Category: Nevada

PODCAST: Week 13 Mountain West Football Recap

PODCAST: Week 13 Mountain West Football Recap Title game is set! Contact/Follow @MWCwire Heartbreak for a few teams Jeremy and Josh are back to take a look back at the final regular season games of the Mountain West season. The championship game is …

PODCAST: Week 13 Mountain West Football Recap

Title game is set!

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

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Heartbreak for a few teams

Jeremy and Josh are back to take a look back at the final regular season games of the Mountain West season. The championship game is decided by computers but it didn’t really have to if one or two things went a different way this year.

Colorado State is not bowl eligible after its loss to Hawaii, there is a firing in New Mexico, and Fresno State keeps free falling.

The two also get into the latest on the coaching news in the Mountain West.

You can find the Mountain West Wire podcast below or subscribe to the show via TuneIn, Spotify, iTunes, and more. Listen in, subscribe and rate it and let us know what you think!

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Mountain West Football: 2023-24 Transfer Tracker

Mountain West Football: 2022-23 Transfer Tracker College football’s transfer is open for business in the new academic year. We’ll keep track of who’s leaving and who’s coming to the Mountain West. Contact/Follow @MWCwire Who is the league losing and …

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Mountain West Football: 2022-23 Transfer Tracker

College football’s transfer is open for business in the new academic year. We’ll keep track of who’s leaving and who’s coming to the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Who is the league losing and adding?

College football’s regular season is underway, but transfer portal season is never really over.

Since the new year officially began on August 1, football players from the Mountain West and beyond have announced their intention to find new places to play. Check back here periodically as we keep an eye on who is arriving and who’s heading out from the conference in the days, weeks, and months to come.

Leaving the Mountain West

Air Force

Boise State 

Colorado State

Fresno State

Hawaii

Nevada

New Mexico

San Diego State

San Jose State

UNLV

Utah State

Wyoming

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Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Embarrassed by Wyoming 42-9

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Embarrassed by Wyoming 42-9 The Nevada Wolf Pack’s 2023 season ends with what else…a loss. This time to Wyoming. Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Nevada’s ’23 season ends with an embarrassing 42-9 Loss To Wyoming …

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Embarrassed by Wyoming 42-9

The Nevada Wolf Pack’s 2023 season ends with what else…a loss. This time to Wyoming.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Nevada’s ’23 season ends with an embarrassing 42-9 Loss To Wyoming

Nevada Wolf Pack WR/KR Jamaal Bell broke the school’s all-time kick returner receiving yard record. Bell’s 21 yard return to start the second half placed him first all time in school history.

And in that same kickoff return, Bell fumbled the ball and Wyoming recovered the ball in plus territory.

The Nevada Wolf Pack experience under Ken Wilson described perfectly in those last few sentences: One small step forward, three big steps back.

In case you needed more information on how the game went for Nevada, the Wolf Pack lost to Wyoming 42-6. The season finale (or FINALLY THIS DREADFUL SEASON IS OVER) for Nevada ended like it began, with a blowout loss .

Even Brandon Talton breaking Marty Zendajas’ all time Nevada points record provided very little enjoyment. Nevada ended the 2023 season with a 2-10 record and  scored less points on offense and gave up more points on defense than last season. 

Last season the team went 2-10 but it was devoid of players or depth. But despite that record, Nevada was in quite a few games last season and it was games Nevada could have won. This season, HC Ken Wilson brought in more players and upped the talent level only for the team to be worse than last season.

 

Nothing else to say about the sad, sorry state of affairs with Nevada football.  Except this one thing: This should be the last game Nevada plays with Ken Wilson as the head coach.

 

The action started in the first quarter when Wyoming QB Andrew Peasley (12 for 18, 165 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions;  nine rushes, 96 yards, two touchdowns) scored on a 43 yard QB keeper. That score put the Cowboys up 7-0 early in the game against Nevada. On Wyoming’s next offensive possession after a Nevada punt, Peasley connected with WR Will Pelissier for a 34 yard touchdown pass. That score put Wyoming up 14-0 in the first quarter. 

