Pistol Whipping the WAC

Listen Up!

2011-09-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here at PWtW, we've prided ourselves on offering some of the best in snarky observations, semi-regular updates and occasionally stirring content related to Nevada Wolf Pack football the last few years. Though I haven't been able to devote the time I would like to running This Space, I've nonetheless immensely enjoyed blogging about the football program since I became a contributor here in late 2009.

I come before you today with an important announcement -- no, not like my Mountain West announcement. I'd like to be serious for a moment, if you can believe it.

I was recently contacted by the good folks at Silver and Blue Sports about joining their publishing staff to create content for the site. I am excited to report that I've accepted their offer -- so long, Blogger.com and hello independent message board!

Silver and Blue Sports is the largest gathering place for Wolf Pack fans in cyberspace and was founded by Mark Glodowski and Brad Platt, two University of Nevada alumni whom I have tremendous respect for, both personally and professionally. You'll be hearing from me throughout the coming football season, as well as for basketball and possibly other sports. I'll be part of a one-of-a-kind staff which will include podcast specialist and video editor Neil Henderson, "Cannon Fodder" writer Scott Daniel making his triumphant return, the combined photographic talents of Mark Rauh and Brandon Russell, and two new additions in longtime area freelance writer Joe Santoro and current Reynolds School of Journalism student Lukas Eggen. It will be a diverse and exciting creative team, and I'm tremendously honored to have been asked to join.

Ever since Silver and Blue Sports was first founded, I've been in awe of the strides Mark and Brad have made in using the site to galvanize Nevada's fan base and help it grow. The content created for the site has been and will continue to be unlike anything else available to Wolf Pack fans, and I strongly urge you to consider becoming a premium member to take advantage of it all, if you haven't already. It truly is more than "just a message board," and I'm looking forward to being a part of its efforts for Nevada's official WAC Farewell Tour this year.

For my last words on this site, I'd like to thank Packfan7 for giving me the opportunity to break into the blogging world. I'll miss working with him, but I have a feeling he'll still be around somewhere...

A Look Around Week 1

2011-08-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

I used to put up a thread like this every week during the season on Silver and Blue Sports, but decided to bring it over here this year. In the past, I've tried to avoid making outright predictions for games in order to save myself the embarrassment of having to potentially look back on something stupid I said (you'll know what I'm talking about if you saw some of the predictions from Boise State fans before last year's game). I've decided to give it a shot this year, albeit just a proverbial dipping of the toe into the water -- I won't be entering any pick 'em contests and I take it as a challenge to myself the same way a good game of golf is designed to test you. Besides, it's kinda nice to sit back and take in a weekend of college football when you know you don't have a vested interest in what's happening yet...provided you don't think about why the Pack isn't playing this week.

The rankings for Top 25 teams will be the AP Poll followed by the USA Today poll, and I'll be using VegasInsider.com for the betting lines you'll see at the end of every match-up.

Thursday, September 1st

UNLV @ #11/#10 Wisconsin
7:00 PM CT, ESPN
UW -35.5 (opened at -30)

The upside? ESPN hates UNLV enough to make this game their first 3D telecast of the season. The downside? Chris Fowler and numerous other ESPN personalities will still refer to the state we share as "NeVAHda."

Cheeseheads 42, Poopyheads 14

Bowling Green @ Idaho
6:00 PM PT, Altitude
UI -7 (opened at -8.5)

Behold, the Humanitarian Bowl rematch no one was clamoring to see!

Fightin' Akeys 28, Fightin' Clawsons 14

Saturday, September 3rd

Utah State @ #23/#19 Auburn
11:00 AM CT, ESPN2
AU -21 (opened at -32)

There's been a lot of movement on this spread, and it's probably justified. SEC team or not, Auburn is a very different group than the one we saw last year. We have reason to suspect Utah State might just make this game interesting...but not interesting enough to pull out a win.

War Eagles 41, Steer Milkers 21

San Jose State @ #7/#6 Stanford
2:00 PM PT, Comcast Sports Net Bay Area
SU -30 (opened at -28)

Another case of an improved WAC team against a Top 25 team with questions to answer. The Spartans could steal a win or two against favored teams...but it ain't happening here.

Bill Walsh Red Team 42, Bill Walsh Blue Team 10

Colorado State @ New Mexico
4:00 PM MT, The Mtn.
CSU -6 (opened at -3.5)

The inaugural recipient of our Pillow Fight of the Week distinction.

Steve "Morgan" Fairchild 31, Mike "Bagels and" Locksley 21

Texas State @ Texas Tech
6:00 PM CT
TTU -38.5 (same as opening)

There used to be a series of Youtube videos from a poster known as Psycho Ag that made fun of former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione. Although the one I have in mind doesn't seem to be up anymore, with Coach Fran returning to old rival Texas Tech this week as the Bobcats coach, it's as good a time as any to whip out the one I actually did manage to find.

Tubs 56, Fran 7

California vs. Fresno State (Candlestick Park in San Francisco)
4:00 PM PT, Comcast Sports Net California
UCB -9.5 (opened at -4.5)

Call me uninformed, but I really don't get all the money going Cal's way. Sure, the Bulldogs are breaking in a new quarterback, but they always seem to get fired up for these sorts of games.

Red Wave 30, Hippie Wave 27

Ohio @ New Mexico State
6:00 PM MT
OU -7 (opened at -13)

Ohio is picked by some to win the MAC. I wouldn't know this, and will gladly defer to these anonymous (and possibly made up) individuals.

O-H-I-O 28, You-are-no-good 20

#5/#7 Boise State vs. #19/#22 Georgia (Georgia Dome in Atlanta)
8:00 PM ET, ESPN
BSU -3.5 (opened at UGA -3)

Boise State feels pressure to silence the SEC hype machine, and Georgia feels pressure from said hype machine to keep it chugging along without incident. I'm not sure Georgia deserves to be ranked this high, but if there were ever a situation to level the playing field for them against Boise, it would be a "neutral" field down the road from Athens coupled with Mark Richt's desperation. Even so, it's still really hard for me to pick against the Broncos in these types of games.

Cliched Potato Jokes 28, Cliched Redneck Jokes 27

#4/#4 LSU vs. #3/#3 Oregon (Cowboys Stadium in Arlington)
7:00 PM CT, ABC
UO -3 (opened at LSU -3)

From the creator of "Game of Thrones" comes "Game of Distractions"! Whoever performs the best damage control for their embarrassing off-field side stories will prevail.

Nike Modelers 30, Bayou Brawlers 24

Louisiana Tech @ Southern Miss
9:00 PM CT, Fox Sports Net
USM -13 (opened at -11)

"Yeah, we want you to move the kick-off to nine...No, at night...Of course it's a good idea...What do I care if your kids can't go? Look, you wanna be on TV or not? Yeah, I thought so. *Click* I love being an executive."

Free Birds 35, Muddogs 24

Colorado @ Hawai'i
4:15 PM HT, ESPN2
UH -7 (opened at -11)

Larry Scott: "Congratulations, Buffaloes! You get to start your first year in the Pac-12 in Hawai'i with a new head coach, new coaching staff and no bye weeks! What's that? You're not happy? You're actually mad as hell? Here, have some more TV money. Yeah, that makes everything better, doesn't it? I use $100 bills as toilet paper now."

McMackin 31, What's-his-face 17

Friday Morning Links

2011-08-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

No rants or raves here -- just a collection of morning links.

~ Freshman QB Marcus Mariota is contending for the Ducks' backup duties as Oregon's fall camp concluded. Cliff "Batman" Harris' status for the Nevada game remains unknown.

~ Those weird sideline signal pictures used by the Ducks also got the ESPN treatment, which begs the question of what the sign for "Pretend you don't know Willie Lyles" would look like.

~ JuCo transfer Matt Faulkner will start for San Jose State. I have nothing humorous to add to this.

~ Texas Tech kicker Donnie Carona is struggling to find some consistency. Nothing here, either.

~ The newest members of Boise State's defensive backfield talk about what they can expect this year, but since the words "Rishard Matthews" and "pain" never came up together, I call BS.

~ The Las Vegas Sun's Ryan Greene offers up five signs the Rebels are headed in the right direction. No word on whether he was able to compile his list with a straight face.

