Defense, Summers emerge

That was before Saturday night. Before the Rebels essentially handed their offense to tailback Frank Summers. Before the Beau Bell-led defense put on a suffocating performance.

And it was Utah, usually nearly mistake-free when playing the Rebels, which committed the crushing errors.

UNLV left the Sam Boyd Stadium field with a 27-0 win to adamantly end an 11-game losing streak to Utah while instilling new life in its season.

“I believe we can play with any team in the country as long as we play our ‘A’ game and we play like we know how and don’t beat ourselves,” said Summers, who rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries and caught a 29-yard scoring pass.

The Rebels improved to 2-2, equaling their total number of victories each of the past three seasons. This also is their best start since going 4-1 to open the 2003 season.

Perhaps more importantly, this is the first time since 1995 the Rebels opened conference play with a victory.

“I’m extremely proud of our players. I thought we played with a hunger and a desperation,” UNLV coach Mike Sanford said.

UNLV’s joy was sapped out late in the first quarter when Rebels tailback David Peeples was knocked unconscious. A stretcher was sent onto the field, and Peeples was immobilized and taken to Sunrise Hospital.

According to UNLV, Peeples regained consciousness and had movement in his hands and feet, and he was released from the hospital. Sanford said he appears to have “a really bad concussion.”

Until Saturday, the Rebels not only endured a long losing streak to the Utes (1-3, 0-2), but each loss had been by double figures. The Utes not only beat the Rebels, they beat them up.

UNLV made sure that wasn’t the case this time, winning in the series for the first time since 1979. And the Rebels left no doubts, recording their first shutout since defeating North Texas 38-0 in 2000. Utah had not been shut out since a 38-0 loss to Arizona State in 1993.

“There was hitting on both sides of the ball,” said Bell, who had a team-high nine tackles. “The offense was over there hitting people. The defense was over there hitting people. Every time someone got the ball, I heard a crash — and I liked it.”

The closest Utah came to scoring was the first drive of the second half when the Utes took 7:17 off the clock to move to UNLV’s 1-yard line. On fourth down, Utah quarterback Brian Johnson bumped into tailback Darrell Mack and lost 3 yards.

UNLV led 13-0 at the time, and momentum went right back to its side.

Offensively, the Rebels put the ball in the hands of their 240-pound tailback. Along with his rushing exploits, Summers caught a shovel pass that he turned into a 29-yard touchdown 9 seconds into the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.

Kicker Sergio Aguayo accounted for the other points with 28- and 20-yard field goals in the first half. His second field goal capped an 18-play, 83-yard drive.

Utah also did its share of favors for UNLV with two lost fumbles and 46 yards in penalties in the first half.

Another key Utah mistake led to the game-clinching TD in the fourth quarter. Utes center Kyle Gunther snapped the ball over Johnson’s head, and UNLV defensive end Jeremy Geathers recovered. Five plays later, Summers was in the end zone for a 20-0 lead.