And things got even worse for Nevada as starting QB Brendon Lewis was lost for the game due to an injury. With AJ Bianco already out with an injury, third string QB Shane Illingworth stepped in at QB.

Nevada did get on the board in the second quarter when Talton connected on a 40 yard field goal. That score cut Wyoming’s lead to 14-3 in the second quarter. When Nevada got the ball on their next possession, Illingworth’s pass was intercepted by Wyoming safety Wyatt Eckler who returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. That pick six extended Wyoming’s lead on Nevada to 21-3.

Nevada’s next offensive possession ended with another Talton field goal. This time it was from 47 yards. That score made it 21-6 Wyoming and that was the score going into halftime. 

In the third quarter, after Jamaal Bell fumbled the opening kickoff, Wyoming needed only five plays to capitalize on that error by Nevada. Peasely connected with wide receiver Ayir Asante for a nine yard touchdown pass to put Wyoming up 28-6.

After Nevada turned it over on downs on their first offensive series of the game, Wyoming got the ball back. The Cowboys took six plays on offense to score another touchdown. This time it was RB Harrison Waylee (13 carries, 71 yards, one touchdown) who scored on a two yard touchdown run to extend the Cowboy lead to 35-6 

That score pretty much ended the competitive phase of the game. However, I make the argument that the competitive phase ended when Bell lost the fumble to start the second half.

Again, nothing else left to say except that this should be the last game that Ken Wilson coaches at Nevada. Two seasons as the head coach and Nevada has gone backwards in both offense and defense. 

If Wilson is retained by Nevada (by some act of intervention beyond any human comprehension), then he will need to make some serious overhaul to his coaching staff. 

But this game, which was Nevada’s 20th loss in 24 games under Wilson, is just another example of Wilson not being up to the job.

And a change is needed for Nevada to return to being competitive.

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Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Wyoming: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Wyoming: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction Nevada looks to close out another dismal season on a high note with a win against Wyoming Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Here is How Nevada Can Defeat …

Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Wyoming: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Nevada looks to close out another dismal season on a high note with a win against Wyoming

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Here is How Nevada Can Defeat Wyoming In The Season Finale

WEEK 13: Nevada Wolf Pack (2-9, 2-5 MW) vs Wyoming Cowboys (7-4, 4-3  MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 25th – 6:00pm PT/7:00pm MT

WHERE: Mackay Stadium-Reno, Nevada

TV: CBS Sports-Click here to get a free subscription to FuboTV where they carry CBS Sports.

RADIO: Nevada is on 105.7 KOZZ in Reno and Wyoming is on 1290 KOWB 1290AM in Laramie.

SERIES RECORD: Wyoming leads the all time series 5-4. The last meeting was in 2020 in Reno when Nevada won 37-34.

WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com, the official Nevada athletics website | GoWyo.com, the official Wyoming athletics website.

ODDS: Wyoming (-11)

SP+PROJECTION:  Wyoming by 13.2

FEI PROJECTION: Wyoming by 12.5

The Nevada Wolf Pack will end their 2023 season in Reno as they face the Wyoming Cowboys.

Nevada will look to close out a dismal 2023 season with a win. The Wolf Pack are coming off a 30-20 loss to Colorado State last Saturday. The defeat by the hands of the Rams was another example of Nevada’s inconsistently poor offense failing to score points. And along with that struggling offense, the Wolf Pack defense was unable to contain Colorado State’s talented offense.

Nevada now sits at 2-9 and looking to not end this season with a four game losing streak.

The Wolf Pack are facing a Wyoming team that has already secured its sixth bowl trip in eight seasons under head coach Craig Bohl. The Cowboys are coming off a 42-9 thumping of Hawaii last week in Laramie. 

 

Can Nevada close out the 2023 season with an upset over Wyoming?

