Tag: Nevada Wolf Pack

Nov 22, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom watches his team against the San Jose State Spartans during the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

No. 22 UNLV routs Nevada, punches ticket to Mountain West Championship

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 168 yards and ran for 104 more as No. 22 UNLV beat rival Nevada 38-14 in Las Vegas on Saturday to clinch a berth in next week’s Mountain West Championship Game.

Jacob De Jesus led UNLV with a season-high 84 yards in receiving, while Ricky White III added five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown in each player’s final home game at UNLV. Jai’Den Thomas led the team in rushing with 135 yards on 15 carries, equaling his total from last week’s win at San Jose State in 11 fewer carries.

UNLV took a 17-7 lead with 14:05 remaining in the second quarter as Jarvis Ware executed a perfect strip sack on Nevada QB Brendon Lewis with the Wolf Pack pinned at their own 13-yard line. Jackson Woodard fell on the loose ball as it rolled unimpeded into the end zone.

The Rebels took a 24-7 lead into halftime after Thomas capped off an 11-play, 72 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 4:53 remaining in the half.

UNLV wasted little time breaking the ice, going 69 yards downfield in 2:11 to start the game as Williams found Kaleo Ballungay for a one-yard touchdown on the Rebels’ sixth play from scrimmage. Nevada tied the game at 7-7 on their first possession as Lewis found a wide-open Cortez Braham Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown.

UNLV’s Caden Chittenden made his only field goal attempt from 26 yards out. Chittenden is now second nationally in made field goals this season with 25.

UNLV tacked on two touchdowns late courtesy of White and Hajj-Malik Williams, while Nevada added a score of their own on Lewis’ second touchdown pass of the day for 20 yards to Jaden Smith.

Lewis finished the game with 292 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Nevada, completing 27 of his 37 pass attempts. Nevada had an abysmal day running the football, as their running backs tallied just 67 total yards on 28 carries.

UNLV outgained Nevada 519-359 in total net yards and outgained them 351-67 on the ground. UNLV registered six sacks resulting in a total loss of 44 yards for Nevada.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs the ball against Nevada Wolf Pack safety Kitan Crawford (4) during the first quarter at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty paves way again as No. 12 Boise St. holds off Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 12 Boise State to a 28-21 victory over visiting Nevada on Saturday night in the Mountain West Conference matchup.

The Heisman Trophy candidate topped 200 yards for the fourth time this season and raised his season totals to 1,734 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. He entered the day as the national leader in both categories.

Maddux Madsen completed 9 of 20 passes for 119 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Broncos (8-1, 5-0 MW), who won their seventh straight game. Matt Lauter had a touchdown catch as Boise State beat Nevada for the 18th time in the past 20 meetings.

Jeanty became the fourth Boise State running back to top the 1,700-yard mark in a single season and finished the night second on the list. Jay Ajayi set the school record of 1,823 yards in 2014, while Ian Johnson (1,713 in 2006) and Jeremy McNichols (1,709 in 2016) also topped the mark.

Brendon Lewis was 17-of-26 passing for 188 yards and one touchdown for Nevada (3-8, 0-5), which lost its fourth consecutive game.

Jaden Smith caught a 36-yard touchdown pass with 2:19 left that kept the Wolf Pack in the game.

But Jeanty’s 17-yard run on the ensuing possession gave Boise State a first down. A short time later, Jeanty scampered for 10 yards and another first down to seal it.

The score was tied at 14 at the break before the Broncos moved ahead to stay behind a dominating eight-play, 95-yard drive to start the third quarter. Jeanty went the final yard for the touchdown.

Boise State took a 28-14 advantage on Jeanty’s 2-yard run with 10:05 left in the contest. However, Nevada bounced back and was threatening to make it a one-score game when it faced fourth-and-goal from the Boise State 1-yard line.

But Lewis and Sean Dollars botched the exchange and Jeremiah Earby of the Broncos recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

Boise State jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the game was 11 minutes old.

Jeanty’s rushes moved the ball down the field on the Broncos’ first possession, which ended with Madsen’s 11-yard scoring pass to Lauter.

With 4:12 left in the period, Jeanty powered through a Nevada defender on a 4-yard scoring run.

