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StumbleUNLV, Sac State are strangers with a common foe
Rebels know little about this weekend’s opponent, but the Rams know them both
Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.
Game Preview: Sacramento State
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Watch as UNLV football players preview their season opener against Sacramento State. Then Ryan Greene of the Las Vegas Sun gives his prediction for the game.
Next game
- Opponent: Sacramento State
- Date: Sept. 5, 7 p.m.
- Where: Sam Boyd Stadium
The Rebel Room
Sac State, offseason hoops and more AD chatter
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Ryan Greene and Rob Miech discuss UNLV's home football opener, which takes place on Saturday at 7 p.m. out at Sam Boyd Stadium against Sacramento State. Plus, some Rebels hoops offseason updates on the likes of Brice Massamba and Derrick Jasper and a little bit more insight into UNLV's ongoing search for a new athletics director.
Sun Archives
Sun Archives
UNLV and Sacramento State have never played each other in football. Their respective coaches supposedly don’t know each other. They’ve never even met.
The two teams, however, do share Fort Collins, Colo., as a connection.
Both the Rebels and Hornets, who open the 2009 season Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium, played Colorado State in Fort Collins within a month of each other last season.
In both games, the visitors held leads but wilted in the final minutes. They either lost, or had a deficit expanded, on the last play of the game. And the defeat led to more defeats.
(Which opponent do you think drew more fans to Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium? Look for the answer below.)
For Sacramento State, the Sept. 6 visit to Fort Collins could have been a landmark affair.
Since 2002, when the Hornets started playing teams from the former Division I-A, it was the closest they’ve played a program from college football’s elite leagues.
With 10 minutes remaining, Sac State took a 20-17 lead when sophomore quarterback Jason Smith hit All-Big Sky Conference senior receiver Tony Washington with a 40-yard touchdown strike.
Hornets coach Marshall Sperback noted how, because of Colorado State’s young cornerbacks, he believed Smith and his receivers could “expose” those defenders “down the field.”
Washington caught seven passes for 117 yards against the Rams.
The Rams answered by chewing up 61 yards over the ensuing 8 1/2 minutes, a drive that was capped by freshman kicker Ben DeLine’s 36-yard field goal that tied it, 20-20, with 89 seconds remaining.
Sac State took over at its own 28, and after a Smith incomplete pass tailback Evander Wilkins lost control of the ball in his own backfield and the Rams took over at the 25 with 1:12 left.
Four plays later, DeLine, son of former Colorado State kicker Steve DeLine, ended his first collegiate game on the final play with the deciding boot from 20 yards for a 23-20 victory.
“I’ve wanted to come here since I was a little kid,” Ben DeLine said afterward. “You can’t let the nerves get to your head. The game-winning kick was a lot of fun. I was a lot more anxious to kick that than the one to tie.”
UNLV led the Rams, 28-27, with six minutes left on Oct. 4 when Colorado State rallied, punching in a 10-yard touchdown run with nine ticks remaining.
On the last play of the game, the Rams picked up a Rebels fumble and rambled into the end zone to polish off a 41-28 victory.
Sac State lost four of its next six games and finished the season 6-6. Colorado State was UNLV’s second consecutive loss. The Rebels lost their next three games and spiraled to a 5-7 finish.
(For the Hornets, 20,051 filed into Hughes Stadium. For the Rebels, 19,703 went to the game. Ouch.)
Smith, a 6-foot, 195-pound junior, starts for the third season in a row for the Hornets, but he loses much of his arsenal in Washington and Kyle Hill.
Moreover, shoulder surgery will sideline running back Bryan Hilliard and a broken collarbone will shelve receiver Chase Deadder on Saturday night.
If their one common foe from last season can be used as a barometer, the 2009 opener for both teams might go late into the night and come down to the last play of the game.
Discussion: 9 comments so far…
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Way to go out on a limb there, Sufferin. The only person who thinks Sanford should keep his job after a loss to Sac State is Sanford himself. Maybe not even that.
Sac St is not a pushover or a guarenteed win. Hope its not the same Rebel defense from last year,but I am optimistic. Lets Go!
I don't think there is a snowballs chance in hell that UNLV loses to Suck St. However if for any reason the Hornets pull out a win then the AD needs to fire Sanford on the bus ride out of Sam Boyd. Suck St. will be up to play a D-1 school so UNLV needs to play lights out and bury them early hopefully by halftime. No conservative approach in this one, pull out all stops, full offensive firepower, & bring the house on D IMO!!
Over Confident Rebels just might get beat by Sacramento State
It's not a matter of UNLV being overconfident and looking past Dumpramento State, they are a lot better football team and it will show Saturday night, and all of you UNLV haters who don't want the program to succeed can stay away from Sam Boyd stadium forever. When the Rebels start winning dont come around acting like you were a fan all along you frikkin losers.
White trash wolf pack might get beat by Notre Dame
Notre Dame is not much of an upset seeing is that the line is 14.
UNLV crappers have no chance to win this game and are looking to have another disappointing season. Look what Sac State did against Colorado and how we faired and they did BETTER! I say SAC State by 14 today
You don't see a team beating another that is favored by 14 points as an upset? Hmm......I hope you're being sarcastic.
Not to mention the score at halftime. ND 28, white trash 0.