Rebels embarrassed by loss
UNLV coach: 'We just basically got our butts kicked'
John Robinson looked like a guy who had been knocked to the canvas in a glitsy heavyweight boxing match in his hometown — Las Vegas.
“We just basically got our butts kicked,” fifth-year UNLV football coach Robinson said, dripping with sweat outside a steamy locker room after the Rebels’ 46-24 loss to Kansas University at Memorial Stadium.
“Our defense, I thought, was absolutely embarrassing. Kansas had a great plan, they kept us off balance, but our team just did not tackle tonight.”
Robinson’s Rebels had shown a lot of promise in last week’s 28-18, season-opening victory over Toledo.
“I don’t have an explanation,” said Robinson, who entered Saturday’s action with a 10-3 all-time record against Big 12 teams. “Everything that had to do with movement, we didn’t do. I thought we practiced well. It just wasn’t there.”
Actually, it was there for a while.
The Rebels led 17-16 at halftime, but were ambushed, 23-0, in the third quarter. That’s the quarter in which KU outgained the Rebels, 202 yards to 44. Counting a field goal in the second quarter and a TD in the fourth, KU scored 33 unanswered points against the Mountain West Conference team.
“Kansas’ quarterback did a really good job,” Robinson said of Bill Whittemore, who completed 22 of 31 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception.
“He managed that team very well. Our inability to get any kind of field position certainly made it difficult. Our offense, I thought, panicked a little bit. Maybe we tried to catch up too fast.”
The Rebels appeared to lose some steam when running back Larry Croom felt his thigh muscle tighten on a 60-yard TD run in the first quarter.
Croom, who gained 105 yards on nine carries that initial quarter, finished with 128 yards on 15 carries. He had just one carry the second half for two yards.
“I have no clue,” Croom said, asked what kind of injury he sustained. “All I can tell you is it tightened up toward the end of the run. It started tightening more over the course of the game.”
Robinson refused to use the injury as an excuse. Ditto Croom.
“I take each play one at a time. If I would have had (more) success, so be it,” Croom said. “The bottom line is I was hurt and couldn’t go back out there. I’ll get treatment and be ready next week (at Wisconsin).”
Vegas quarterback Kurt Nantkes, who completed 17 of 30 passes, bemoaned his two interceptions.
“We can’t afford turnovers when the other team is putting up points,” Nantkes said. “Honestly, I’d take two throws back (the whole game). We put up 24 points. We marched on them the whole game, we just killed ourselves. We started pressing when we fell behind.”