Lewis got the Wolf Pack on the board with a dazzling 17-yard burst with 57 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Nevada tied the game on a trick play with 6:14 left in the half. The ball was handed to Marcos Bellon. The receiver tossed a short pass to Caleb Ramseur, who broke two tackles en route to finishing off a 44-yard scoring play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Fresno, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Jaelen Gill (5) reacts after catching a pass for a touchdown against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the first quarter at Valley Children's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

No. 25 Fresno State tops Nevada, continues its best start in 10 years

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mikey Keene threw two touchdown passes to Jaelen Gill and No. 25 Fresno State continued its best start in 10 years by posting a 27-9 victory over Nevada on Saturday night in the Mountain West opener for both schools at Fresno, Calif.

Malik Sherrod had a 72-yard touchdown run as part of a 123-yard performance for the Bulldogs, who are 5-0 for the first time since the high-powered 2013 squad featuring Derek Carr and Davante Adams won their first 10 games.

Keene completed 26 of 34 passes for 269 yards and two interceptions for Fresno State. Gill had eight receptions for 126 yards as the Bulldogs won their 14th consecutive game, the second-longest active streak behind top-ranked Georgia (22).

The streak is also the second longest in Fresno State history behind a 17-game stretch in 1988-89.

Nevada (0-5) lost its 15th straight game, the longest active skid among FBS programs.

The Wolf Pack used two quarterbacks. Brendon Lewis was 10-of-21 passing for 70 yards and two interceptions, while AJ Bianco completed 9 of 14 attempts for 97 yards, including a late touchdown pass to Spencer Curtis.

Emany Johnson recorded two interceptions for Nevada, which was outgained 410-220.

The Wolf Pack chewed up 9:18 on the game’s first possession but the 18-play drive eventually stalled and they had to punt.

Fresno State answered with a six-play, 88-yard touchdown drive. Gill lined up in the backfield and caught a short pass in the left flat from Keene and broke loose down the sideline for a 65-yard scoring play.

The Bulldogs’ second touchdown came after Sherrod appeared to be stopped after a 5-yard gain to his own 33-yard line. But Sherrod was on the back of a Nevada defender and never hit the ground. He got up and raced for the 72-yard touchdown run with 4:15 left in the first half.

Dylan Lynch kicked field goals of 48 and 40 yards in the third quarter to increase Fresno State’s advantage to 20-0.

Keene connected with Gill on a 12-yard scoring pass to make it a 27-point margin with 12:37 left in the game.

Fresno State’s Carlton Johnson later picked off his fourth pass of the season to snuff out a Nevada drive. The Bulldogs took over at their 2 and Elijah Gilliam was dropped in the end zone by multiple Wolf Pack defenders for a safety with 8:22 left in the game.

Bianco tossed a 19-yard scoring pass to Curtis with 11 seconds remaining.

–Field Level Media

Fresno State Bulldogs defensive lineman Jacob Holmes (23) reacts after recovering a fumble by Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Drew Pyne (10) in the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 16, 2023.

No. 25 Fresno State looks to keep rolling vs. Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 25 Fresno State figures to have few issues stretching its winning streak to 14 straight games when it hosts struggling Nevada in the Mountain West opener for both schools on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs (4-0) own the second-longest winning streak in the country behind top-ranked Georgia (21), while the Wolf Pack (0-4) have dropped 14 straight contests, the longest FBS losing skid in the country.

But don’t make mention of a possible easy night on the football field to Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford. He’ll quickly remind you about the Bulldogs losing four of their first five games in 2022 before starting the winning streak.

“When you’re 4-0, that can be even more challenging than 1-4 because of expectation and everybody patting you on the back and all that type of thing,” Tedford said during a press conference. “It’s human nature to get in your comfort zone, so we have to do our best to stay out of that.

“We’re just going to go to work each week, one day at a time and just try to continue to get better every week.”

The Bulldogs’ winning streak is the second-longest in school history behind a 17-game stretch in 1988-89.

Fresno State’s season resume includes a 39-35 victory over Purdue of the Big Ten and a 29-0 trouncing of Arizona State of the Pac-12. Both games were played on the road.

Last week, the Bulldogs rolled to a 53-10 victory over visiting Kent State. Quarterback Mikey Keene was 24-of-31 passing for 325 yards and four touchdowns.

Keene has thrown for 1,205 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions while helping Fresno State average 38.8 points per game.

Meanwhile, Nevada is allowing 41.3 points per game and its defeats include being trampled at home 33-6 by FCS program Idaho. Last week, the Wolf Pack led by 17 at halftime before succumbing 35-24 at Texas State.

