One to grow on

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.

ALBUQUERQUE --- A dejected Shane Steichen was slowly walking back to the UNLV locker room at University Stadium following Monday's 24-22 loss to New Mexico when he suddenly stopped.

"Arrrrrrrgghhh!," Steichen shouted to the sky. A few steps later he let out another loud yell.

Although Steichen had helped rally the Rebels from an 17-0 first-quarter deficit to within a failed two-point attempt of overtime, his last throw was all he could think about.

UNLV's Chanti Bloomer had just recovered an onside kick at the New Mexico 48 with 1:26 to play. The Rebels, who had just driven 95 yards in 11 plays to get within two points when Steichen connected with Donell Wheaton for a 7-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal, needed to get just another 15 yards to get within Sergio Aguayo's field goal range.

But on first down, Steichen's pass for Greg Estandia was intercepted by all-conference cornerback Gabriel Fulbright. Game, set and match.

"We battled back pretty good," Steichen, who overcame a dreadful first quarter to complete 18 of 30 passes for 227 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, said. "It's a tough way to end it like that."

No doubt it was a bitter ending to the start of the Mike Sanford Era. But it was certainly a lot better than the start.

The Rebels looked totally out of sync in the first quarter when the Lobos jumped out to a 17-0 lead behind a 47-yard touchdown pass from Kole McKamey to Hank Baskett, a 10-yard touchdown run by DonTrell Moore and a 37-yard field goal by Kenny Byrd. Just 13 minutes into the game, New Mexico had already rolled up 171 yards compared to zero for the Rebels.

UNLV seemed to be doing its best to make McKamey (9 of 11, 146 yards) look like a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Meanwhile, the Rebels were plagued by fumbled snaps, false starts and delay penalties.

But early in the second quarter the momentum seemed to change when Sanford decided to use his first coach's challenge for an instant replay of a 29-yard pass from Steichen to Wheaton. Officials had ruled that Wheaton had landed out of bounds on the play. But replay officials overruled the call and gave UNLV a first down at the Lobos' 49.

"Without a doubt the momentum changed there," Steichen said. "That was when we started to get it going right there."

Six plays later, the rejuvenated Rebels finally broke through and scored a touchdown on a 16-yard pass to running back Erick Jackson to cut the lead to 17-6. But Aguayo, who was 27-of-27 on PATs as a freshman, shanked his first attempt in 2005.

The Rebels closed to within 17-9 midway through the third quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Aguayo

New Mexico, thanks in great part to a 48-yard completion from McKamey to Basket, increased its lead to 24-9 early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Moore. The Rebels refused to fold, however, answering with an 80-yard, seven play drive that was capped by a 3-yard run off right tackle by Jackson. Aguayo's PAT made it 24-16 with 10:48 to go.

New Mexico then chewed up more than five minutes before punter Tyler Gaus pooch-punted a ball that was downed at the Rebels' 5. Needing to go 95 yards in a little more than five minutes to have a chance to tie, Steichen connected with Wheaton for 39 yards on first down on a go route up the left sideline. One play later Steichen then scrambled 27 yards to the Lobos' 27.

Steichen connected with Kirkland on a 20-yard slant to give the Rebels a first and goal at the 1. But Jackson twice was stopped on runs over right guard and a pass for Estandia fell incomplete. But after another delay of game, Steichen found Wheaton in the left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 24-22.

The Rebels, thanks to Aguayo's earlier PAT miss, had to go for two points. Steichen then hit Jackson with a shovel pass off left tackle but Jackson was swarmed by the Lobos' defense about a yard short.

UNLV then recovered the onside kick, setting the stage for Steichen's painful interception.

"It was a bad ball," Steichen said. "I shouldn't have thrown it."

Still, the Rebels, who play host to Idaho on Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, left here with a sense of accomplishment.

"I think we found out a lot about ourselves today," Sanford said.

"I thought our kids showed a tremendous amount of character, a tremendous amount of heart. I thought we competed hard which it what you can ask for in a team. Now the key is, where do we go from here?"