Nevada's Noisy Close To Record

Nevada's Geoff Noisy doesn't mind that his bid to break the NCAA career receptions record held by Jerry Rice has been rather, well, quiet.

"It doesn't bother me at all," said Noisy, a chemical engineering major who needs 21 catches over the Wolf Pack's last two games to match Rice's 301 receptions.

"I understand that we are not a Pac-10 team or some other program. If that was the case, I'd probably get a lot of recognition," the senior said.

Noisy, whose team competes in the Big West Conference, already has broken the career reception record for Division I-A schools with 280.

"If anybody else is going to break it, they'll have to say that they are going to break Geoff Noisy's all-time record," he said.

Rice, the San Francisco 49ers star, set the record for all divisions at tiny Mississippi Valley State from 1989-92.

But making 21 receptions over the next two games is a tall task even for Noisy. He's averaging 8.7 catches per game this season, third in the nation. He had five catches or more in 30 straight games until a pulled hamstring slowed him last week at Utah State, limiting him to just two receptions.

This season, he has 79 receptions for 1,126 yards. He has 3,970 yards receiving in his career.

Noisy is expected to start this week at home against Cal Poly-SLO, but Nevada coach Jeff Tisdel said he won't take the risk if his star receiver isn't 100 percent.

"I'd love to see him get a chance to break Jerry Rice's record, but unless he's healthy, I'm not going to jeopardize (the hamstring)," Tisdel said.

Noisy knows 21 catches in his final two games, including a game at home against Souther Mississippi on Nov. 21, will be tough to accomplish. But he has the advantage of playing with prolific freshman quarterback David Neill and a Wolf Pack offense that has been one of the nation's most productive in the 1990s.

"I'm going to have to give a lot of credit to the quarterback. He's got such great vision. He can see you open right away and throw it quick," Noisy said.

Neill set a freshman record when he passed for 611 yards against New Mexico State earlier this year. He ranks fifth nationally in total offense (359.7 yards per game) and is seventh in passing. He's 155-of-270 for 2,562 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Nevada ranks fourth in passing offense, averaging 360.9 yards per game, afer finishing first or second the last five seasons.

"We rack up the numbers every week. It's a shame nobody knows about that," Neill said.

He's quick to admit that he didn't know much about the Wolf Pack before he visited the campus while at Hart High School in Newhall, Calif.

"I didn't know the offense was so high-powered," he said. ''If everyone knew that, then maybe we'd get a second look."

The 6-foot, 195-pound Noisy said he'd like to get a chance to play in the NFL.

"I think I'm a `tweener right now," he said. "If I get the shot, I'm going to go full bore. If it happens, it happens. If not, I've still got school and other priorities."

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