Omar Clayton becoming a consistent late-game producer

By Ryan Greene

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009 | 2:30 a.m.

Rebels fans in the stands were probably chewing on finger nails and only using the edges of the benches they were seated on.

Gamblers around town probably had visible beads of sweat coming down their foreheads.

So who was keeping their cool the best, as UNLV had basically five minutes to drive 67 yards, needing nothing less than a touchdown to win?

Believe it or not, it was junior quarterback Omar Clayton.

"Weirdly I felt more confident in the last drive knowing that if we didn't score, we lose the game — I felt more confident and more relaxed in that drive than the whole game," he said. "That last five minutes, when we had to take the ball down and score to win, I felt at ease."

He looked the part the entire way.

In that 14-play, 67-yard jaunt that ate up almost the entire remaining game clock and resulted in a game-winning 15-yard TD pass to Phillip Payne, Clayton was 7-of-11 for 71 yards and the score. He was further rewarded earlier this week by being named the Mountain West Conference's Offensive Player of the Week.

It wasn't the first time Clayton had looked cool and calm in the clutch, and it probably won't be the last.

In just 15 career starts, he already has a strong late-game resumé.

— During last season's thrilling comeback and eventual triumph at Arizona State, the highlight was obviously Phillip Payne's spectacular one-handed touchdown grab on an eight-yard toss from Clayton. But on the drive, Clayton was 6-of-8 for 68 yards and the score, threw a nice touch pass to Frank Summers for a 29-yard gain, and also hit Payne for a crucial nine-yard gain on fourth-and-nine.

— A week later, Clayton obviously had no interest in making an overtime session against Iowa State last very long. After the Cyclones kicked a 37-yard field goal to go ahead by three, Clayton threw one pass to Phillip Payne for a 25-yard score, giving the Rebels a 34-31 victory.

— UNLV lost to BYU, 42-35, in Provo last season following a late Cougars score. But the Rebels had the eventual co-Mountain West Champs on the ropes. Trailing 34-28 with just under nine minutes to go, Clayton was 3-of-4 for 46 yards and a TD pass to Ryan Wolfe in putting the Rebels ahead, 35-34. And on a desperation drive at the end, needing to go the length of the field in less than two minutes, he completed six passes before the attempt stalled out.

It may sound surprising to hear Clayton say that a situation which only raises the blood pressure for most coaches has him completely unfazed.

"Maybe they'd think I was lying, I don't know," Clayton said. "It just wasn't a stressful situation, at all. Some of it comes from confidence, some of it comes from making plays. I think that we're able to perform when our backs are up against the wall."

One coach who isn't surprised is UNLV offensive coordinator Todd Berry, who calls the plays from the press box, and was responsible for bringing Clayton to Las Vegas a few years back as a preferred walk-on and has known the efficient QB since his prep days in Normal, Ill.

His rise from fifth-string quarterback to starter on scholarship has been well documented, and with each clutch performance, his reputation simply grows.

"He's a very calm and composed player, and most of the time I think I tend to relate in those types of situations," Berry said. "He understands the offense, understands the system. There's kind of a comfort level in that. The game's slowed down for him now in terms of being more mature and understanding where his protection is coming from."

Berry said that a lot of the Rebels' success against Hawaii, in particular, had to do with preparation.

All week, they prepared to face a quirky defense, with only three down linemen and an extra nickelback in the secondary. Instead, the Warriors went with a traditional 4-3 defense, with four down linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs.

It worked for awhile, as Clayton threw two uncharacteristic interceptions in the first half, but he figured things out after the intermission, and for that final drive, Hawaii switched to the odd look that the Rebels had prepared for all week.

At that point, all Berry had to do was make the right calls, and he had the confidence that Clayton would execute with the precision that he's come to expect.

"He's got judgement," he said. "If you've got a guy with judgmenet at the QB position and some athleticism, you'll have a pretty good player. He's very cerebral in his throws. I can't coach judgement."

Added Clayton: "I think it works both ways. Me having faith in what he's gonna call, him having faith to call whatever he needs to call, knowing that myself and the offense will be able to execute it."

It's all well and good that Clayton is as composed as just about any collegiate quarterback that you'll find. But the Rebels, who try to improve to 3-1 against a struggling Wyoming squad this weekend in Laramie, don't necessarily want to make it such a regular occurrence.

But if the close calls continue, the Rebels can rest assure that they've got the right guys making the calls.

"That would be nice for the whole football team," Berry said. "It's great for our confidence level. Those games over a period of time can be draining on a football team."

Payne, Clausen looking better

Sophomore receiver Phillip Payne and sophomore backup quarterback Mike Clausen attended team meetings on Wednesday and showed signs of improvement after bouts with the flu.

They still did not practice, but coach Mike Sanford said both are probable for Saturday's contest at Wyoming.

Payne is coming off of his best game as a Rebel, with eight catches for 94 yards against Hawaii, including two key second half touchdowns.

Clausen has seen action in all three of UNLV's games, has thrown for 95 yards and two scores and has two more touchdowns on the ground.

The Rebels will already be without senior receiver Rodelin Anthony (concussion) and senior safety Marquel Martin (concussion). Junior safety Alex De Giacomo (hamstring) is still questionable.

1984 championship team to be honored

The 1984 UNLV football team, which went 11-2 overall, 7-0 in Pacific Coast Athletic Association play and defeated Toledo, 30-13, in the California Bowl, will be honored on Friday, Oct. 16, as part of the school's Homecoming festivities.

The squad will gather at South Point Hotel from 7-9 p.m. that night. Players and coaches from that team can RSVP by calling (702) 895-2474.

Members of that team, including Randall Cunningham and Ickey Woods, will serve as honorary captains the next night as UNLV takes on Utah at Sam Boyd Stadium at 7 p.m.

All former UNLV football players can attend a barbecue that night in the north end zone from 4:30-6:30 p.m.. UNLV football lettermen must RSVP by October 9, contacting Sara Swanson at (702) 895-2474 or by e-mail at [email protected].