Never undestimate a winner

Bobby Hauck is a winner — and you should never underestimate a winner.

The University of Idaho football should be expected to defeat Hauck's UNLV Rebels in Moscow this weekend. They've got the talent and home-field advantage — if you can even call less than 15,000 fans an advantage — to take care of business.

Still, UNLV has the benefit of a first-year coach who's decidedly not used to losing — and who has done nothing but lose so far this season.

Hauck was wildly successful during the past seven years at Montana. His teams went 80-17 and in the last four seasons were 51-6 overall and 31-1 in conference play.

What's more, his assistants at Montana are with him now at UNLV. So you can imagine the frustration and determination pulsating from that coaches meeting room in Las Vegas these days.

Another factor is that Hauck and Co. probably aren't afraid of the Vandals. They've beaten UI before: 41-28 in 2003, Hauck's first year as head coach at Montana. The year before the Grizzlies had defeated the Vandals as well, 38-31.

If they can beat Idaho at a lower-division school, imagine how confident they'll be to stroll onto the Palouse with a Football Bowl Subdivision team.

But even considering these boons for UNLV, the Vandals' success Saturday lies in their own hands — more specifically, in the massive hands of the offensive linemen. If UI can continue to make strides between the tackles, their skill-position players will blow UNLV away.

If not, Hauck will be able to reacquaint himself with a familiar letter: W.