Rebels’ season can still be saved

rich abrahamson / associated press

UNLV wide receiver Michael Johnson is dragged down by Colorado State defender Ivory Herd during the Oct. 4 game in Fort Collins, Colo., which the Rebels lost, 41-28.

By Ron Kantowski

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.

UNLV Football

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Las Vegas Sun's Ryan Greene joins Alex to preview the upcoming UNLV-Air Force football game.

There is no truth to the rumor that the Anglin brothers, D.B. Cooper and Jimmy Hoffa have been spotted at UNLV football practice this week.

But if you were to escape from Alcatraz, hijack an airliner over the Pacific Northwest or get on the Mafia’s bad side, Rebel Park would be a good place to lie low for a while.

Is it just me, or has the UNLV football team faded into oblivion in its own back yard?

A lot of times, a bye week is a good thing. It can be a welcome respite to heal bumps and bruises and provide the coaching staff with extra time to shore up deficiencies, such as how to defend the option.

But here’s what has happened around here since the Rebels took last weekend off:

• The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings played an NBA preseason game.

• The Mountain West held basketball media day.

• The West Coast Conference held basketball media day.

• The Rebels opened basketball practice with a party hosted by ESPN personality Kenny Mayne — aka the guy who held the clipboard at UNLV while Randall Cunningham played quarterback — who guaranteed only the finest meats and cheeses be served.

In other words, basketball season began.

On top of that, Justin Timberlake, that J. Peterman guy from “Seinfeld” and a bunch of PGA touring pros have been pounding the golf links out at TPC Summerlin in the inaugural Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open — disproving Steely Dan’s claim that it can’t be done without the fez on.

It’s time to issue an Amber Alert for the Rebel football team. Somebody call a St. Bernard with a cask of brandy. Quick, does anybody have Jim Rockford’s number?

It’s not exactly like the disappearance of the Rebel football program in mid-October is a recent phenomenon. The football team always has been looked at as something to do until basketball practice starts — nothing more, nothing less. It would be like if Gonzaga had a football team.

Sorry, I’m not interested in a couple of seats on the 40. I think I just heard Mark Few blow his whistle.

But what makes this year different is that at 3-3, the Rebels still have something other than deep thigh bruises to play for.

With three more wins (in six tries), they will become bowl eligible. Shouldn’t that mean more in October than Wink Adams’ work ethic? Joe Darger’s shooting touch? Tre’Von Willis’ shoe size?

It’s hard to believe that just a month ago, the football Rebels were riding higher in the saddle than Roy Rogers. They beat Arizona State in overtime. They beat Iowa State in overtime. They were 3-1, smelling the poinsettias, or whatever the bowl hopefuls in the Mountain West aspire to.

Then Trigger stepped on a burr. The Rebels got blown out by rival Nevada-Reno. They lost at Colorado State. Now they’re 3-3. Now they’re sort of hanging from the saddle upside down, like one of those trick riders at the rodeo. The poinsettias aren’t smelling quite so fragrant. On second thought, Albuquerque, the host city of the New Mexico Bowl, doesn’t seem like such a bad place to spend Christmas week.

Apparently, the Rebels’ 15 minutes of fame are up. In retrospect, even that win over Arizona State doesn’t look so great. The Sun Devils haven’t won since. Neither has Iowa State. In fact, of the three teams UNLV beat, only Utah State has won since. The Aggies beat Idaho. They are 1-5.

If anybody still cares, the Rebels will play Air Force at Sam Boyd Stadium tonight. It’s a chance to get their mojo back against a pretty good team. The Falcons still run the option. Uh-oh. As noted earlier and by Colin Kaepernick, the Nevada-Reno quarterback with the long legs, the Rebels don’t defend the option very well. It’s hard to defend the option with a couple of converted quarterbacks in the defensive backfield, which reportedly is one of the options coach Mike Sanford is considering.

Simply put, it’s time to put up ... or watch basketball practice. I don’t care how easy the last three games look on paper. It’s time to start winning again, while people still care a little.

If the Rebels don’t cover the pitch man, they’ll be 3-4. Then next week’s game at BYU might wind up being their bowl game, or however coaches put it in an attempt to motivate players who have moved on, too.

You won’t be able to smell the poinsettias any more. There won’t be any scouts with green chiles on their blazers watching from the press box, as the New Mexico Bowl won’t be interested.

Then the buzz you hear will be Rebel fans turning their attention to Wink Adams’ work ethic, Joe Darger’s shooting touch and Tre’Von Willis’ shoe size.

Or maybe it will just be Amelia Earhart, flying at low altitude over the practice football field.