~ A New Mexico student compares Lobo football to "Jersey Shore." Somewhere in this story there's a Snooki joke I'm just not seeing right now.

~ Fresno State's ticket office reports selling more than 12,000 tickets for the Bulldogs' season opener against Cal at Candlestick Park, guaranteeing the stadium will host at least one highly attended game this year.

~ DeWayne Walker sat down for a Q&A session with the Las Cruces Sun-News and showed enormous restraint in not begging the columnist to get him out of NMSU.

~ The UH athletics site offers up a preview of the Warrior secondary, as the Honolulu Star Advertiser recently switched to a subscriber-only format for their stories. Fail.

~ Sonny Dykes named Nick Isham the Bulldogs' starting QB. You know it's a ringing endorsement when an article's first sentence says he "didn't blow the...coaching staff away."

~ A writer for the Logan Herald Journal thinks Utah State has the tools to be successful in 2011. I'll let sleeping dogs lie rather than reach for a joke with the word "tool" here.

~ In response to an Idaho player who wishes to lead the WAC in sacks, Brett Roy was reported to have laughed and said "That's cute."

A Day in the Shade

2011-08-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

From David Parker of the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Before arriving at today's scrimmage, I was told to sit in the west side stands. Given how much shade the other fans and I were able to enjoy, we certainly didn't have to be told twice. We often wonder why the fans on the west side of the stadium don't make more noise during games -- maybe that nice shade just renders them all docile? Like giving a belly rub to a dog on its back, I tell ya.

Unfortunately I don't yet excel at multitasking during my coverage of scrimmages. I do my best to observe the other happenings on the field, but only if I'm not already furiously scribbling notes or looking up a player's name on my copy of the roster. For this entry, I'm going to try describing each drive individually as opposed to trying to draw an actual theme from the day's action.

~ Like most scrimmages, the kickers were the last players to warm up before the action began. Anthony Martinez missed a couple of short ones to his left and right. Colin Ditsworth, who is listed as a punter on the official roster, took some snaps as well.

1st Drive ~ Lantrip started off at QB. James-Michael Johnson stuffed Mike Ball for a loss on the first play. Ball gained it back on the next play. Corbin Louks dropped an easy pass over the middle, but this might have been due to Duke Williams screaming around the left on a blitz and almost getting a sack.

2nd Drive ~ Louks took a hand-off on a fly sweep to the right and was stopped for no gain. Lantrip then tried an option pitch to his left to Louks, which was also stopped for no gain. I really liked the efforts the offense went to in order to get the ball in Louks' hands, which you'll see the dividends for later. The drive ended when Lantrip threw deep into double coverage and Charles Garrett should've picked it off.

3rd Drive ~ Nick Hale ran for no gain. Shane Anderson caught a quick pass to the sideline for a short gain. Rishard Matthews stretched out for a BIG catch right before getting drilled by the defender, which prompted a penalty flag. Hale ran for a couple up the middle, but a small fight erupted after the play and the offense had to back up again. Matthews went to the corner of the end zone for a fade, but was covered tight and got a questionable PI call. Hale then took three straight hand-offs before eventually finding the end zone.

4th Drive ~ Cody Fajardo took over for the next two drives. After a short gain up the middle for Ball, Fajardo evaded a couple of tackles and rain down the left sideline for a big gain. He then threw a long completion to Aaron Bradley on the right sideline, who stepped out before he could bolt for the end zone. Garrett wrapped up Stefphon Jefferson in the backfield for a loss, who took his next carry for a short gain to his right. The drive stalled when Fajardo threw a play action pass through Kolby Arendse's hands, and Martinez made the short field goal afterwards.

5th Drive ~ The next drive should've ended right away when Fajardo threw a pass right into the hands of Jordan Dobrich, a freshman linebacker, who dropped it. After a no-gain from Jefferson, Fajardo executed a great zone read for another big gain. Jefferson fumbled his next carry, but it was picked up by Bradley for some extra yards. A penalty pushed the offense back a few yards, then Anderson caught another pass for a short gain. Bradley then took an option pitch inside the 10 (I liked seeing the receivers getting involved on these plays). The offense was stopped on three straight goal line carries before Lampford Mark eventually ran it in.

6th Drive ~ Lantrip came back in for this one-play beauty: a pass to Anderson who did a little shake and bake to evade two defenders and took it to the house for a touchdown.

7th Drive ~ Louks was tackled hard after a 5-yard gain. After a short gain from Mark, Isaiah Frey stepped in front of a pass for the first actual interception of the day.

8th Drive ~ Lantrip took a zone read for a short gain before getting rushed by two defenders and being forced to throw it away. Anderson hauled in a long catch over the middle right before getting drilled by a defender. After Ball was stopped for no gain, Anderson caught a pass and had it jarred loose by Williams, who took it back for what could be assumed would've been a touchdown.

9th Drive ~ Lantrip threw a couple of nice completions to a new receiver, sophomore Joseph Huber from Las Vegas. After two short gains from Ball, he took his third carry virtually untouched for a touchdown run.

10th Drive ~ Devin Combs came in for the first time, and he's every bit as big as Coach Ault described at his last presser. Kendall Brock then got a couple of carries, with which he lost yards and subsequently made them up. After an incomplete pass to L.J. Washington on the sideline, Brock broke a tackle and took it to his right for a big gain. Anthony Knight then came in for a couple of short gains, the second of which could've been a loss had Knight not nimbly regained his footing after being tripped up. Bubba Boudreaux came up to upend Combs short of the first down and end this drive.

11th Drive ~ Tanner Roderick saw his first action on this drive, but not before Knight got three straight carries, the second of which went for a first down. The offense was whistled for a false start, then Roderick completed a pass to tight end Erik Stewart. Aaron Brown should've picked off the next pass and the drive ended.

12th Drive ~ Lantrip came back in, and Frey nearly came up with his second pick (the secondary's recurring theme today was "close, but no cigar"). Louks caught a pass for about fifteen yards before Lantrip threw ahead of him on the next play for an incomplete. Matthews hauled in a long reception on the right sideline which was book-ended by short gains from Hale. After Ball was tackled for a loss, Lantrip threw a quick touchdown pass to Zach Sudfeld...which was called back by a penalty. Bradley couldn't bring in a pass that was too high on the next play, and Martinez made a short field goal.

13th Drive ~ Fajardo handed it off to Mark next, who carried it a long way for a first down. After another incomplete pass to Arendse, Bradley caught a pass, then spun off a defender for another big gain. Fajardo kept a zone read for no gain, then Ball picked up a couple of yards, then Fajardo took off up the middle after a few seconds of looking for his receivers and was tackled at the six. Jefferson took it inside the one, then Fajardo kept it himself for the score.

14th Drive ~ For his last drive, Fajardo lofted a long pass down the right to Matthews, who was briefly de-pantsed (his defender came back down from leaping for the pass and tried to tackle him as he hit the turf, but his hand found the top of Matthews' pants instead). Matthews caught it in spite of all of this and ran for the score, and I must now wash my eyes after seeing much more of him than I ever wanted to. The consolation in all of this is that his hands never left their grasp of the football. What a trooper.

15th Drive ~ Combs led the day's last drive, which started with a trip-up/sack in the backfield. Washington caught a pass over the middle before Knight ran for the first down. Thaddeus Brown tackled Combs hard after another good gain on the ground. Knight busted out another solid first down run before Roderick came in and threw an incomplete to Dominic Coulter in tight coverage. Roderick ran for a first down on a zone read before throwing to Knight over the middle for a short gain. Roderick evaded three tackles en route to another first before Knight ran it in for the last touchdown of the day.

Happy Invitation Day!

2011-08-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Exactly one year ago today, Nevada accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference. Although it wasn't under the circumstances most of us would've preferred -- particularly with the debt we owe to BYU's departure and the cloud of chaos that surrounded it -- and the country once again finds itself on the brink of more seismic realignments as of this week, we're still pretty darn lucky to be where we are all the same. If nothing else, we can thank the college sports gods we'll never have to fly to Ruston, Louisiana again.

