Freshman linebacker Carter has big shoes to fill Saturday at ASU

By Ryan Greene

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 | 1:19 a.m.

Now that the reality of the idea that you're only one play and one injury away from getting off the bench has set in for the UNLV football team, there's another reality to deal with: Sometimes, those injuries aren't just bumps and scratches.

Rebels coach Mike Sanford announced Tuesday afternoon that junior linebacker Starr Fuimaono - arguably the team's top defensive performer - will miss the rest of the 2008 season due to a torn ACL in his left knee, suffered in last Saturday's 42-21 loss at Utah.

While it'll be a long road back for Fuimaono, who per NCAA rules can redshirt this season and still have two years of eligibility remaining, the Rebels don't have the option of moping.

"If you're in a war and a guy gets shot in front of you, you pick up the gun and keep fighting," said Rebel defensive coordinator Dennis Therrell. "You close up the ranks, we adjust the game plan and go on."

Need further clarification?

"You walk home and your wife's left you What do you do? You go on," Therrell added.

Alter the depth chart is what the Rebel staff has done so far this week. Junior Jason Beauchamp - who started the first two games this season at weak side linebacker and has been a down lineman in certain sets in the past - will move to the strong side. Filling the blank in Beauchamp's old spot? Freshman Nate Carter, a Las Vegas High grad.

"I wasn't expecting this," Carter said. "Starr's a good player, and he's been helping me improve a lot as a linebacker, so we'll see what happens. I'm trying to learn from the older guys, and hopefully I can help my team out."

Carter's seen time so far this season on special teams, but now getting his first start at linebacker as a Rebel comes in a tougher spot than normal - in a road contest at No. 15 Arizona State this Saturday night.

"It's kind of like an eye-opener to me," Carter said of going from backup to regular. "I hadn't been expecting to play, especially in one of the biggest games this season. A lot of the other young guys, too, their eyes are open and they're picking it up also."

Sanford stressed on Monday the importance of the backups not getting complacent with the idea that they may not play each Saturday. He said the events from Saturday's second quarter - losing both Fuimaono and sophomore linebacker Ronnie Paulo on nearly consecutive plays - needed to serve as a wake-up call for his second- and third-stringers.

"These guys definitely got to step it up this week as far as preparing themselves, watching film and preparing for the (potential of injuries)," said Paulo.

Paulo suffered a bruised lower left leg - on a combination of the bone and muscle - and never returned to the game against the Utes. But he practiced Tuesday, and is expected to take a brunt of the snaps at his normal middle linebacker post this weekend. Junior Jimmy Miller should wind up getting the rest of them.

But most eyes will be fixed on Carter, who has the responsibility of doing more than just replacing Fuimaono's productivity (he racked up 14 tackles in the opener against Utah State).

"The hardest thing that Starr did was just execution and hustle," Carter said. "He played perfect games, he played fast, he played physical. It's hard to match up to that, but hopefully I can fill that spot."

Therrell sounds pretty confident right now in the youngster, as he appears to be the best option to replace Fuimaono, who attended Tuesday's session in his practice jersey and shorts, hobbling around on crutches.

"Nate's done a very good job on special teams - He goes down and he's not afraid," he said. "Right now, he's the fastest linebacker I've got, so why not play him? I just feel like he's matured quicker than some of the other younger guys, so I'm gonna go ahead and put our best 11 guys on the field."