College Bowls 2000


	LAS VEGAS BOWL HISTORY\| MESSAGE BOARD

Caver's career ends on quiet, sad note
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- Even Quinton Caver knew it was over.

Caver, who goes all-out on every play, didn't even jump in an attempt to block the extra point that gave UNLV a 31-14 lead with 5:39 left Thursday night in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Shortly afterward, Caver found a spot on the sideline by himself in one of 11 metal chairs set up for the Arkansas defense. His helmet was off, the white tape on his shoes grass-stained. Eventually, he dropped his helmet and his head.

Joseph Rupe, a walk-on for the Razorbacks, sat down to Caver's left.

"I told him what a pleasure it was to sit and watch him play. I told him he always played his butt off," Rupe said.

By that time, there was no use in Arkansas sending its best player back on the field. It was obvious that Caver didn't know what to do with himself when the other team had the ball and he wasn't out there.

He wandered back up the sideline to midfield and watched a play or two with senior linebacker J.J. Jones. Then both returned to the metal chairs.

Kenny Hamlin slapped a water bottle off a chair and made it a threesome. When Hamlin left, Jermaine Brooks moved in and shared a left-handed handshake with Caver.

"I told him I was sorry, that I was apologizing for the team," Brooks said. "I told him to keep his head up, that he's got a lot more football to play."

Brooks said that UNLV came out playing harder than the Razorbacks.

"You can't just play in spurts," he said.

Caver didn't say a word to him.

"He just just hugged me. That's worth a million words right there," Brooks said.

Eventually, Caver was alone again, slumped in his chair, his eyes almost closed. When the UNLV fans rushed the field in the final seconds he was slow to get up -- he obviously didn't feel like engaging in any postgame small talk. There was a tear in his right eye.

His brother, Terry, put his arm around Caver and walked him off the field. Somebody bumped into Caver hard enough to knock his red mouthpiece to the ground, and he stopped long enough to pick it up. He and his brother went into the locker room together.

Arkansas quarterback Robby Hampton said the Razorbacks' inability to run the ball hurt. He wasn't sure why Arkansas gained only 115 yards on the ground against the Rebels. It was the Razorbacks' ability to run right at Mississippi State and LSU that played such a big part in the victories that had made the Razorbacks bowl eligible.

"They seemed to know where we were going to run and they had more guys there than we could block," guard Kenny Sandlin said. "It seemed like we got complacent. We thought they were going to give it to us. It is really disappointing, especially for the seniors."

For Caver most of all.

UNLV hits jackpot with Las Vegas Bowl romp

Arkansas player order off field after confrontation with coach

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