Las Vegas eager for second chance at Florida

Editor's note: Former UNLV wide receiver Casey Flair writes a weekly journal for the Las Vegas Review-Journal as a member of the Locomotives of the United Football League.

The last time I submitted a journal entry we were preparing to play the Florida Tuskers on Oct. 15 at Sam Boyd Stadium. We suffered our first loss of the season and had a bye last week.

We struggled, and the Tuskers capitalized on our mistakes to remain the UFL's only unbeaten team.

Florida is a very good team and played well. But we crippled ourselves with penalties, missed assignments and just all around bad football at times.

Their were some good things that happened: De De Dorsey blocked a punt, and Samie Parker caught two touchdown passes from J.P. Losman.

The loss stung, yet it hurt more that we did not play to our abilities.

We went into our bye week frustrated and eager to get back to preparing for the next game.

The bye week also gave us a chance to spend time with friends and family and recuperate. I spent time in Las Vegas and with my old UNLV Rebels. I also watched my first Rebels game from the stands on homecoming night.

Needless to say, it's a little different perspective from up in the stands.

The off week felt a little long, and everyone was ready to return to team headquarters in Casa Grande, Ariz., and the football field.

We all knew it was time to get back to work and, more important, back to play Florida again, this time at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

Very seldom in football do you get the chance to play a team back to back; we know we need to come back with great practices.

The tempo in practice picked up, as well as the intensity in every drill. Coach Jim Fassel made it clear that he wanted a businesslike attitude and a focus that allowed for no mistakes.

Practice did have a few distractions, however, with 20 mph gusts. At the conclusion of a solid practice Tuesday, we were rushed off the field by a sandstorm. I couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of me. It reminded me of the snowstorms in Alaska with zero visibility.

Thursday morning we head to Florida for our game Friday night, then to Long Island, N.Y., to play the Sentinels for our second of a three-game road stretch.

The team is excited to get back on the field and even more excited to get a chance to play Florida again.

There are four games left in our inaugural season, with a possible fifth game in Las Vegas on Nov. 27 for the UFL championship. We know every game day is important in this short season and that another loss could make reaching the championship game much tougher.

If we go out and play to our abilities and do the things that we were coached to do during the week, this game against the Tuskers should be much more interesting.