Be sure to read these next paragraphs out loud to your friends in your best Moses voice:

Let me declare that every August 18th should henceforth be known as Invitation Day, and ask that many libations be consumed on those occasions. And when the official move happens on July 1st of next year, we will celebrate Mountain West Day, where many more libations shall be consumed, songs of triumph will be sung and cruel jokes will be cracked at the WAC's expense. If Repeal Day can have its own holiday movement, there is no excuse. So says Pack Backer, the wise and devastatingly handsome blogger.

Now we shall sit back and watch these year-in-review Youtube clips, which are not at all an attempt to relieve Pack Backer of his usual blogging responsibilities.

The day when the invitation came down, and the ensuing reaction from Nevada fans.

Our advice to the remaining WAC members at the time.

The general preseason prognosis on the football team's potential.

The team's Top 25 appearance after the Cal, BYU and UNLV wins.

Immediately following the Hawai'i loss.

After the basketball team's 1-7 start.

A settlement is reached for the WAC's exit fee.

The feeling among fans after the first half of the Boise State game.

The speech that was probably given to the Wolf Pack players at halftime.

Coach Ault watching from the sidelines as his players began their comeback.

My reaction to Titus Young's 4th quarter catch.

The missed field goals, overtime and celebration immediately following the game.

The magnificent times we all had at the bowl game.

Utah State's rumored "done deal" invitation to the Mountain West.

A summary of the entire basketball season.

The baseball team continues to struggle.

The public's reaction immediately following the introduction of the new Mountain West logo.

The entire realignment situation across the country summed up in one sentence.

Ault Addresses the Local Media and I Openly Weep

2011-08-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

There were moments when I thought this day would never come. You've all seen the lengths to which I've gone to keep us occupied these last few months: a drinking game, the entire Summer Filler and Better Know the Units series, fake news stories, a farewell to Boise State, a history lesson and even an attempt to make "gimmick" a dirty word. Now, after all of that foolishness, the time has come to invoke the holiest of names to signify the end of summer and the beginning of fall practices: in the name of Saint Motley, the Holy Kaepernick and the sacred day of Saturday...college football season is BACK!!!

I don't care if it's pretty much the same as spring practice -- it's something substantive to report on. Let's have a look at the Cliff Notes version of Coach Ault's recent address to the local media from the other day.

~ As you've likely heard from elsewhere by now (breaking news still isn't our strong suit here), the program was able to procure external funding to hire for two new-to-them positions: Jon Haskins for Director of Player Personnel and Dave Brown for Director of Football Operations. No word yet on whether the football staff will be asked to continue working by candlelight to save on electricity.

~ In all seriousness, both of these hires are fantastic -- if LONG overdue -- developments. They will both take a significant work load off of Coach Ault and the other members of his staff, particularly with the coordination of recruiting efforts that Coach Mastro was formerly tasked with, which will now fall to Haskins. Ault is always palpably excited at these events, but it was particularly evident just how grateful he was to have filled these two positions.

~ He went into some detail about Haskins' playing and coaching background and the role he played in building a recruiting network for Jim Harbaugh's staff at Stanford (interesting that they went to Stanford again after Coach Buh's first year here). On what the DPP position will mean: "Our recruiting will take a different complexion now. We will be much broader, much much more efficient, and now all of my coaches can get on the road and recruit."

~ For further evidence of the impact Haskins has already had in the five weeks he's been here, Ault mentioned that their recent senior day event -- a camp traditionally held for high school seniors and their parents to take a trip up to Reno and be evaluated by Nevada coaches -- had 111 players in attendance. Their previous high was 61 players. The two hires were called "one of the biggest moves we've made in football."

~ Also as you may have heard elsewhere, Brandon Wimberly is re-enrolled in summer school and on track to graduate in December. He will be on the sidelines assisting with coaching duties in various ways, but also giving the other players a reality check simply by being there. In Ault's words "I expect him to be as inspirational about this football program as I am."

~ DeAndre Boughton will miss the season with a broken leg, and Lampford Mark is still recovering from mononucleosis and will not be pushed too hard in practices just yet.

~ At one point, Ault went on another small tangent in which he could barely contain himself from gushing even more over the two new hires, particularly Haskins, adding (paraphrasing him slightly) "We used to turn over rocks, but now we're turning over boulders." He used the word "rejuvenated" to describe what the hires have done to him personally, and if this presser was any indication I would agree.

~ Continuing on one of his themes from the WAC media day, competition at running back will be intense. For this unit, at least, they had a great summer of conditioning and weight lifting. There will be more two back action similar in certain ways to what we saw last year.

~ Another theme reappearing was the depth and speed in the defensive backfield, with Ault now saying that this is the deepest the secondary has been in five years.

~ He feels very confident in the first-string offensive line, but says it's time for the younger players to start stepping up. The line as a whole is every bit as athletic as last year's line and possibly a little bit quicker than they were.

~ Zach Sudfeld was referred to as "the Luke Lippincott of this football team," citing his upper class status and the amount of work he's put into finally making an impact on the field. Interestingly, Kolby Arendse was called the best all-around tight end of the group. They lack a player with Virgil Green's speed, but are just as strong on the block as they were last year.

~ He reemphasized Tyler Lantrip's strong performances in spring practices and said he has "paid his dues" and earned his role as the starter. Devin Combs could apparently be easily mistaken for a linebacker, but is very raw and would be redshirted if possible so he could have three years of eligibility starting in 2012. He left open the possibility of pursuing another freshman quarterback in the near future, citing the quality of the quarterback camp they recently had on campus. He doesn't have plans to move any current quarterbacks, but said this recruiting class is similar to the one that produced Kaep in that the players are so talented you could find a spot for them somewhere on the team even if it isn't at quarterback.

~ The replacement to fill Wimberly's starting spot is still unknown, but Shane Anderson is penciled in at the position right now. He mentioned two players he'd like to bring in at camp -- both remaining unknown at this time -- who could possibly contribute to the two-deep there.

~ Regarding Zack Madonick's recovery, he says he looks and feels fine, but they're not counting on him at this time and would prefer to see him in contact drills first. Between Roy, Faataualofa and the younger players behind them, there is a good upgrade in inside strength from last year to this year.

~ Defensive end is a lot like the tight end spot in that it's a conglomeration of different kinds of athletes that they're nonetheless optimistic about. Albert Rosette was mentioned first, then Kaelin Burnett, but not in a way that convinced me either of them are starting just yet.

~ JMJ and Brandon Marshall are exceptional starters at linebacker, but the depth behind them is unproven at this time. Burton DeKoning was brought up as being a really intriguing new player, but one who has to actually get out there first before any anointing happens. Along with the younger offensive linemen, this was highlighted as an area needing an infusion of depth and playing experience as soon as possible.

~ Anthony Martinez is kicking, but others have been brought in to compete with him, while Chase Tenpenny is more or less the best of the punters right now and just completed his share of summer school to become eligible.

For the sake of having a preview picture for those of you who came here from Facebook, here's a party hat to reflect my mood.

The Most Unwatchable WAC Teams of the Last Decade

2011-08-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Today I'm drawing my inspiration from a well-written and very funny article from Spencer Hall of SB Nation. And by "inspiration," I mean "That oughta bide me some time for a few days."

In the article, Hall looks back on some of the worst college football teams of the last few years -- not just teams who ended up being terrible in the record books, but were so utterly wretched as to be deemed nearly unwatchable. While I think he compiled a solid list, I take issue with one very glaring omission: there are no WAC teams on it. And as I said all the way back in my Summer Filler entry for San Jose State, "when WAC football is bad, it's really bad. Horrifically, stupendously, hilariously bad." Not putting even one WAC team on a list of the most unwatchable football teams is like calling "Braveheart" historically accurate.

To rectify this injustice, I'm taking a look back at the worst WAC teams of Nevada's time in the conference from 2000 to the present. You want unwatchable, Hall? I got yer unwatchable right here!

#5 Nevada 2000 (2-10)

Sorry guys, but I'd like to at least maintain the illusion of having an impartial list here. New coaches and new conferences don't traditionally mix well, and Chris Tormey's first year in Reno was no exception. Blowout losses were everywhere that year, including a few to some equally terrible opponents. No matter how much his teams improved from year to year, he never beat UNLV, and for this he shares equal blame with those idiot Rebel fans for the heinous travesty pictured above.