 

Here are my three keys on how Nevada can defeat Wyoming

 

Contain Wyoming’s running attack

No big secret that Wyoming wants to run the ball and under HC Craig Bohl, the Cowboys are a run first team.

This season is no different as the Cowboys top running back is junior Harrison Waylee. Waylee is fourth in the Mountain West in rushing yards with 758 rushing yards. The Cowboys quarterback Andrew Peasley is second on the team with 307 rushing yards and has scored five rushing touchdowns.

Nevada’s defense will have to improve on its run defense from last week in order to win on Saturday. Against Colorado State, the Wolf Pack gave up 169 rushing yards at five yards a carry. Going up against a Wyoming team that is a run first, run second and run third team, Nevada’s defense will need to get better at stopping the run.

It is going to be a tall challenge (then again, everything is a tall challenge with Nevada football these days) but if Nevada wins, it is because they limited the Wyoming ground attack.

 

Win the turnover battle

Nevada has won very few games under the leadership of Ken Wilson.

But when Nevada has won, it is because they force turnovers on defense and protect the ball on offense.

Nevada under Wilson is 4-2 when they win the turnover battle and 0-17 when they lose or are tied on turnovers. When Nevada is forcing turnovers that can lead into points on offense. When Nevada defeated New Mexico on October 28th, the Wolf Pack turned three Lobo turnovers into points. 

When Nevada does not win the turnover battle, well, see the losses they have suffered under Ken Wilson. The Wolf Pack are not a team capable of overcoming turning the ball over to the opposition.  So in this contest against Wyoming, the Wolf Pack must do a better job of protecting the ball. 

Nevada wins this Saturday’s contest against Wyoming by winning the turnover battle. 

 

Brendon Lewis continues his solid play from last week

Looks like it will be Brendon Lewis getting the start at QB this week against Wyoming. AJ Bianco suffered a rib injury in last week’s game against Colorado State and Lewis stepped in at QB.

When Lewis took over for Bianco, Lewis ended up playing one of his better games of this season. Lewis completed 18 of 24 passes for 169 yards while rushing for 61 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.

The play of Lewis against  Colorado State was a big reason why Nevada had a chance to win. Right before the inconsistent, poor play kicked in for the Wolf Pack and they proceeded to lose the game. 

The numbers put up by Lewis this season are in a word, not good. Lewis has completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 1,305 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Lewis is more accomplished as a rush as he leads the team in rushing yards (504) and has scored four touchdowns. 

Brendon Lewis is a very inconsistent passer who is better at running than throwing the ball. But if Nevada is to pull off the upset against Wyoming on Saturday night, Lewis will need a good performance like he showed against the Rams a week ago.

 

Prediction

Wyoming 24  Nevada 13

Nevada has a lot of fight in them and won’t give up easily. But this team is limited by inconsistent offensive play,  below average defense and below average coaching. Brendon Lewis will start at quarterback for AJ Bianco and Lewis did play well last week against the Rams.

Lewis does have the legs to move the ball on offense and at times score points  for Nevada

But Lewis will have a tough time against a good Wyoming defense. I see  this game being close but in the end Wyoming is just overall the better team. Wyoming comes away with the victory in Reno.

While Nevada ends the 2023 season with a loss and more questions about the direction of the football program heading into the offseason

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Lose To Colorado State 30-20

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Lose To Colorado State 30-20 The sequel to The Green Defection ended with Nevada on the losing end, again. 30-20 to Colorado State Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Nevada Loses Once Again To Norvell, Rams 30-20 The …

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Lose To Colorado State 30-20

The sequel to The Green Defection ended with Nevada on the losing end, again. 30-20 to Colorado State

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Nevada Loses Once Again To Norvell, Rams 30-20

The effort and the fight back were there but in the end, there was not enough of it to win.

In the end, Nevada did not have enough offensive punch or defensive stops to defeat the Rams. And because of that the Wolf Pack fell to Colorado State 30-20 in the sequel to The Green Defection.

