The University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels should be feeling a little nervous coming into Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. With a shortened practice week for UNLV, multiple players out due to injuries and the 23-5 embarrassment of the Badgers on their home turf last season, Wisconsin has the scene set up perfectly for payback.
\I think it is a revenge game for us,"" UW sophomore quarterback John Stocco said. ""That game last year really left a sour taste in everyone's mouth and we just played awful. I think everyone's excited to get another chance to play them again.""
It may not be evident on the field, but UNLV players should be exhausted by Saturday due to their non-stop traveling this past week. Last Sunday the team went to Tennessee for a 42-17 beating. They then had to get right back on the plane the next morning to head home and prepare for Wisconsin. By the time UNLV heads home on Saturday, the team will have made four trips within eight days.
Already out a number of starters before the season started, a few more were added to the injured list after returning from Tennessee. Right guard Brandon Gray and outside linebacker Ryan Welter will not be making the trip due to injuries but another key player still in question is wide receiver Earvin Johnson. After suffering a minor knee injury last week, he has not practiced all week and is still questionable for Saturday's game.
If the Rebels are to be without Johnson, this could help the Badgers in their quest for revenge. In last year's game, Johnson had 41 receiving yards which included two of the team's three touchdowns over the Badgers.
The third came thanks to UNLV safety Jamaal Brimmer. He took advantage of one of Wisconsin's five turnovers by recovering Dwayne Smith's fumble and ran it 55 yards into the end zone. He also picked off another pass and ran for 29 more yards which put the Rebels in scoring position. Brimmer, who is not usually known for his offensive performance, did even more on the defensive side last game. He tallied a game high 11 tackles, including two tackles for loss, had two sacks and two interceptions. There is no doubt that the Badgers will have Brimmer's number on Saturday.
""They've got Brimmer and he makes a lot of big plays for them,"" Stocco said. ""I think he's a guy that we're going to have to know where he is on every play.""
Not only did Brimmer abuse the Badgers last season, but the Rebels' whole defense got in on the action. UNLV sacked the Wisconsin quarterbacks eight times, which resulted in 67 lost yards. This year the Badger offensive line will have to keep Brimmer and the rest of the defense back to keep Stocco from going down. Also, the defense did not allow Wisconsin to score a single touchdown and kept them to a fieldgoal and safety.
One final weapon the Rebels will likely utilize on Saturday is their running back, Dominique Dorsey. It was hard to notice Dorsey during last game because of Brimmer's strong performance but in his first career start, he managed to rush for 100 yards. He will be back on Saturday and could be even more important in the rushing game if the passing game is abandoned due to Johnson's injury.
Even though UNLV may come into Camp Randall a little beat up after a rough week, the Badgers know from last year that the Rebels also have most of the tools returning on Saturday to make for another upset.
""I think our guys understand how good this football team is,"" UW Head Coach Barry Alvarez said. ""They certainly have respect for UNLV and their program but they know they will have to play well.""