#4 Idaho 2008 (2-10)

Sure, the 2007 edition of the Vandals finished 1-11, but that team was actually fairly competitive in many games that year, and you have to respect a team that at least fights back in spite of their own suckitude. But in addition to the greater number of lopsided defeats this season produced, I have a two-word explanation for why this team is more worthy of the "unwatchable" designation: butt logos. No, your eyes are not deceiving you -- that is, in fact, an Idaho logo placed directly on that poor defender's Idahole. Even worse, they lost that particular game 70-0, and even had a bizarre cheerleading outfit "controversy" a few weeks later. On and off the field, this season resembled a dumpster fire slowly spreading from one trash heap to the next.

#3 San Jose State 2009 (2-10)

Here's another instance of off-field issues contributing to a team's unwatchability. After leading the Spartans to a bowl win in 2006, Dick Tomey went 11-13 the next two years. In 2009, things finally devolved to a sad, bittersweet climax. Scholarship reductions from APR sanctions took their toll on his team, and a season full of blowouts was painfully punctuated by a 62-7 loss to the Pack on a sparsely attended Sunday night. It remains to this day the only Nevada road win I actually felt a little dirty after witnessing. Tomey's resignation eight days later just put an "I give up" cherry on this sundae of failure.

#2 New Mexico State 2005 (0-12)

The New Mags haven't played in a bowl game since 1960 and Las Cruces has become, in the words of Football Study Hall "the most consistent coaching graveyard at the FBS level." So why does this particular season sparkle amidst the team's numerous other diamonds of ineptitude? Well, the Oh-fer obviously helps, but it set a precedent for other bad WAC teams after the realignments of 2005 that hasn't been equaled record-wise since. This was a team that yelled "I call the basement!" when they moved into the WAC and has definitively stayed there ever since. Simply put, NMSU is the poster child for just how bad WAC football is capable of being, and 2005 was their magnum anus.

Now you must be asking yourself "If that's true, then how come you only have them at number two?" An excellent question. And even after you see who I have at number one, you may look at the records and say "That doesn't make sense. You're an idiot." Just keep reading, and let me explain why.

#1 Utah State 2006 (1-11)

If the 2005 New Mexico State team is the usual gold standard for WAC worthlessness, then this Aggie team is the real Hall of Shame entry, the Guinness World Record holder that truly went below and beyond, then went even lower after that. Some of their infamous distinctions include three straight shut-out losses and four overall, failing to score a single offensive touchdown until five games into the season, and being forced to punt from inside the 30-yard line on at least one occasion out of genuine fear of their place kicker. Did I mention their punter was also their original quarterback? And their uniforms had "AGGIES" on the back like some all-man-child Pop Warner team? Even their lone win -- a 13-12 comedy of errors against Fresno State -- still managed to be every bit as depressing as each of their eleven losses. I remember watching Nevada pummel them in a slurry of horizontal rain and snow at Mackay that year thinking "This is one of the worst football teams I've ever seen. Also, I can't feel my fingers or toes." Give Brent Guy a college football program and four years of free reign and his path of (self) destruction will be unparalleled.

So while NMSU may hold the dishonor of being the only winless team on this list, as far as the quality of play on the field and who was less competitive more often, the Aggies from Utah have everyone else beaten. And at least on this blog, they will be forever immortalized as the WAC's most unwatchable team of the last decade.

Shameful Mentions Who Didn't Quite Make the Cut: UTEP 2002 (2-10); SMU 2003 (0-12); Louisiana Tech 2006 (3-10); San Jose State 2010 (1-12)

So who would you put on your "most unwatchable" list?

Better Know the Units: Special Teams

2011-08-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another installment of "Better Know the Units." I'd like to depart from tradition, as I feel I should preface this entry with an apology for the list of rankings you're about to read. Those of you expecting an apology for my quality of writing can kindly lick me.

This list focuses on special teams play, a unit often overlooked and undervalued until the moment when a game's outcome pivots on its timely (or untimely) execution. It's football's "miscellaneous" category, encompassing punts, kickoffs, punt and kick returns, field goals, extra points and the attempts to block and otherwise defend those various plays.

Until now, my lists of previous units have involved calculating composite rankings while looking at how many starters a unit returns from the previous year. About two thirds of the way through my data collection for this entry, I realized that applying this method to special teams was what we'd call "problematic." Because the special teams umbrella covers so many different phases of play that are only loosely related to each other, it's much harder to draw definitive conclusions from a composite ranking of their average strengths. Teams that were excellent in one area of special teams play could be terrible in another, which more often than not skewed all of my composite rankings towards the middle and helped make the list you're about to read very crowded.

I looked at seven special teams categories to compile my (admittedly flawed) rankings: average yards per punt return, average yards per kick return, average yards per punt, percentage of kickoffs that were touchbacks, yards allowed per punt return, yards allowed per kick return and percentage of field goals made. My last disclaimer is that I didn't include long snappers or holders when I looked at how many special teams players return for a given team. We all appreciate what they do, but the fact is that they're not nearly as hard to replace as a good return specialist or place kicker is.

#12 Hawai'i 74th and 1 of 4 ~ It's a good thing the other two Warrior units were as good as they were, because their special teams play was severely lacking in 2010. Tormey-ocrity strikes again!

#10 TIE New Mexico (76th and 5 of 5) and Fresno State (75th and 4 of 4) ~ Once again, you'll find me giving the benefit of the doubt to the teams with more returning starters. For all the emphasis he's placed on special teams play in the past, it's pretty surprising to see a Pat Hill team ranked this low.

#9 Utah State 69th and 3 of 5 ~ Coach Gary Andersen was reportedly very concerned with all of his potential punters after their spring game in April, which could compound problems if their new quarterback struggles as well.

#8 New Mexico State 70th and 4 of 4 ~ The Aggies return a very good kick returner (17th in average yards per kick return), but could probably afford to find some replacements for punts (116th in yards per punt) and kickoffs (113th in touchback percentage).

#7 UNLV 60th and 3 of 5 ~ What is it about good kick returners landing on bad teams? Rogers at NMSU, Kerwynn Williams at Utah State and now Marcus Sullivan for UNLV.

#6 Idaho 62nd and 3 of 4 ~ The numbers for Trey Farquhar and Bobby Cowan might look impressive at first, but a lot of specialists could probably put up stats like theirs if half their games were played indoors.

#5 San Jose State 62nd and 4 of 4 ~ The best individual ranking of any team in any category for this list is the Spartans' kick return defense, which was 5th nationally last year.

#4 Boise State 54th and 2 of 5 ~ I've already fessed up to these rankings being flawed, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the one time I won't see Boise State ranked #1 in one of these lists! Truly I am a sad, strange little man.

#3 Texas Tech 53rd and 4 of 6 ~ What do you get for a series of rankings that ranged from mildly sub-par to very good? The #3 spot on this list. Joygasm.

#2 Louisiana Tech 46th and 3 of 5 ~ For further proof of how arbitrary some of these rankings are, look at how high the Bulldogs can find themselves ranked in spite of losing Philip Livas at punt and kick returner.

#1 Oregon 46th and 4 of 4 ~ Even with all of the problems I've already outlined with using this ranking system for special teams, I think there's at least partial validation to be found in who came out #1. The Ducks were the most consistent team across the board and boast a legitimate All-American in Cliff "No, I really am Batman" Harris.

For those of you readers who are more statistically inclined than I am, how would you have gone about ranking the special teams units of Nevada's opponents?

Media Day Recap

2011-07-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

I made an executive decision last night to put off my next "Better Know the Units" entry in favor of a recap of the WAC's media day, specifically focusing on Coach Ault's portion which can be viewed here. I also have to tip my hat to Chris Murray's Twitter feed, which got most of the important stuff as it was said and gave me something to compare my account of the presser to.

~ Ault started by saying he had no interest in discussing anything Mountain West-related -- a no-brainer given the circumstances, of course, but still important for us as fans to remember.

~ With Steve Haley's return, he anticipates the offensive line returning four out of five players who've previously had starting experience.

~ He used the term "heir apparent" when referring to Zach Sudfeld at tight end, but also believed there'd be good competition among Stephen Jeffers and "two or three other players" at that spot.

