What's in a name? Just ask Chris Ault.
The Nevada Wolf Pack head football coach refused to wear a sideline pass Saturday night during the Wolf Pack-UNLV Rebels football game in Las Vegas that read "UNR."
"We're not UNR or Nevada-Reno," Ault said. "This is the University of Nevada. We would never disrespect their university and call them Vegas or Las Vegas. I would never do that."
The passes, issued by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, were given to University of Nevada personnel (coaches and support staff) to wear on the sideline during the football game, won by the Wolf Pack, 44-26. Ault would also not allow his staff to wear the passes during the game and handed them back to a Wolf Pack media services member to give back to UNLV after the game.
"I would absolutely not wear those passes," Ault said on Monday. "I just feel strongly that is a simple respect that we've earned. I would not allow our university to disrespect their university in that way. I'd never do that. I don't know why they (UNLV) continue to disrespect our university."
Ault was Nevada's athletic director in the early 1990s when the university officially changed its name from Nevada-Reno to Nevada. "We spent a lot of good money to do that," Ault said. "We had to change our logo, everything. We are the University of Nevada. Why wouldn't (UNLV) want to play the University of Nevada?"
Ault would just like for UNLV to respect the name of his university.
"I respect that school," Ault said. "They gave me my start in coaching (he was a Rebel assistant from 1973-75). I will always respect that school. When I coached at UNLV I would always tell (then Rebels head coach Ron Meyer), 'Call them Nevada. Don't call them Reno.'
"I've always believed that you should call a university what they want to be called. They've earned that respect. You should never disrespect another university by not respecting their name."
LOUKS BACK IN ACTION: Wolf Pack safety Corbin Louks returned to the field on Saturday against UNLV.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Louks suffered a knee sprain and bone bruise in the season-opening 49-24 victory over Eastern Washington and missed the next three games.
Louks started at free safety against Eastern Washington but only played on special teams against UNLV. The Wolf Pack starters at safety are Duke Williams (stroing safety) and Marlon Johnson (free safety).
"He is going to have to earn his way back on defense," Ault said. "Those guys (Johnson and Williams) are playing well."
Louks, a junior, sat out all of last season after transferring from Utah where he played quarterback.
MOCH EARNS NATIONAL HONOR: Wolf Pack defensive end Dontay Moch was named the National Defensive Lineman Performer of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards.
Moch had nine tackles, three for a loss, a sack and forced a fumble against UNLV.
Wolf Pack running back Vai Taua, who had 188 yards and four touchdowns against UNLV, was named Honorable Mention Running Back Performer of the Week by the CFPA.
PACK OPENS WAC PLAY: The Wolf Pack will begin Western Athletic Conference play Saturday night when they host San Jose State at 7:30 p.m. at Mackay Stadium.
The game was originally scheduled for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff but was changed to 7:30 p.m. when ESPNU decided to televise the contest.
Boise State, Fresno State and Hawaii currently lead the WAC with a 1-0 record in conference play. Utah State, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State are all 0-1. San Jose State, Nevada and Idaho have yet to play a league game.
THE LAST TIME: The Wolf Pack trounced San Jose State, 62-7, last season at San Jose State in a nationally televised game.
The Pack, which has won seven of its last eight games against San Jose State, tied a NCAA record against the Spartans last year with four 100-yard rushers. Vai Taua had 144 yards, Colin Kaepernick had 115, Lampford Mark had 114 and Luke Lippincott had 112.
The Pack is one of just six teams in NCAA history with four 100-yard rushers in a single game.
Taua currently leads the nation among active players with 21 career 100-yard games. Kaepernick is tied for sixth with 13.