Tedford urges his troops to pay no attention to Nevada’s 0-4 record.

“You’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game every week in the conference,” Tedford said. “People are extra motivated for conference play, so you know you’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”

Wolf Pack coach Ken Wilson is trying to remain upbeat despite the program’s long victory drought. This season’s four setbacks are by an average of 24.3 points, including a 66-14 loss at then-No. 6 Southern California.

“Well, we haven’t won a game, so (we are) not where we need to be,” Wilson said during a press conference. “We played some really good football teams. The last two games, we’ve been ahead or tied at halftime and lost those games in the second half. We’ve got to learn to finish games and do disciplined football at the end of games. I think our better days are ahead of us.”

Wilson insists the skid is close to ending.

“It’s going to happen,” Wilson said. “They’re going to play that way. Every win means something. … At the end of the day, if you do the little things play after play after play and you continue to improve like we are, you’re going to win football games.”

Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass while compiling 550 yards and tossing two interceptions. Lewis leads the squad with 171 rushing yards and has scored two touchdowns.

Fresno State has won the past two meetings and four of the last six. The Bulldogs won 41-14 in Reno last season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 8, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) pitches the ball during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas aims to overcome hurdles in clash vs. Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

It’s hard to build a case that 28-point underdog Nevada can give visiting Kansas a legitimate test on Saturday night, even if the Jayhawks’ depth chart suggests otherwise.

Starting cornerback Cobee Bryant and defensive end Austin Booker must sit out the first half of their game in Reno after being ejected from last week’s 34-23 win over Illinois for targeting penalties.

In addition, quarterback Jalon Daniels, running back Devin Neal and wide receiver Luke Grimm practiced sparingly on Sunday, according to coach Lance Leipold. The trio sustained injuries against Illinois, although Leipold said Daniels was able to do more in practice than the other two.

“Hopefully, we can get some guys back,” Leipold said. “That’s probably what you expect and we’ll probably have some more of these as we go.”

Daniels sat out the season-opening win over Missouri State with a shoulder injury. He was sharp against Illinois, completing 21 of 29 passes for 277 yards with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns as Kansas (2-0) raced to a 28-7 halftime lead.

Nevada (0-2) is off to as rocky a start as can be imagined. The Wolf Pack have been outscored 99-20 in losses to No. 6 USC and FCS power Idaho. Their 33-6 defeat to the Vandals last week marked just the third time this year that an FCS team beat an FBS opponent, and was easily the most lopsided win of those results.

The setbacks also stretched the program’s losing streak to 12 games, but second-year coach Ken Wilson painted an optimistic picture of his team’s future.

“I see how hard they work,” he said. “I see how hard the staff works. We have a plan that’s worked. My optimism is I see those guys out there working hard and they don’t bend, they don’t break on things. They fight like crazy.”

This will be the first matchup of these programs.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks with assistant coach Kliff Kingsbury following the victory against the San Jose State Spartans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

No. 6 USC looking for defense to show up vs. Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Lincoln Riley knows what narrative is bound to form after No. 6 Southern California’s season-opening win over San Jose State.

The Trojans doubled up the Spartans 56-28, but because porous defenses have become a hallmark of recent Riley-coached teams, the 28 is what jumps off the page.

USC (1-0) will have another chance to tackle its defensive struggles when it hosts Nevada on Saturday in Los Angeles.

“Everybody is going to write the narrative after the first game. It’s going to be a climb,” Riley said in his postgame press conference. “The ceiling for that (defense) is much higher than it was 12 months ago. No matter what the score was … If this was a three-point game, 28-point game or 50-point game — there’s going to be that climb to the next step.”

USC clung to a 21-14 lead at halftime before pulling away with three touchdowns in the third quarter. Freshman Zachariah Branch caught a 25-yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 96 yards for another score.

Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy defense began with a 278-yard, four-touchdown performance. The quarterback connected with 12 different receivers, including Brenden Rice, son of Jerry, for a 12-yard touchdown.

Meanwhile, San Jose State managed to gain 396 yards of offense. The production was split evenly — 198 yards passing and 198 on the ground.

Speaking Monday in a weekly radio appearance, Riley said his staff learned a lot about the defensive front seven.