~ "Tyler will throw the ball a little bit more than we did last year, but we are still going to run first;" he mentioned how excited he was to see Lantrip finally start, as he felt he's performed very well in his last two series of spring practices going back to his junior year; he listed Mason Magleby, Cody Fajardo and Tanner Roderick before saying "Our quarterback spot for the future is in good hands."

~ While there's no running back that stands head and shoulders above the others the way Vai Taua did, he felt there would be plenty of opportunities for each player to stand out at fall practices; he said that Stefphon Jefferson had the best spring of all the backs and that the position's depth will enable some good things to happen out of their two-back sets.

~ Khalid Wooten was referred to as the secondary's "fifth starter" playing at the nickel spot last year, and the secondary as a whole hasn't enjoyed their current level of depth in at least three years; he called the running backs and secondary the team's two strongest units at this time.

~ In the receiving corps he called Rishard Matthews "one of the best we've ever had there" and said they would look for multiple ways to utilize all of his talents; Tray Session is the fastest and most knowledgeable of the receivers, and along with Shane Anderson had to learn all three receiver positions last year; he hasn't found a specific replacement for Brandon Wimberly yet, but the list of potential replacements includes some players who are faster than him; the schedule means this group "has to get better in a hurry."

~ He raved about the strength of Brett Roy and Willie Faataualofa and the rotation they'll form with Zack Madonick; he pointed out a couple of times that Dontay Moch can't be easily replaced, but sounded pleased all the same with who he'll have at the ends.

~ James-Michael Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Brett Roy have to be the catalysts that lead the defense; "Our defense has to carry us and give that offense a chance to grow as we move;" he said they were "solid" but not great last year, and that "...I expect our defense to be very good this year."

~ Anthony Martinez will perform kicking duties, but there's no clear leader among the punters and it's a "very unsettled" position at this time.

~ He called Murray a "smart-aleck" when he jokingly asked about the Mountain West move. It's not an important observation, but it was still amusing to watch unfold, especially with the awkward silence and total absence of laughter that followed the joke.

~ In response to a question posed by Brian Murphy from the Idaho Statesman (I know the Mountain West also had their media days in Vegas this week, but why was he at this one? Habit? Boredom?) about BSU's current uniform drama: "I don't think we've ever lost to Boise's uniforms yet." Probably the most salient thing anyone has said on this whole issue to date. So thank you for that, Coach.

~ Bit of a weird question from someone at the Utah Statesman asking where he thought he'd be at the end of the year with Boise State gone. It was sort of hard to explain and phrased in a weird way. Coach went on to say some interesting things about his past experiences in moving from one conference to another and the extra significance each game on this year's schedule will have because of this.

~ An unknown reporter posed this next question. If Nevada found itself in an automatic qualifying conference -- be it the WAC or Mountain West -- Coach said the biggest difference would be the doors it would open as far as building a recruiting base would go.

~ Another Murray question, this one on the schedule. He said the schedule "is what it is" and also that the San Jose State game is every bit as meaningful as the Oregon game because of its position.

~ He says he's not concerned about carrying last season's momentum over as much as he's concerned about breaking in his new players and shoring up depth in the beginning third of the schedule.

~ When asked by someone about the WAC's future, he mentioned Karl Benson's prior experiences in building the league back up from defections and how important good, sound leadership at the top of a conference is; he goes on to say that ongoing relationships with other WAC programs regarding schedules will be important to Nevada and that the time they've spent in the WAC will be remembered fondly.

~ He concluded his time at the podium with the remark that he'll be more involved with scheduling from now on but that the athletic director will obviously still have the final say.

Translation Guide: What Coaches Are REALLY Saying at Media Days

2011-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

The WAC's media days begin this Thursday at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This will happen almost immediately after the Mountain West concludes their own media days across town at the Red Rock Resort, further cementing Karl Benson's weird fetish with imitating Craig Thompson whenever he does something in Vegas.

We all know how carefully coaches often try to choose their words when interacting with members of the media. This is especially true when both parties are asked to converge on one location for several days and pretend to be interested in what they both have to say. It's all part of a time-honored song and dance: the media asks the different coaches questions that range from tame and silly to more uncomfortably invasive than a prostate exam, and the coaches respond by disguising what they really mean in the politically correct language of "coach-speak."

In order to better inform you, the reader -- and at the risk of jeopardizing whatever chance I have of getting a PWtW press pass in the future -- I present you this translation guide to some of the many cliches you'll hear at a typical media day press conference.

"Good morning. I'm happy to be here representing [name of program] and am excited to tell you all about the team we're putting together for this season."

Translation: "I can't wait to get back on the recruiting trail instead of being forced to waste any more time than I have to with you putzes."

"We didn't have many players available at [random position], and I think we're going to see some interesting competition there in the fall."

Translation: "I have no idea who is going to start there and have already gone through a lot of ulcer medication thinking about it."

"I understood the high standards at [name of program] when I took this job, and I wake up every morning looking forward to the opportunities I've been given to live up to those expectations."

Translation: "I'm in way over my head. Our fans are all nutjobs who live vicariously through this football team. Please kill me before one of them does it first."

"To someone on the outside looking in, I suppose it may look like coaches are paid too much."

Translation: "You try doing this crap for a living and see how much YOU think we should get paid."

"We may not win every game, but I can tell you that we'll always play with a lot of heart and will never quit."

Translation: "Yeah, even I have to admit there are times when we look pathetic out there."

"Our players have been working hard in practice and they've responded really well to what we've been teaching them. They'll be ready when the season starts."

Translation: "It took them long enough, but those little puss bags have finally started to respect us."

"I haven't seen what [highly touted offensive recruit] can do at the college level yet, so I'm looking forward to starting up fall practices."

Translation: "The second he starts hot-dogging or running his mouth, our senior linebacker will flatten him. And it will be glorious."

"Let me tell you, no one on my staff was satisfied with how we [ran the ball, passed the ball, etc.] last year."

Translation: "I'm surrounded by incompetence and have to suppress the urge to strangle those idiots."

"It's nice to be picked by the media to win your conference, but it's our job as coaches to keep those kids' heads from getting too big."

Translation: "Stop making my job harder, you worthless schmucks."

"I'm looking forward to another great season. It's been a pleasure talking to all of you. Thank you for having me here."

Translation: "FREEDOM!"

Now it's your turn: what are the real meanings behind some of your favorite bits of coach-speak?

Translation: Respond to this entry. Please. Give me some sort of validation for all of the time I spend on here.

Better Know the Units: Pass Offense

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Through most of the summer, I've tried to update This Space every Tuesday and Friday. That changed this week, when I didn't have anything to put up on the 19th. Sure, I probably could've wrought out a half-assed "What's with all of this realignment stuff?" entry, but I know you're all too smart for that. And I ain't apologizing for my brief absence, either. Ya know why? 'Cause it's hard to find stuff to blog about in the summertime, damn it! And I don't owe you maggots anything except a swift kick in the toolbox for riding me so damn hard all the time.

OK, that didn't work. I can't just alienate and ingratiate my readers at will like the NFL and NBA can. So please come back! There's sheet cake and punch this week. And another BKtU entry!

This one is on passing offenses, or more specifically, the quarterbacks and receivers who make them possible. This one was particularly interesting in that only four of Nevada's twelve opponents return their starting quarterback from the previous year, and that's obviously a big factor in the offense's continuity from one season to the next. If you're the Nevada secondary, this is also a big deal in that you're probably thanking the football gods for actually throwing you a bone for once.

I calculated a composite ranking from the teams' average passing yards per game, the total number of passing yards they accumulated, their pass efficiency rating, their completion percentage, the number of passing touchdowns they had and the number of interceptions they threw. Final factors in approximating their strength included how many of their starting receivers return (I'm including tight ends in this group) and whether their quarterback also returns, which I'll list next to their name and composite ranking.

#12 New Mexico 106th and 3 of 4 ~ There's no way to spin this one in a positive manner except to point out how many receivers return. Not only is a projected starting quarterback no longer on the team, but his nickname was "Stump." I can't believe I'm typing this, but I think I've actually found a nickname that makes "Jimmer" sound dignified by comparison.