The losses Nevada suffered (and there are a whole lot of losses under Ken Wilson) was typical of the type of losses the Wolf Pack have suffered recently. Inconsistent struggles on offense and defense while the opposition takes advantage of those struggles. And Nevada turning the ball over twice given their limitations did not help them at all against the Rams.

The Wolf Pack offense will give you two or three good offensive drives and then long stretches of poor play. And the poor offensive drives from Nevada mostly results in the defense struggling to stop a team with a good offense. And Colorado State is a team with a good offense and they exploited the many problems in the Nevada defense. 

Nevada has lost 19 of 23 games due to the toxic mixture of inconsistently bad offense and poor defensive play. And this recent loss to Colorado State is another example of this negative phenomenon. 

And it does not help that Nevada’s recent loss was the second straight loss to a Colorado State team coached by former Nevada HC Jay Norvell.

 In the whole “Green Defection” conflict, it is Norvell with two victories over his former employer and Ken Wilson, the coach who has been involved with Nevada for over 20 years who is winless against Norvell.

I have a very strong sense that Coach Wilson will not be around for a third “Green Defection” contest. 

The action started rather badly for Nevada early on in the game. On Nevada’s third play on their first offensive possession of the game, QB AJ Bianco’s pass was intercepted by CSU’s Henry Blackburn.

The Rams offense took only four plays to cash in on the Nevada turnover. Colorado State’s running back Avery Morrow (an ex-Nevada Wolf Pack player) scored on a four yard touchdown run. That score put CSU up 7-0 early in the first quarter. 

Nevada did respond well on their next offensive series. The Wolf Pack went on a 10 play scoring drive that ended when PK Brandon Talton connected on a 37 yard field goal. After that score the Rams lead was cut to 7-3.

Colorado State answered Nevada’s field goal with an 11 play 75 yard scoring drive that ended when QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi(15 for 30, 245 yards, two touchdowns) connected with WR Tory Horton (six receptions,78 yards, one touchdown) on an eight yard touchdown pass. That score by CSU aided by a couple of ex-Wolf Pack players (Fowler-Nicolosi and Horton) put the Rams up 14-3.

The Rams added on two field goals towards the end of the half. CSU PK Jordan Noyes connected on field goals of 30 and 42 yards to extend the Rams lead to 20-3. 

The Wolf Pack offense was stuck in the mud (I can’t use the other word I want to use because this is a family website) and going nowhere. Then a QB change took place due to Bianco taking a hard hit when his pass was picked off and Brendon Lewis(18 for 24 169 yards, 14 carries 61 yards, one touchdown) had to step in at QB.

The results for the Nevada offense were still below average. However, Lewis did drive the Wolf Pack offense to a score when Talton connected on a 31 yard field goal to cut the Rams lead to 20-6.

Then at the end of the half Fowler-Nicolosi’s pass was picked off by DB Richard Toney Jr. Toney Jr. returned it 66 yards for the touchdown to cut the Rams lead to 20-13 after the first half. 

In the second half, the Rams for a moment stopped the Nevada positive energy to end the first half. Colorado State scored on their first possession of the second half on Jordan Noyes 31 yard field goal. Noyes’ third field goal of the game extended the Rams lead to 23-13.

Then the Wolf Pack offense reignited their positive movement with QB Brendon Lewis at the helm. Nevada went on a 12 play, 75 yard scoring drive in the third quarter that ended with Lewis scoring on a nine yard TD run. That score by Lewis cut the Colorado State lead to 23-20 and it looked like Nevada would continue to build from that score and play well. 

After Nevada’s defense forced Colorado State to punt toward the end of the third quarter, the offense got the ball back. The Wolf Pack offense went on a 17 play, 59 yard drive that bled out the remainder of the third and into the fourth quarter.

The Nevada offensive drive ended when Brandon Talton missed a 43 yard field goal that would have tied the game. That missed field goal from Talton basically took all the sails out of Nevada’s chances to tie or take over the lead. 

