Rebels’ 1996 upset holds lesson

The memory of the moment — like the memories of the remarkable upset it followed — remain vivid 12 years later.

The Rebels were given next to no chance of beating San Diego State on Nov. 16, 1996.

The Aztecs, at 6-2, appeared to be headed to the Western Athletic Conference title game. Holiday Bowl officials were in the press box, expecting to see San Diego State pound 0-10 UNLV.

But Denton and the Rebels, 27-point underdogs, stunned the Aztecs, 44-42.

“That was the defining moment of our season right there,” said Denton, who now works in San Francisco for a company that builds Web sites.

On Saturday, San Diego State (1-10, 0-7 Mountain West Conference) will be the double-digit underdog when it plays host to UNLV (5-6, 2-5) in a 5 p.m. game. While the Rebels certainly aren’t barreling toward a conference title, the lesson of the 1996 upset applies.

They hope to take a significant step for their long-struggling program. UNLV, which entered 2008 on a four-year run of two-win seasons, can become bowl eligible for the first time since 2000 with a win Saturday in a game in which it is favored by 11 points.

The 1996 Rebels could relate to playing through trying times.

“We had some lean years,” said Sam Mineo, a tight end on that 1996 team and now a wealth manager in Las Vegas. “Now they have a chance to do something. I don’t know even if they win if they’ll get in a bowl game. But they’re definitely playing for something.”

All that UNLV team 12 years ago played for was a moment.

But the Rebels believed they were better than their record. Their offense was getting better, scoring at least 28 points in three of the four games leading to the meeting with San Diego State.

The Rebels battled Texas Christian in the previous game, losing 42-34.

But, much like this year, UNLV’s defense often let it down in 1996. Opponents averaged 45.9 points and 543 yards per game.

The Rebels fell into the habit of thinking they had to try to win shootouts, and the game against San Diego State began in that mode.

“We were scoring and moving the ball, so it was nothing different,” said wide receiver Lenny Ware, who now teaches seriously ill children at a local hospital.

UNLV went into halftime with a 28-19 lead, after taking advantage of the Aztecs’ man-to-man defense.

“We knew they were overlooking us, as most teams were that year,” Denton said. “We knew after the first two or three series we could take them on. We felt our offense could play with anybody.”

San Diego State switched to a cover-2 defense in the second half, so UNLV started beating the Aztecs with underneath routes.

Even by his lofty standards that season, Denton was having a huge game. Denton, who would set 10 freshman NCAA records, went to the sideline at one point in the fourth quarter and a fan yelled, “Dude, you’re over 400 yards!”

Denton finished with a school-record 503 yards on 27-for-53 passing. Ware caught seven passes for 200 yards, and Damon Williams hauled in four receptions for 112 yards.

But the Aztecs also were moving the ball well. In fact, San Diego State outgained the Rebels 670 to 627.

Seven touchdowns covered at least 35 yards. But the game came down to a field-goal try.

The Aztecs drove to the UNLV 18 and, with 13 seconds left, trotted out Peter Holt, who had made 14 of 15 field goals.

His 35-yarder wasn’t close.

“We felt that he didn’t lose the game; we felt we deserved that win,” Ware said. “If we didn’t earn it that particular game, we earned it all year.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.