#11 Utah State 99th and 5 of 5 ~ For all the talk we heard about Diondre Borel being a good dual-threat quarterback, the passing stats he put up last year were quite poor. His coach's good fortune of having four starting receivers and a tight end all return makes the task of finding an adequate quarterback -- not even a great one -- critical for the Aggies.

#10 New Mexico State 96th and 1 of 3 ~ If it weren't for the relatively few interceptions their quarterbacks threw, this would be the worst of the twelve passing attacks on this list. As it stands, I can admit their composite ranking was skewed upwards a little because of this.

#9 UNLV 83rd and 3 of 3 ~ Well this is awkward. For the first time in this series, the Rebels' unit in question isn't ranked in the bottom three. Suddenly I feel like everything I know is a lie. I have to go lay down somewhere.

#8 Louisiana Tech 72nd and 3 of 4 ~ For a team implementing a spread offense for the first time, the Bulldogs made out pretty well. They made visible progress as the season went on and likely have more productivity to look forward to with Colby Cameron taking control under center.

#7 San Jose State 69th and 3 of 4 ~ It's true -- the Spartans were actually decent at moving the ball through the air last year. Granted, their old quarterback still threw a lot of interceptions and wasn't very efficient overall, but there's no reason to believe they can't continue getting better.

#6 Idaho 50th and 2 of 4 ~ The Vandal offense finds itself at a crossroads. Nathan Enderle and his former receivers helped turn the program around for the better, but their replacements will be asked to continue what they started and the potential for a letdown is certainly there.

#5 Fresno State 39th and 2 of 3 ~ Ryan Colburn was mediocre in a few areas and above average in most others. Derek Carr will have a good group of receivers to throw to, but has to depend upon an almost entirely new offensive line for protection.

#3 TIE Hawai'i (24th and 1 of 4) and Oregon (27th and 2 of 4) ~ You read that right -- it's the first tie of these entries. Both units boasted really impressive numbers in several areas last year, but have their own sets of pivotal questions to answer. Hawai'i was first in the country in three of this list's categories, but saw their composite ranking dragged down by lots of interceptions. Losing two of their top tree receivers is a concern, but not a significant one. Oregon was the more statistically well rounded of the two, but has a lot of productivity and depth to recapture in their receiving corps.

#2 Texas Tech 17th and 2 of 5 ~ Similar to Hawai'i in that replacing their quarterbacks and receivers from year to year isn't normally an issue. The names will be different, but we can still likely expect the usual air-it-out Red Raider offense.

#1 Boise State 4th and 2 of 4 ~ So the Broncos have to replace 5,900 receiving yards worth of productivity from where Titus Young and Austin Pettis used to start. Are you really anticipating a big step back for them in this area? Didn't think so. Worst-case scenario is the passing offense falls back from "Chuck Norris awesome" to "Boba Fett awesome."

So what say you, loyal reading stumps, of my list?

Better Know the Units: Rush Defense

2011-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes once said "There are three things that can happen when you pass, and two of them ain't good." Given how his career in Columbus ended -- refusing to resign after punching a Clemson player who intercepted a pass at the 1978 Gator Bowl -- we can probably amend that quote to say four and three things, respectively. Where am I going with this? To another BKtU entry that would equally infuriate Hayes: rushing defenses.

Specifically, two very good rushing defenses, a few that were slightly above average, and a whole bunch that the pistol offense would gleefully tear apart for a free "How Not to Defend the Run" coaching clinic. I looked at the average rushing yards allowed per game, total rushing yards allowed, average yards per carry allowed, number of rushing touchdowns allowed, tackles for loss and the number of rushing plays of ten or more yards they allowed. Throw in the usual composite ranking of the six categories and the number of returning starters on the line and in the linebacking corps and you'll have a general idea of who we can expect to challenge the pistol's new personnel in 2011. For the sake of transparency, I'll include the composite rankings I came up with and the aforementioned number of starters they return.

#12 UNLV 116th and 2 ~ "Yeah, Moe, that team sure did suck last night. They just plain sucked! I've seen teams suck before, but they were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked." Moving on...

#11 New Mexico 116th and 5 ~ Nearly indistinguishable from the damn dirty Rebels, but with the benefit of much more in the way of returning experience. Huzzah.....?

#10 New Mexico State 111th and 5 ~ Here's where we're more accustomed to seeing the Fightin' Mummes. Will five starters back really make a difference on what was already a poor run defense? History says "no."

#9 Utah State 99th and 5 ~ Any hope the Aggies have of finally breaking through has to start with actually stopping something on the ground for a change. I suggest trying an armadillo first and then working your way up from there.

#8 San Jose State 102nd and 7 ~ Here's where you'll hopefully pick up on a trend in these entries: when faced with two statistically similar teams, I generally side with the one who has more coming back from the previous year.

#7 Idaho 82nd and 5 ~ Something I noticed about the stats in this entry is how little variation there generally was across the various categories. If a team was ranked in the 80s in one particular area, they were most likely in that same neighborhood for all the other categories.

#6 Fresno State 73rd and 4 ~ Some big names depart, others return, and mediocrity generally rules the day.

#5 Louisiana Tech 68th and 4 ~ Like their shared mascot, pretty much the same story here.

#4 Texas Tech 61st and 4 ~ The new 4-2-5 scheme could provide the tools necessary for what was a pretty young front last year to pull themselves up a bit this year.

#3 Hawai'i 49th and 5 ~ The only run defense that posed serious enough problems for the Pack to lose against last year loses some big producers themselves, but returns others.

#2 Oregon 25th and 2 ~ Oregon's front seven was very effective against the run last year. But literally every player of note -- Brandon Bair, Kenny Rowe, Casey Matthews, Spencer Paysinger -- is gone. Their effectiveness could potentially end up closer to that of the Warriors' rushing defense than you might realize.

#1 Boise State 9th and 4 ~ If nothing else, the statistical supremacy of the Broncos in these entries thus far should illustrate just how special Pack Friday was, as well as the degree of shear difficulty of what the coaches and players did that night.

I'll be back on Tuesday, so pray that my Hope Solo crush doesn't blossom to restraining order status by then.

Nevada Beats Oregon (Yes, Really)

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a history buff, and I especially enjoy reading up on the bygone years of college football's past. Think of me as a much younger Beano Cook, but with (maybe) one hundredth the knowledge and even less of the ability to whip out colorful metaphors on the spot.

So when I recently checked out a copy of "Legacy: 100 Years of Athletics at the University of Nevada," imagine my surprise when I read a passage on a Wolf Pack team from the 40s that upset a favored Oregon Ducks team in Eugene. With this season's opening tilt on all of our minds, I couldn't wait until September for the opportunity to share their story with my readers.

The majority of what you read next can be found in that book, the contents of which are ultimately the property of the University of Nevada Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and author John Trent.

* * * * *

Nevada has played Oregon six times in football. The Ducks have won five of those contests, some of which were close (a 24-20 loss in Reno in 1997 and a 31-23 loss in Eugene in 2003) and others not so close (72-10 in 1999, 36-7 the following year). But on October 4, 1947, Nevada went on the road and beat Oregon in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Norm Van Brocklin during his time at Oregon

The Ducks were led by Norm "The Dutchman" Van Brocklin, future Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and an eventual inductee of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. To the Wolf Pack's credit, Nevada boasted some quarterback star power of their own in the form of Stan Heath, who played his first collegiate game on that day. He would go on to become one of five Heisman finalists the following year, ultimately losing the award to SMU running back Doak Walker. Oddly enough, one of Van Brocklin's teammates on the Rams' 1951 NFL championship team was former Nevada running back Tommy Kalmanir, who went on to lead the league in kick return yards.

Jim Aiken, the former Nevada coach who left for Oregon that year.

The game might've gone down in history as just another match-up of quality west coast teams were it not for some extra drama on the sidelines. Nevada head coach Jim Aiken had left to take the same job at Oregon before the 1947 season, nearly fifty years before Jeff Horton and the infamous "Red Defection." Aiken even played a role in putting Nevada on the Ducks' schedule that year, apparently convinced that his former team would be, in the words of Wolf Pack tight end Scott Beasley, "a pushover."

