2002 Statistics

written by Ryan Hockensmith

Now the offense is turned over to junior Kurt Nantkes, and UNLV fans are more than ready. As former Heisman hopeful Jason Thomas struggled through 2002, fans clamored for Nantkes. When Robinson finally went to his second-stringer, Nantkes completed 16 of 26 passes for 185 yards and three TDs to kick-start a 36-33 win against Mountain West champion Colorado State.

The core offensive players in that win - Nantkes, running back Larry Croom and wide receiver Earvin Johnson - all return for Robinson. It all starts with Nantkes, though. The junior signal-caller possesses a little bit of everything. He's a tremendous athlete with a big frame (6'4", 220 pounds), a bigger arm (he's a former Oakland A's pitching prospect) and can get out of the pocket and run if pressured. He has two years on the bench, so he knows the offense. And at 23 years old, having spent a few years on the road playing baseball, he's a cool head in the huddle. That experience should be vital.

He'll hand off quite a bit to senior Croom, who has fans dazzled with his potential in back-up roles. Now is the time to show that off in a full-time role. Croom ran for 7.2 per carry and has all the tools to be an All-Conference, 1,000-yard ground gainer. Croom's back-ups, Dominique Dorsey and Deon Burnett, both have plenty of experience and should be solid when Croom needs a breather.

WR Earvin Johnson also emerged late - in the CSU finale, he reeled in 12 passes and two TDs as Nantkes' primary target. He stands 6'3" and gets open downfield (15.5 yards per catch). On the other side, veteran Michael Johnson returns as another reliable receiving option. This Johnson has three letters. Both Johnsons will be even better.

With secondaries seeing double (Johnsons), it's doubtful Nantkes will look to tight end Ryan Clifford much. Good thing, cause Clifford's most effective in the running game. Clifford did not have a 2002 reception, but will assuredly be utilized as a 6'2", 250-pound path-paver for Croom.

The Rebels' OL took the heat for marginally poor protection of Thomas (27 sacks allowed). But the unit bullied Colorado State for 575 total yards even without starter Tony Terrell. UNLV brings back players with starting experience at all five line positions, including Dominic Furio in the middle. Furio has three letters and will hold everything together in the trenches. The rest form a bulky line (average weight of 304 pounds). Tyler Crandal, a transfer from Saddleback Community College, will challenge for time at tackle. Depth and experience equal high expectations from this entire offense.

TB Larry Croom

written by Ryan Hockensmith

This is where UNLV really could surprise. Even with all that offensive firepower, the Rebels' defense dominated in the spring. UNLV has speed and will be forcing turnovers.

The real strong suit, perhaps of the entire squad, is at linebacker. The Rebels bring back standouts Adam Seward and Ryan Claridge. Seward, a 6'2", 250-pound plugger in the middle, led the Mountain West with 133 tackles, third best in school history. He'll see even less big bodies coming at him if Claridge can come back after a hernia kept him out all of last season. Claridge is explosive, finishing second in the country in 2001 with six forced fumbles, and a tremendous athlete. When healthy, he doubles in the spring as a UNLV tennis player. He'll start on one side of Seward, and either Reggie Butler or John Andrews should man the weak side. Both are fast, experienced transfers who immediately will contribute. And with proven commodities Zach Bell and Terrence Young playing back-up roles, UNLV should be able to stack the line of scrimmage against running teams on non-passing downs.

Those linebackers should make up for a suspect defensive line, which got pulverized for 394 yards per 2002 game. Tackle Dietrich Canterberry, at 6'4", 300 pounds, holds his own, along with senior Joe Oniwor, a nine-game starter in 2002. Both are solid, but far from spectacular. UNLV desperately needs OLs to focus on the inside duo to keep blockers off its outstanding group of linebackers. If opposing linemen consistently get five-yard running starts at Seward and Claridge, UNLV will find itself in many a high scoring game.

Ends Chris Eagen and Leon Moore are experienced, trustworthy players, but neither has shown dominant ability yet. Senior Eagen had nine TFLs and four sacks, and ought to be similarly disruptive. Moore played well as a freshman, and UNLV has high hopes for the 6'5", 255-pound behemoth. Moore had 11 TFLs in just a back-up role. He will rack up better numbers with the increased playing time.

In the secondary, questions abound with the loss of veterans from an already iffy unit. One area that's not a question mark --- more like an exclamation point --- is strong safety, where Mountain West defensive player of the year Jamaal Brimmer returns for his junior season. Do-everything Brimmer emerged as the conference's most dynamic play-maker with a terrific stat line that'll make you breath hard just reading it --- 100 tackles, 17 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, six passes broken up, three forced fumbles and a touchdown off a fumble return. Scary thought is that Brimmer, who'll be 21 when the season starts, will be better this year. And UNLV will need his eraser abilities both against the run and in the passing game.

On the other side, sophomore Joe Miklos had a grand total of one tackle in 2002. He has a good frame at 6'1", 205 pounds, but he's a major concern for a secondary victimized for 235 yards a game. If the defensive line and linebackers find a way to bottle up running games, look for quarterbacks to locate Brimmer, then throw down the middle toward Miklos.

At cornerback, both Jason Rogers and David Olsen are basically rookies. Rogers redshirted as a freshman wide receiver and sophomore Olsen made six tackles in sporadic 2002 duty. Ruschard Dodd-Masters and Daniel Jones will play plenty this year. In fact, either or both could see starting time by the end of the year.

LB Adam Seward