Nevada Wolf Pack College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Nevada Wolf Pack Biggest Key: Offense
It would be nice if the running game could do a bit more. It’s impossible to not want an NFL-caliber passer like Carson Strong winning it around all game long, but the Wolf Pack have running backs, too.
Strong doesn’t add anything to the ground game, but with all five starters expected back up front, and with Toa Taua and Devonte Lee in the backfield, it’s okay to keep feeding the big backs the ball.
However, the Pack lost to Hawaii when it ran for 208 yards – it only ran for over 200 yards in the bowl win over Tulane. The program is 6-1 over the last two years when it hits the 140 yard mark.
Nevada Wolf Pack Biggest Key: Defense
The pass defense has to be tighter and make more big plays. Nevada is built to bomb away with everyone, but its two defeats came on two of the roughest days of the year by the secondary.
The Pack came up with three interceptions in the bowl win over Tulane, and three over the other eight games of the regular season.
More than that, the pass D got hit for too many big plays in the loss to San Jose State – it was the only time all year that the it allowed over ten yards per pass – and Hawaii had the second best yard-per-pass day on Nevada as Chevan Cordeiro hit 81% of his throws for 246 yards and a score in the win.
Nevada Wolf Pack Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Jacob Gardner, Soph.
Too much is put on the left tackle to keep the quarterback in one piece. It takes all five starters in the modern football world to keep defenses out of the backfield, but it’s still the guy on the left side who has the spotlight on.
The 6-4, 300-pound Gardner got thrown to the wolves right away last year and showed off his upside as a potential star. The talent is there to be special.
Nevada Wolf Pack Key Game To The 2021 Season
at San Diego State, Nov. 13
Yeah, the Mountain West opener at Boise State is going to be a tone-setter as a possible preview of the conference title game, and yeah, beating San Jose State this time around might matter as much for the West Division title as it did last year.
However, as good as SJSU might be, and as big as several of the other games are going to be, the trip to San Diego State in mid-November should be the Wolf Pack’s most important date. Nevada beat the Aztecs last year 26-21, making it three in a row after losing three in a row in the series.
– Nevada Wolf Pack Schedule Analysis
2020 Nevada Wolf Pack Fun Stats
– Penalties: Nevada 72 for 625 yards – Opponents 49 for 400 yards
– Fumbles: Nevada 11 (lost 5) – Opponents 6 (lost 3)
– Passing Yards Per Game: Nevada 319 – Opponents 240