Surprisingly, the Colorado State offense took advantage of Nevada’s missed field goal. Fowler-Nicolosi connected with WR Louis Brown IV (another ex-Nevada to ex-Nevada connection) on a 38 yard touchdown pass. That score put the Rams up for good 30-20 in the fourth quarter.

The Wolf Pack offense in the last two possessions of the game resulted in punts. The offense once again failed to consistently move the ball and put points on the board. And because of that and the defense failing to make stops at the right time, resulted in another Nevada loss. 

What else can be said about the 2023 Nevada football season. The effort and fight is there, the talent is better than last year. But many aspects of the coaching at Nevada is lacking severely and that is why Nevada has dropped 19 of their last 23 contests. 

If the coaching staff does not change for 2024 then be ready Wolf Pack fans for more losing. And we all know what I mean by coaching staff changes need to be made and it is not solely at offensive coordinator. 

The 2023 season finale for Nevada football is next Saturday in Reno against Wyoming.

 

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Nevada vs. Colorado State: Keys to a Rams Win, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The CSU Rams celebrate Senior Day against the Wolf Pack in Part 2 of the Norvell Bowl. Here’s how the Rams can come out with the win.

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Nevada vs. Colorado State: Keys to a Rams Win, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rams face the Wolf Pack on Senior Day

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

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Can the Rams finish their home stand strong?

WEEK 12: Nevada Wolf Pack (2-8, 2-4 MW) vs Colorado State Rams (4-6, 2-4 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 18th — 1 p.m. MST / 12 p.m. PST

WHERE: Canvas Stadium; Fort Collins, CO (36,500)

WEATHER: Cloudy, 59 degrees at kickoff

TV: MW Network

RADIO: K99-FM 99.1 / ESPN 1600 AM

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 19th all time matchup between these two schools. Colorado State leads the series 13-5. The Rams won 17-14 in Reno last season.

WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com, the official Nevada athletics website | CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Nevada | Colorado State

ODDS: Colorado State -12.5

OVER/UNDER: 46.5

SP+ PROJECTION: Colorado State by 10.5

FEI PROJECTION: Colorado State by 9.3

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Colorado State has a 58.29% win probability (26.89-24.12)

Now to the keys to victory for the Rams.

Keys to a colorado state victory

1. Keep the run game going

Every CSU fan now knows the name Justin Marshall. The freshman RB from Merrillville, Indiana had a breakout game with 18 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. The Rams had 183 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as a team. This is the complement to the air raid passing game head coach Jay Norvell has been looking for all year. If the Rams want to get to a bowl game, they will have to keep this momentum going.

2. No silly mistakes

The Rams are the second-most penalized team in the Mountain West, behind only New Mexico, with 8.2 penalties for 74.1 yards per game. And the majority of those penalties are the bad ones. Too many unsportsmanlike calls setting back the defense. Penalties setting back the offense when getting into red zone territory. This is becoming a worrying trend for the Rams, but something that can be fixed.

3. Stay home on defense

Another run happy team for the defense. Another week of staying home on the edge. Both quarterbacks, AJ Bianco and Brendon Lewis, are dual threats, so the Rams have to keep contain. Nevada’s offense isn’t that good overall, but they have the talent to burn a defense. The Rams will need to stay on assignment to contain this defense.

Prediction

The Rams are still taking this one game at a time. It’s time to celebrate the seniors, but CSU will also take care of business on the field against the Wolf Pack. This is a better CSU squad than last season. And the Rams will show it on the field by not letting this one be close.

