockham, Jason Davis, Jared Brown, Jon Denton, Kevin Crook, Jason Vaughan, Jason Thomas, Kurt Nantkes and Steichen. With the exception of Stallworth, I've seen every one of those guys fumble away snaps and throw into double- and triple-coverage.

Which is probably the reason UNLV has not won 11 games in any season since Cunningham departed.

Against BYU Jackson threw into triple-coverage and double-coverage on consecutive possessions midway through the second quarter. Both passes were intercepted. Both resulted in BYU touchdowns. And just like that, what had been a 10-7 Cougars lead became a 24-7 Cougars lead.

Jackson threw another interception on UNLV's first possession of the second half. That one made it 34-7 for the "Y" guys.

"I felt like we were competing in the game until the second interception," Sanford said.

Rebels fans who didn't leave the stadium after the third one can take solace that help isn't on the way. It's already here.

If tight spirals, 4.5-speed in the 40-yard dash and a USC pedigree do anything for you, then there's a pretty good chance that the "Wait Till Next Year" battle cry may finally mean something next year when Southern Cal transfer Rocky Hinds becomes eligible.

Until then, I'm afraid it's a shovel pass and hope for the best. Ron Kantowski can be reached at 259-4088 or at ron@lasvegassun.com.