Nicknamed "Slingshot," Stan Heath and Nevada's passing attack both garnered national attention in the late 1940s.

The coach who took over at Nevada was Joe Sheeketski, a former player at Notre Dame under Knute Rockne whose only previous head coaching experience was at Holy Cross. Using a T-formation with two receivers and two running backs, the Wolf Pack gained national attention for throwing an average of more than twenty forward passes a game at a time when the nation's football fans and coaches alike still weren't quite sure what to make of the innovation.

The two teams took to Hayward Field with identical 1-1 records. After a scoreless first quarter, the Ducks struck first on a Van Brocklin touchdown pass to Dan Garza, taking a 6-0 lead. The Dutchman then led another long drive down to the Nevada 8-yard line, but was stopped on three consecutive plays by the Wolf Pack defense. With Heath on the sidelines after participating in the previous defensive stand, back-up quarterback Mike Mirabelli connected with Carl Robinson for a 24-yard touchdown to put Nevada ahead 7-6 at the half.

Hayward Field as it looked around the time the game was played. Today, it is now the University of Oregon's main track and field venue.

After the break and with the weather turning rainy, another quarter transpired with both teams unable to score. All too aware of their tenuous lead late in the fourth quarter, Sheeketski had experimented with numerous combinations of backs and linemen in an attempt to keep his players rested enough for the remainder of the game. And when Nevada back Duke Lindeman saw the Dutchman try to throw a short pass to his fullback -- a play he had snuffed out earlier in the game -- he knew what to do. Seventy-five yards later, Lindeman had returned his interception for a touchdown, and Nevada escaped Eugene with a 13-6 victory.

* * * * *

Oregon went on to finish 7-3 in 1947, but didn't play in a bowl game that year. After the following season, however, they became the first west coast team to play in a major bowl game outside of the Rose Bowl, losing to SMU in the Cotton Bowl 20-13.

Nevada went 9-2 in 1947, beating North Texas State in the Salad Bowl -- the forerunner of what we now call the Fiesta Bowl -- for the program's first ever bowl win. Stan Heath and the Wolf Pack continued to set passing records throughout the historic 1948 regular season, nearly going undefeated except for a loss to Santa Clara that probably cost the team a berth in the Sugar Bowl. They ended the year with a 27-7 loss to Villanova in the Harbor Bowl, and wouldn't crack the national rankings again for another 62 years. On September 26, 2010 -- the day the Wolf Pack finally returned to the polls -- Stan Heath passed away at his home in Georgia at the age of 83.

Better Know the Units: Offensive Line

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our latest recurring feature "Better Know the Units" (or "BKtU" for you Internet hipsters) is back, and this week I had a hard task ahead of me: finding a way to quantify and assess how effective an offensive line is. No biggie, right?

In my last BKtU entry, I used a multitude of easily referenced statistical categories to roughly guess how good each pass defense on the 2011 schedule might be. But what stats do you look up to see how good an offensive line is? The number of steak dinners their quarterback treats them to in a season? The number of corny group pictures they take with their running backs over the summer? The number of preachy Sandra Bullock movies that have been made about each of their lives?

I found a great entry from the Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man which tackled this question head-on (no pun intended, but you have my permission to boo me for it). It assigns specific point values to certain running and passing plays to help generate efficiency metrics for the line's performance in a game. But since that would involve two sets of calculations for each of twelve or more games for each of Nevada's twelve opponents -- and because my time is already extremely valuable, as you've all no doubt surmised -- I decided against this.

What I did come up with, however, was another set of composite rankings that I still feel can shed some light on an offensive line's general effectiveness. Using 2010 stats, I looked at how many sacks the line allowed, how many tackles for loss it allowed, the average yards per carry of the team's rushing game, the completion percentage of the team's passing game and their offense's average time of possession per game. I then calculated composite rankings and looked at how many starters return from that line in 2011 to make my final assessment. Granted, these categories still have the potential to be misleading, particularly average time of possession (as an example, Oregon was 106th in this area last year), but again, I have neither the time, the patience, nor the general math-iness to do an efficiency metric like the Aggie blogger's.

#12 UNLV ~ These poor dopes were what I like to call P.D.W. ("pretty damn wretched") across the board. Throw in only two starters returning for more punishment this year, and you should consider sending some preemptive "Sorry About Your Shattered Ribcage" cards to whoever their new quarterback will be.

#11 New Mexico ~ The Lobos' line is the next (small) step up from that of the Rebels, but in terms of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, that's like "moving up" from "Jingle All the Way" to "End of Days."

#10 Idaho ~ Pretty much the only thing separating Idaho from New Mexico is the three starters they return to the Lobos' two. Otherwise, they're essentially at the same level of badness.

#9 San Jose State ~ Two teams are on our next level up, and like the rest of their team, a unit that was ravaged by injuries last year has some potential for upward mobility from this spot as the season goes on.

#8 Utah State ~ Again, I have to put them fairly low initially, but with four out of five starters returning, all they need to be considered decent is a quarterback who can complete more than 60% of his passes under their watch.

#7 Fresno State ~ Here's a team that seems to have equal potential to either fall back or jump ahead numerous spots. They had a lot of injuries last year and only return one starter, but they did help the Bulldog offense control the ball for many long scoring drives.

#6 Hawai'i ~ The other team on the slate with one starter returning. Their rushing and passing stats were both good (25th in yards per carry and 28th in completion percentage), but they HAVE to give their skill players some better protection (113th in sacks allowed and tied for 81st in tackles for loss allowed).

#5 New Mexico State ~ Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are to see the Aggies ranked this high in anything. They pass-protected surprisingly well last year and return four of five starters, but the lack of good skill players around them to complement their efforts is a shame.

#4 Louisiana Tech ~ In my opinion, the best of the WAC's offensive lines not named Nevada. They ranged from average to good in the most important categories and could really help running back Lennon Creer to a great season.

#3 Oregon ~ This was a line that pass-protected very well, but showed an unusual proclivity for giving up tackles for loss. They also lose quite a bit of experience from last year's team that will be interesting to see the replacements for.

#2 Texas Tech ~ The only team on the 2011 slate whose line returns all five starters. I felt their overall prowess was a hair below Oregon's, but I have to give the nod to all that returning experience.

#1 Boise State ~ I'm only two entries into this series and it's already annoying to see how many categories the Broncos were in the top ten of last year. But at least my composite ranking of the Pack's line was ahead of theirs!

So that was my way of saluting the titans of the trenches. What are your thoughts on the conclusions I arrived at?

Proud to be a Wolf Pack Fan

2011-07-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our nation's independence yesterday, many of us took a moment to reflect upon why we're fortunate to be Americans and the people and things that make this country great. Or we stumbled up to Tahoe with copious amounts of sunscreen and booze worrying if we'd be ticketed for parking on the side of a two-lane highway near Sand Harbor. Not that I would have any experience with that.

But where the Fourth of July affords the opportunity to stop and consider why being American kicks ass, what do we as Wolf Pack fans have to remind ourselves how lucky we are? Me, of course! So sit down and shut up for the next few minutes as I explain -- in bullet point form, no less -- why being a Nevada fan is awesome.

~ Nevada is neither a "football school" nor a "basketball school" -- we've been fortunate to witness the kind of recent national success in both sports that many athletic programs at other levels would kill for.

~ Because of this, our off-season only stretches from early April to the end of August. If we were Rebel fans, football would just be a sucky distraction to mock and/or placate us until basketball starts.

~ On that note, our fans can actually recall the last time the football team won a conference championship.

~ We spell "Wolf Pack" the right way.

~ Our rivalry trophy is a cannon -- not a pig, platypus, wagon wheel, milk can, beer stein or whatever the hell an Illibuck is, but an ACTUAL FRIGGIN' CANNON! Seriously, how many debates amongst other college football fans can be ended by saying "Well, we have a cannon...so there"?

~ Our football team's head coach has more loyalty for his alma mater than Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino and Rich Rodriguez have for themselves. And that's a lot of loyalty.

~ The fact that it's pretty much impossible to overstate the previous sentence.

~ Having a head coach willing to put his reputation on the line in the relative twilight of his career for the sake of creating something called the "pistol offense."

~ Also having a staff of assistant coaches who didn't commit him to an insane asylum when he first explained it to them.