Final Score: Colorado State 34, Nevada 17

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Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Colorado State: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Colorado State: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction The Wolf Pack travel to Fort Collins to take on the Colorado State Rams. Here how Nevada can win on Saturday. Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Here …

Nevada Football: How the Wolf Pack Can Defeat Colorado State: How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Wolf Pack travel to Fort Collins to take on the Colorado State Rams. Here how Nevada can win on Saturday.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Here Is How The Wolf Pack Can Secure A Road Win Against Colorado State

WEEK 12: Nevada Wolf Pack (2-8, 2-4 MW) vs Colorado State Aggies (4-6, 2-4  MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 18th – 12:00pm PT/1:00pm MT

WHERE: Canvas Stadium- Fort Collins, Colorado

TV: Mountain West Network-Here is the link to watch the game

RADIO: Nevada is on 105.7 KOZZ in Reno and Colorado State is on KUAD 99.1 FM in Windsor, Colorado.

SERIES RECORD: Colorado State leads the all time series 13-5. The last meeting was in 2022 in Reno when Colorado State won 17-14.

WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com, the official Nevada athletics website | CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website.

NOTES:  Nevada | Colorado State

ODDS: Colorado State by -12

SP+PROJECTION:  Colorado State by 10.5

FEI PROJECTION: Colorado State by 9.3

The Nevada Wolf Pack will square off against the Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins on Saturday.

The Wolf Pack are coming off a 41-24 loss to Utah State last Saturday and are 2-8 and looking to close out the season on a winning note. The Rams are coming off a 22-19 win over the Aztecs and are currently 4-6 and trying to win their last two games to be bowl eligible. 

Can the Wolf Pack get a win over the Rams and put CSU’s bowl chances in jeopardy? And also can Nevada win and exact revenge on former coach Jay Norvell?

Its The Green Defection…The Sequel 

 

Here are my keys on how Nevada can win

 

Protect the ball and not turn the ball over

Last year against Colorado State, the Wolf Pack turned the ball over twice against the Rams. Former Nevada QB Nate Cox threw an interception and CSU’s Ayden Hector returned it for a touchdown. Nevada’s second turnover was when RB Devonte Lee fumbled and CSU’s Mukendi Wa-Kalonji returned the fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. 

Those turnovers were the difference in the Rams defeating the Wolf Pack last year in Reno. Last week against Utah State, Nevada turned the ball over twice and one of those turnovers resulted in six points for the Aggies.

Said it last week in my Utah State preview, the Wolf Pack win( a rare thing nowadays) when they protect the ball and force turnovers. One of the reasons why Nevada has lost a lot, is because they turn the ball over.

Nevada wins on Saturday by protecting the ball on offense and not giving it away. Nevada lacks the talent and the coaching acumen but if they protect the ball, they have a chance.

 

On offense, get the ball to the playmakers

I have been saying this for two full seasons: The Nevada offense is horrible and it is a struggle for them to score points. 

In terms of scoring offense, the Wolf Pack offense is averaging 18.2 points per game this season. Last year, the Wolf Pack offense averaged 18.8 points per game/

Somehow, the Nevada offense has gotten worse this year than last year. And keep in mind, Nevada did add more talent to the offensive side of the ball. Still the offensive numbers are worse this year. 

Nevada cannot consistently move the ball on offense and score points. The key for Nevada to get the offense moving is get the ball to their playmakers. 

Sean Dollars is a running back who has the speed to break for a long run. Dollars has scored six rushing touchdowns this season to go along with his 437 rushing yards and his 16 receptions. Jamaal Bell can be a threat as a receiver (30 receptions, 255 yards, one touchdown) and as a running back ( 28 carries, 133 yards, one touchdown)

Another playmaker for the Wolf Pack offense is WR Dalevon Campbell. Campbell leads the team in receptions (24), receiving yards (490) and receiving touchdowns (two). Campbell’s ability as a deep threat receiver is a tool that Nevada has to utilize to move the ball on offense. 

In short for Nevada to win on Saturday they need to get the ball to their playmakers. It does not matter if it is AJ Bianco or Brendon Lewis at QB, the ball needs to get into the hands of the playmakers.

 

Slow down the Rams passing attack

The Rams boast a passing attack that has five players that have at least 20 or more receptions. The Rams passing attack is the best in the Mountain West as they are averaging 311.6 passing yards per game. 

