Utah Utes football: Losing to U. won't help Sanford out

LAS VEGAS — The inexorable road to unemployment continued for UNLV coach Mike Sanford on Saturday night in Utah's win at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Utah's victory stretched its win streak over the Rebels to, well, two. But that's deceiving. All-time, Utah is 12-2 against UNLV. The only Vegas wins over the Utes were in 2007 and 1979.

Going into Saturday's game, Utah averaged 40 points in its series with the Rebels.

The loss weighed heavily on Sanford, who is almost certain to lose his job, unless his team somehow rallies. His five-year record in Vegas is 13-41.

Sanford is the former Utah offensive coordinator who toiled under Urban Meyer in 2003-04. When Meyer jumped ship to Florida, there was speculation Sanford might be considered for the top job at Utah. But when that didn't appear likely, he took the job in Las Vegas, while Kyle Whittingham was hired at Utah.

Along the way, Sanford has had some high moments, but not many. There was the win last year over No. 13 Arizona State and the 2007 win over the Utes.

But mostly it has been Vegas football — small crowds, dispirited play and heavy casualties. Counting this year, the Rebels have had just one winning season since 1994.

The calls for Sanford's job would be unrelenting — except that there isn't much interest in the program, anyway. The crowd on Saturday was sparse and disinterested. Last week in the student newspaper, The Rebel Yell, a satire columnist posted a picture cardboard stand-up of Mike Ditka at a UNLV rostrum.

"In an attempt to salvage the remainder of UNLV's football season, President Neal Smatresk and interim athletics director Jerry Koloskie removed Mike Sanford from his head coaching position Tuesday and replaced him with a cardboard stand-up of Mike Ditka," said the column, written under the pseudonym of B.S. Shenanigans.

It facetiously quoted Smatresk saying the stand-up "will instill in the players a sense of urgency and motivation for achievement."

The column continued, "The cardboard stand-up of Mike Ditka declined to comment for this story."

Meanwhile, the death watch continues for Sanford, who actually signed a three-year contract extension last season. But that doesn't mean much, considering the school can buy out his contract at any time for $220,000. The move was largely to help with recruiting.

Sanford is currently in his fifth season at UNLV — the length of his original contract.

e-mail: rock@desnews.com