This Saturday’s showdown in the world’s glitziest gambling capital features a tale of two sides of the same coin. The Utes, manned by Kyle Whittingham, will take on UNLV and Whittingham’s former partner in crime, Mike Sanford.
For two seasons (2003 and 2004), Whittingham and Sanford paired under Urban Meyer to form a triumvirate that orchestrated the U’s history-setting, BCS-busting season in 2004.
For Whittingham, those two years as the U’s defensive coordinator added another rung to the ladder of his success — a 13-year climb with the Utes.
The road for Sanford, however, has been much more unpredictable, if not exotic. The former U offensive coordinator has worked for some of the biggest names in football, including Notre Dame, USC, Stanford and even a three-year stint with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers.
In 2005, Sanford accepted his first head-coaching gig by taking the reigns of a struggling UNLV program after assisting nine other universities over a span of 27 years.
This Saturday evening marks the third time Whittingham and Sanford face off as head coaches, with Whittingham getting the better end of the previous two meetings. While neither has lost respect for the other, both coaches are taking a team-oriented stance on the game.
“I had a great experience at Utah, and I know a lot of the people on the staff and the players involved in the recruitment,” Sanford said. “There’s a lot of personal feelings in this game.”
For UNLV to make a sound, however, the Rebels will have to silence 28 years of Ute dominance that has seen Utah build an 11-0 record.
“We’ve got to find a way to win this game — that’s more important than any personal (agenda),” Sanford said. “Our team can do something that no UNLV team has done since 1979.”
Whittingham also realizes what’s at stake and acknowledges Sanford’s possible advantage as a former Ute offensive coordinator.
“We are familiar with their offensive game and (he knows) what we run,” Whittingham said. “So in that respect, there is a lot of common ground between the two teams. But this is a conference game and, really, that’s all there is to it.”
Whittingham’s club knows it has to prepare for a spread offense that will be directed by dual-threat quarterback Travis Dixon. In three games, the redshirt freshman has completed 58 percent of his passes for 592 yards. The replacement for 2006 standout quarterback Rocky Hinds (recovering from a torn ACL) runs the ball half as often as he throws it. Dixon has rushed for 175 yards this season — easily the most on the team.
When Dixon elects to throw the ball, however, UNLV owns arguably the most dangerous pair of wideouts in the MWC.
Sophomore Ryan Wolfe enters the season on the Biletnikoff Watch List as one of the top receivers in the nation. In 2006, the speedy MWC Freshman of the Year snagged 55 passes for 911 yards — top in the league.
Junior receiver Casey Flair is the Rebels’ most consistent threat, ranking 21st in the nation last year in receptions per game with five.
The Rebels’ ground attack rotates between two running backs of different styles. Junior David Peeples is a 5-foot-9, 205-pound returning starter who led UNLV with 519 yards in 2006.
At nearly the same height and 35 pounds heavier, junior transfer Frank “the Tank” Summers offers a bruising, grind-it-out alternative to Peeples’ shiftiness.
UNLV’s defense is spearheaded by senior linebacker Beau Bell — one of the nation’s top ten in tackles per game until he sprained his ankle midway through 2006 against BYU.
Bell missed the rest of the season but returned in 2007 without missing a step. The Butkus Award candidate is already averaging more than 10 tackles per game and is improving with each contest, including a 12-tackle performance against Hawaii last week.
Add two talented kickers in senior place-kicker Sergio Aguayo (Lou Groza Award candidate) and 2005 juco transfer Brian Pacheco, and Whittingham admits the Utes’ work is cut out for them.
“They’re a much-improved team from what we’ve seen on tape,” Whittingham said. “We’ve got our hands full.”
The odds in Vegas say to gamble on Whittingham and the Utes, but a victory over the improving Rebels won’t be as simple as flipping a coin.
Lennie MahlerUNLV wide receiver Casey Flair placed 21st in the nation last year with five receptions per game.