The leader of the Colorado State offense is QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Fowler-Nicolosi is completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,898 yards and 18 touchdowns. 

His top receivers is Tory Horton (81 receptions, 872 yards, six touchdowns), Justus Ross-Simmons (39 receptions, 631 yards, three touchdowns), Louis Brown IV ( 41 receptions, 398 yards, three touchdowns) and Dylan Goffney (21 receptions, 289 yards, two touchdowns)

The Rams passing attack also features a very talented tight end in Dallin Holker. Holker leads all of the Mountain West tight ends in receptions, (57), yards (710) and touchdowns (six).

Colorado State’s passing offense presents another challenge for a Nevada defense that struggles to defend the pass. Nevada is giving up 8.8 passing yards per attempt and giving up an average of 263.7 passing yards per attempt. 

Nevada will need to play better on pass defense if they want to defeat the Rams on the road on Saturday. 

 

Prediction

Colorado State 31  Nevada 20

That two game winning streak Nevada had feels like forever ago.

Since then, the Wolf Pack have struggled defensively against good to great offenses this season. And when it comes to offense, Nevada has failed to consistently move the ball and score points. 

The last two games against Hawaii and Utah State have shown once again two of the many problems Nevada has had under Ken Wilson.

I do not see Nevada correcting those issues against a Colorado State team that has a good offense and enough of a defense to give the Wolf Pack problems.

Week 11 Mountain West Football Recap; Coaching Updates

Week 11 Mountain West Football Recap; Coaching Updates A lot of changes happened and could be more. Contact/Follow @MWCwire Coaching news highlights the week. Jeremy and Josh are back to do not just a quick recap of Week 11 of Mountain West play but …

Week 11 Mountain West Football Recap; Coaching Updates

A lot of changes happened and could be more.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

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Coaching news highlights the week.

Jeremy and Josh are back to do not just a quick recap of Week 11 of Mountain West play but also the news of two openings within the Mountain West with San Diego State and Boise State now being open.

You can find the Mountain West Wire podcast below or subscribe to the show via TuneIn, Spotify, iTunes, and more. Listen in, subscribe and rate it and let us know what you think!

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Nevada Football; Wolf Pack Fall To Utah State 41-24

Nevada Football; Wolf Pack Fall To Utah State 41-24 There were some good moments, but not enough as Nevada loses on the road to the Aggies. Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Wolf Pack Drop To 2-8 After 41-24 Loss To Utah State The Nevada Wolf …

Nevada Football; Wolf Pack Fall To Utah State 41-24

There were some good moments, but not enough as Nevada loses on the road to the Aggies.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Wolf Pack Drop To 2-8 After 41-24 Loss To Utah State

The Nevada Wolf Pack lost their eighth game of the season to Utah State 41-24. 

Yes, there were some positive things Nevada did against the Aggies.

But at the end of the day, none of that matters because the Wolf Pack did not win.

Also, the Nevada defense was bad and could not stop the Aggie offense. The Nevada offense while doing some good things, there was not enough of it as the offense was mostly inconsistent.

Welcome back once again to the broken record recap where I say that Nevada is a train wreck under Ken Wilson and offensive coordinator Derek Sage. 

Both AJ Bianco and Brendon Lewis took snaps under center for Nevada against Utah State. And still, despite scoring 24 points(mostly when the game was already over) the Nevada offense still struggled to consistently move the ball on offense and committed errors. 

Here is a fun stat that will make Nevada fans laugh to keep them from crying: Nevada had more punts (nine) than trips to the red zone(three). That Nevada offense is a masterclass in putrid production.

The Nevada defense (remember Ken Wilson is supposedly a defensive guy) could not stop Cooper Legas, Rahsul Faison, and the rest of the Utah State offense.

In short, it was another porous, inconsistent, and dreadful game for Nevada football. Much like Nevada football has been for the last two years.