“We made a couple of plays that were phenomenal that I don’t know that we make at any point in the season before,” Riley said. “We made a couple of critical mistakes. There’s two or three plays from the linebacker position that directly (contributed) to 21 points, and we can’t make those. … I think they’re gonna get corrected quick and I think these guys are gonna get better fast.”

The next quarterback the Trojans will face has experience playing against them in the Pac-12. Nevada coach Ken Wilson named Colorado transfer Brendon Lewis the team’s starting quarterback on Monday.

Lewis started 12 games for Colorado in 2021 and threw for 1,540 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions that year, adding two rushing scores. He lost the Buffaloes’ starting gig early in 2022 and entered the transfer portal.

“Practice by practice since the day he’s been here, Brendon has taken the leadership role,” Wilson told reporters. “He was voted unanimously a team captain by his teammates. We just think at this moment in time Brendon gives us the best chance to win football games.”

The Wolf Pack open their second season under Wilson after going 2-10 last year and finishing last in the Mountain West Conference’s West Division, with an 0-8 conference record.

Lewis isn’t the only new piece on offense. Nevada welcomed two transfers at running back, Sean Dollars (Oregon) and Ashton Hayes (Cal). Dollars was once a top-150 high school recruit in the nation but got limited playing time at Oregon.

Despite the relatively close proximity of Reno to Los Angeles, the two programs have not played since 1929. USC owns a 5-0 series lead.

–Field Level Media

Iowa State linebacker Gerry Vaughn forces Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras to lose the ball during the Cy-Hawk Series football game on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Cyhawkfootball 20220910 Bh

Iowa’s anemic offense gets next shot vs. Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Iowa’s lack of early-season offense has overshadowed the preparation for Saturday’s game against Nevada at Ames, Iowa.

The criticism of offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, son of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, is so intense that fans have gone to great lengths to troll the younger Ferentz through online videos.

The Hawkeyes (1-1) rank last among 131 FBS programs averaging only 158.0 yards of total offense a game after beating South Dakota State 7-5 and losing to Iowa State 10-7.

They punted or turned the ball over in 10 of their 13 possessions against Iowa State. Despite that, quarterback Spencer Petras will remain the starter for at least another week.

“I think that synergy of all 11 guys working together has just missed a piece here and there,” tight end Sam LaPorta said. “If one guy on offense fails to execute his job on any given play, it’s usually a bad play.”

Nevada (2-1) is coming off a 55-41 loss at home to Incarnate Word in which it allowed 616 yards of total offense.

The Wolfpack rank 96th nationally in total defense allowing 404.3 yards per game.

After the loss to an FCS team, the Wolf Pack’s second defeat to a lower-division opponent in the last 28 seasons, first-year coach Ken Wilson took a caring approach, telling his players that he “loved” them.

“I feel like they needed to hear that,” said Wilson, who replaced Jay Norvell (an Iowa alum) after Norvell left to Colorado State. “There’s a lot of guys in that room that had a lot of different adversity from the time we got here. And that was the first real adversity we had as a team.”

Iowa can rely on its defense with Nevada’s offensive line susceptible to sacks and lost yardage. Last season, the Wolf Pack gave up 89 tackles for loss to go along with the 45 sacks allowed.

They have one returning starter from last season and four starters are transfers.

Against Incarnate Word, the Nevada surrendered six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The Wolf Pack have allowed nine sacks and 26 tackles for loss this season.

— Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2021; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack defensive back Jordan Lee (13) tries to break away from the block by Kansas State Wildcats tight end Nick Lenners (87) to tackle Wildcats quarterback Will Howard (15) during the first quarter of a game at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Deuce Vaughn runs for 100 yards again as K-State beat Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Deuce Vaughn had his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game as Kansas State defeated Nevada 38-17 in Manhattan, Kansas.

Vaughn’s 127 yards led KSU’s 269 yards on the ground.

It didn’t take long for K-State (3-0) to get on the board. Will Howard hit Daniel Imatorbhebhe with a 68-yard touchdown down the seam on the second play of the day.

After an exchange of punts, Nevada (2-1) tied the score on a 1-yard touchdown run by Devonte Lee. The touchdown was set up by a 55-yard completion from Carson Strong to Romeo Doubs that put the ball at the K-State 2. It took four plays for the Wolf Pack to punch it in.

K-State responded with a more typical drive, capped by a 22-yard touchdown run by Joe Ervin. The Wildcats went 75 yards in eight plays, five on the ground and three through the air.

