Local Player Makes Good, but He Won’t Start Against Titans

There may be one or two things that Richard Williams would like more than to be the starting quarterback for Nevada Las Vegas Saturday when the Rebels play Cal State Fullerton at Santa Ana Stadium, but they don’t come to mind right away.

Williams grew up in Fullerton, has lived in the same house there all his life, played football first in a Fullerton Pop Warner league, then at Fullerton High School, then at Fullerton College.

Now, though, he plays for UNLV, which for the first time makes Fullerton--Cal State Fullerton--a team he wants to beat.

Until two weeks ago, he was the starting quarterback. No more.

Williams, who won the starting position during spring practice, sustained a badly bruised shoulder in the Rebels’ second game of the season, a loss to Baylor on Sept. 19. The next Saturday was an open date for the Rebels, but two weeks after the injury, Williams still was unable to play, and Scott Sims, a redshirt freshman, started the game against Nevada Reno.

It was a game of such importance for the Rebels, then 0-2, that Wayne Nunnely, the UNLV coach, suited up for the game to impress upon the players the intensity of his feelings about the rivalry--and about a win of any sort. With Sims running the show, UNLV won.

But the game that fully turned Sims from a temporary replacement into the No. 1 quarterback was last Saturday, against Utah State.

UNLV led, 20-10, midway through the fourth quarter in that game. But Utah State scored 17 straight points--including a 77-yard punt return by Kendal Smith with 39 seconds remaining that gave Utah State a 27-20 lead. Sims then put together a drive that included a 27-yard pass to Cedric Davis and ended in a 5-yard touchdown pass to George Thomas, the Rebels’ leading receiver. Sims then passed to Thomas for the two-point conversion and a 28-27 victory.

Good news for Sims and the Rebels, mixed for Williams.

“It’s pretty much known around here that he’s the starter now,” Williams said. “He established that last game. He’s won both games he started, and he’s done a great job. I respect him. He deserves to be the starter. Now I have to wait my turn again.”

Williams has waited his turn before. His senior year in high school, UNLV recruited him and invited him to visit the Las Vegas campus. But before Williams made the trip, UNLV happened upon another player it preferred over Williams and rescinded the invitation.

Williams ended up at Fullerton College, just blocks from his home. Things went well, to say the least. His sophomore year, he passed for 2,365 yards and broke six school passing records previously held by Dave Wilson of the New Orleans Saints.

Last spring, he went to UNLV and won a battle with Sims and Eugene Bowen, who has since left the team, for the starting position.

In the first two games, both losses, Williams completed 26 of 55 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown, but he threw 6 interceptions.

Sims, in two games--both victories--has completed 31 of 65 passes for 341 yards with 4 touchdowns and a single interception.

Williams’ shoulder isn’t 100% yet, but doctors have determined that the problem is nothing more than soreness. Williams will be ready to play Saturday, but whether he will is questionable.

“Richard is the second-team quarterback at this time,” Nunnely said. “Just like Scottie was fortunate to have an opportunity to perform and do well, he’ll have to wait for an opportunity.”

Williams understands that now it’s a matter of waiting.

“I don’t want him to get hurt or anything, but it’s going to take that or us being far ahead or far behind before I get another chance. All I know is I’ll be ready to play. I know I can’t get down. I really wish I could start against Fullerton, though. . . .”