 

The Aggies put the first points on the board in the first quarter QB Cooper Legas connected with TE Broc Lane on a four yard touchdown pass. That score capped off a 11 play, 75 yard drive that put Utah State up 7-0. 

Nevada did tie the game late in the first quarter when QB AJ Bianco(13 of 25, 161, one touchdown, 13 carries 74 yards) connected with TE Cam Ziegler on a 21 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7. That touchdown reception by Ziegler was the first touchdown caught by a Nevada tight end in two years.

In the second quarter, Elliot Nimrod connected on a 21 yard field goal to put the Aggies ahead 10-7. Nevada then took over after the Aggies scored and five plays into the Wolf Pack drive, Bianco’s pass was intercepted by Seni Tuiaki. Tuiaki returned the interception 63 yards for the touchdown to put Utah State up 17-7.

On Utah State’s next offensive possession, Legas had his pass intercepted by Bishop Turner. Turner’s interception set the Wolf Pack offense up in good field position. Out of that good field position, Nevada came away with only a field goal. Brandon Talton’s 38 yard field goal was good and cut the Aggies lead to 17-10.

On the Aggies next possession on offense, Legas connected with Micha Davis on a 47 yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 24-10.

The 24-10 Aggie lead carried over into the second half and in the second half, Utah State extended that lead. Nimrod’s second field goal from 37 yards pushed the lead to 27-10 Aggies.

On Nevada’s second offensive possession of the game, Bianco fumbled the handoff to the running back and Utah State’s Michael Anyanwu recovered the ball.  That Nevada turnover was especially damaging because the Wolf Pack had the ball inside Aggie territory and failed to do anything positive with it. 

After both Utah State and Nevada both exchanged punts, the Aggies got the ball back on offense. Rahsul Faison was the star on that Aggie offensive possession and he ran the ball well and deep into Nevada territory. Faison scored on a two yard touchdown run to extend their lead to 34-10.

Faison’s score basically ended the competitive portion of the contest for Nevada. The Wolf Pack offense, no matter if it was Bianco or Lewis, struggled to get the offense going. Nevada’s offense was abysmal and could not generate much until late in the game. 

The Wolf Pack did score twice late in the game when Sean Dollars (18 carries, 82 yards, one touchdown) scored on a five yard touchdown run. The second late score came when Bianco connected with Dalevon Campbell on a three yard touchdown pass.

But those scores came after the game was already over. Between Bianco’s TD pass in the first quarter and the two late scores, the Nevada offense was mostly putrid and failed to consistently move the ball. 

Meanwhile the Aggie offense carved up the Wolf Pack defense to the tune of 474 yards of total offense. Nevada did not have much of an answer to stop Cooper Legas (18 for 33, 182 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) and Rahsul Faison (22 carries,181 yards, one TD).

Nevada football under Ken Wilson: Inconsistent and poor offense and porous, mistake-riddled defense. 

With two games left in the season, I don’t see the situation improving for Nevada. And with the situation looking beyond dire, it is time for athletic director Stephanie Rempe to do what is necessary to get Nevada football back right.

Nevada’s next game is next Saturday against Colorado State.

 

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Week 10 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

Week 10 Mountain West Football Power Rankings A new No. 1 team! Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire A few changes this week With Air Force’s loss to Army this past week they are no longer the top team in the Mountain West rankings. However, they …

Week 10 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

A new No. 1 team!

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

A few changes this week

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With Air Force’s loss to Army this past week they are no longer the top team in the Mountain West rankings. However, they are still leading the standings with zero conference losses and on track to make it to the title game.

The race between two through four will be up for grabs and there could be a change depending on the Friday night game between UNLV who is hosting Wyoming. This is really an elimination game for both teams due to the tiebreakers of the Rebels losing to Fresno State.

The bottom is taking a turn as well with San Diego State and New Mexico losing games.

Week 10 is in the books and the changes heading into Week 11 of games.

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