The Wildcats extended the lead to 17-7 with 2:08 left in the first half. The 38-yard drive was set up by a Tee Denson interception that was returned to near midfield.

K-State’s defense was the story in the first half. The Wolf Pack came into the game averaging 479.5 yards of total offense per game, had just 142 in the half.

Nevada opened the second half with a field goal to cut the deficit to 17-10. The Wolf Pack was driving deep into K-State territory, but head coach Jay Norvell was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that stalled the drive.

After a three-and-out and a shanked punt, Nevada took over at the K-State 42-yard line. The Wolf Pack used nine plays to tie the score, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Strong to Elijah Cooks.

Vaughn put the Wildcats back up 24-17 on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Cats drove 75 yards in eight plays (six of them runs).

The K-State defense held Nevada on a fourth-and-4, stopping Strong after a gain of three yards. That set up an 11-play drive that was capped by Howard’s 2-yard run. Howard’s 1-yard TD run capped the scoring with 1:12 left.

–Field Level Media

Nevada Wolf Pack head football coach Jay Norvell is seen running practice on Aug. 2. Ren1brd 08 16 2018 Rgj 1 A00120180815img Ren Wolfpack Practic 2 1 I2mm0nk6 L1265592066img Ren Wolfpack Practic 2 1 I2mm0nk6

Nevada moves practices to Stanford due to Dixie Fire

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The University of Nevada relocated its football practices to Stanford, Calif., for the next week due to the poor air quality in the Reno area caused by the Dixie Fires.

The Wolf Pack will practice three times and scrimmage once at Stanford. They will return to Reno after the scrimmage.

Nevada will practice in the mornings and Stanford will practice in the afternoons. The Wolf Pack will not use any other facility on campus other than the practice field.

The Dixie Fires had caused air-quality problems across the western United States. For Nevada — which does not have an indoor facility — it has significantly limited team practices.

“It’s literally affected every day of our practice for the last week and a half,” Nevada coach Jay Norvell told ESPN. “We’ve only had about half of our practices outside, and even those were limited to the number of players who can be there. We just can’t function anymore; we’ve got to make sure we get the remainder of our training camp where everybody participates in these full practices.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2020; Boise, Idaho, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack wide receiver Justin Lockhart (17) catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl versus the Tulane Green Wave at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Strong’s 5 TDs tosses lead Nevada over Tulane in Potato Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Carson Strong threw five touchdown passes and Nevada compiled eight sacks and three interceptions in a 38-27 win over Tulane on Tuesday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise, Idaho.

Strong, the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, completed 22 of 28 passes for 271 yards with no interceptions.

The Wolf Pack were led on the ground by Devonte Lee, who gained 105 yards on 18 carries. Toa Taua produced 102 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Taua also caught six passes for 77 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown.

Nevada (7-2) finished with 209 rushing yards.

The Wolf Pack achieved their seventh bowl win in program history, including three in their past four attempts.

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt, who entered the game with only five interceptions on the year, was picked off three times, leading to two Nevada touchdowns. Pratt completed 12 of 25 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Tulane (6-6) was unsuccessful in its attempt to achieve three bowl victories in the past three seasons.

Trevor Price, Lawson Hall and Tristan Nichols each had two sacks for Nevada.

Nevada led 26-7 at halftime with a time-of-possession edge of 20:16 to 9:44 after tallying 334 yards in total offense with 14 first downs.

Tulane had the first possession of the second half and drove 75 yards for a touchdown to pull within 13 points. The 12-play drive, which culminated on a 6-yard touchdown by Pratt, took 4:57.

At the end of Nevada’s ensuing possession, Tulane’s Jha’Quan Jackson returned a punt 27 yards to the Wolf Pack’s 45. Four plays later, Pratt connected with Jackson for 28 yards with 6:30 left in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 26-20.

Senior E.J. Muhammad recorded his first career interception, Pratt’s third of the game, to end the Green Wave’s next possession. Muhammad returned the ball 32 yards to the Green Wave 20.

Strong then completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Cole Turner, and the Wolf Pack led 32-20 with 13:22 left in the fourth quarter after the two-point conversion pass failed.

The lead grew to 38-20 on Strong’s 21-yard pass to Jamaal Bell with 4:19 left.

Nevada’s halftime lead was built behind three touchdown passes by Strong and 76 rushing yards by Taua, who scored on a run and also a pass from Strong.

–Field Level Media