~ Having that same coach pass on a pay raise not because the state ordered him to, but because he felt it was the right thing to do.

~ In addition to cheering for the Pack, we've had the privilege of witnessing nationally ranked competition come to Reno to challenge Nevada -- Texas Tech and Boise State in football and Kansas and North Carolina in basketball, with even more on the horizon.

~ The fact that Nevada's actually beaten a few of those teams.

~ Seeing our last quarterback garner almost as much national attention for his work ethic and personality as he gets for his skills with a football.

~ This video. 'Nuff said.

~ Cheering for a basketball team who's had actual success in the NCAA Tournament in the last decade.

~ Being invited to a conference with bowl destinations in Las Vegas and San Diego.

~ Being invited to a conference where at-large NCAA bids are the norm and not the exception.

~ Being invited to a conference that believes in the importance of playing college football on Saturdays and not in whoring its teams out to the programming whims of an implacable, uncaring monolith.

~ Being invited to the only FBS football conference that can boast of having a service academy as one of its members.

~ Being invited to a conference whose commissioner gives the impression -- at least, most of the time -- that he actually knows what he's doing.

~ And last but far from least...being invited to a conference with a future to look forward to.

So those are some of my reasons for why we've got it made -- what are yours?

Better Know the Units: Pass Defense

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

For This Space's first entry after the Summer Filler series, I wanted to do something a little more substantive than just perusing old depth charts and trying to come up with new ways to make fun of San Jose State. So I'm moving on to a new endeavor this week, like the wino who's had his fill of boxed wine and who yearns for something newer and (marginally) better.

I decided to call this new series the mysterious -- and may I say vaguely dirty -- Better Know the Units. I'll look at a variety of statistical categories and count down in ascending order what I believe will be the twelve best units of that type the Pack will face this year. I won't claim any of these lists to be authoritative or even wholly accurate, but considering I have a blog and you most likely don't, I win any and all arguments by default.

I'll kick off the series with a look at the pass defenses. For this list, I examined six different categories: average passing yards allowed per game, total number of passing yards allowed, pass efficiency defense, completion percentage defense, number of passing touchdowns allowed and number of interceptions. I then assigned an average composite ranking of all of these categories to each team and then used the number of returning starters in the secondary as a final means of determining who should be ranked ahead of who heading into 2011.

#12 New Mexico State ~ Any time you lose an NFL draft pick from a secondary that was already bad is never a good thing, hence why they're ranked at the bottom here.

#11 Louisiana Tech ~ Junior corner Chad Boyd is a promising talent, but there are some big unknowns around him in the Bulldog secondary.

#10 UNLV ~ Another case of a solid starter surrounded by mediocrity and/or uncertainty -- this time it's Will Chandler.

#9 Utah State ~ It was really hard for me to put the Aggies this low, but the fact is that they only return one starter in the secondary and Curtis Marsh won't be easy to replace.

#8 New Mexico ~ Here's a case of a unit that didn't do well no matter how you may try to spin it, but does return all four starters. As Pack fans are all too aware of, continuity from season to season often helps a great deal in the secondary.

#7 San Jose State ~ Yes, the Spartans were terrible against the pass in most areas, but they actually didn't allow very many passing TDs and, like the Lobos, return all four starters.

#6 Idaho ~ There's not a lot of separation between the teams ranked twelfth through fifth -- they're ultimately just different shades of "terrible."

#5 Texas Tech ~ This is probably my most debatable selection. The Red Raiders were HEINOUS defending the pass last year, and it remains to be seen how long it will take to adjust to that new 4-2-5 scheme. But the guy implementing it did great things at TCU, and with the talent Coach Tuberville is already bringing in, I see a sizable -- but not too sizable -- boost coming to the Texas Tech secondary.

#4 Hawai'i ~ The next level of pass defense on this list could be described as "adequate," and it's the area where you'd see Nevada if they were ranked with the other twelve teams. Mana Silva and Jeramy Bryant's production will be greatly missed, so there's definitely potential for them to fall in this area.

#3 Fresno State ~ The Bulldogs were pretty mediocre across the board in all the pass defense categories I looked at. Two starters must be replaced, and they have to get better at forcing some interceptions.

#2 Oregon ~ This is where things got really hard. The Ducks and Broncos will clearly have the two best pass defenses of any of Nevada's opponents in 2011, and it's not even close. The composite ranking I gave Oregon was 28th, and the next-best one would've been Nevada at 59th. Cliff Harris is an elite talent, and after he serves his not-yet-fully-disclosed suspension for pretending to be Batman on an Oregon freeway, he will arguably be the best corner in the nation.

#1 Boise State ~ The most consistently exceptional pass defense across the board Nevada will have faced, both in 2010 and 2011. It was very tough for me to decide between BSU's all-around stats and a lesser Oregon defense that boasts a play-maker of Harris' caliber. I ultimately sided with Boise State, but not by much. The Broncos only return two starters in their secondary, but we should know by now not to doubt their ability to replace their star players from year to year.

So those are the pass defenses the Pack will line up against this fall -- two very good ones and ten pretenders. I'll see you all again after the Monday holiday with whatever is on my mind.

Summer Filler #12: Idaho

2011-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Twelve weeks ago I decided to do a brief 2010 summary and preview of each of the teams Nevada will face in 2011. Now I find myself at the end of that journey and wondering just what the hell I'm going to blog about until fall practices start (take a drinking game sip for that one!). It's been a great ride, and if I had to summarize it all in one word, I would say it was "lugubrious" (I have no idea what that actually means -- I just like how it sounds).

So go ahead and have some cake whilst I rummage through some old ideas I scribbled down somewhere a while back. Oh, and you might as well read this Idaho preview while you're here.

Idaho Vandals

The Vandals didn't play in a bowl game last year after playing in one the year before. It's not much different than what they're traditionally used to, but they at least came close to bowl eligibility this time as opposed to completely stinking up the place from the get-go. The question on everyone's mind ("everyone" meaning "three people" in this case) is aside from a head coach who apparently can't count, what else does Idaho have going for them heading into 2011?

Offense

Scoring: 26.6 points per game (t-60th)
Rushing: 89.9 yards per game (118th)
Passing: 296.9 yards per game (10th)
Total: 386.8 yards per game (55th)
1st Downs: 20.0 per game (t-56th)
3rd Down Conversions: 43.4% (t-39th)
Red Zone Conversions: 81.3% (t-67th)

Defense

Scoring: 28.3 points per game (t-70th)
Rushing: 188.9 yards per game (t-95th)
Passing: 231.4 yards per game (87th)
Total: 420.3 yards per game (95th)
Sacks: 31.0 (t-28th)
Tackles for Loss: 88.0 (t-21st)
Turnover Margin: +2 (t-45th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 21 (t-10th)
Kickoff Returns: 22.8 yards per return (t-36th)
Punts: 44.4 yards per punt (11th)
Punt Returns: 3.7 yards per return (112th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 4 - Number of head coaching hires the Vandals made in the eleven years between their last two bowl appearances (Tom Cable, Nick Holt, Dennis Erickson and Robb Akey); 126 and 10 - The Vandals' 2010 team high for rushing yards in a single game, and the number of times a Nevada player surpassed that mark last year, respectively; 34.7 - Average margin of defeat in each of Idaho's six losses to Nevada since they joined the WAC in 2005.

If you need any proof as to why NFL-caliber talent doesn't always translate to college success, look no further than Idaho and Nevada. Each team had three players selected in the 2010 draft: Shiloh Keo, Nathan Enderle and Daniel Hardy for the Vandals, and Colin Kaepernick, Dontay Moch and Virgil Green for the Pack. Nevada finished 13-1 and ranked in the top fifteen of all major polls, while Idaho...did not.

I've said before that the job Robb Akey has done to bring Idaho football up to its current level is commendable and one of the most underrated examples of building up a program you'll find anywhere. Taking a team whose previous three head coaches had gone 20-55 from 2000 to 2006 and raising expectations to a level where a 6-7 season is considered a disappointment ain't easy. But with all of that said, considering who the Vandals lose off of last year's team and the bleak future they face in the new WAC after this season, they could be in for another prolonged bumpy ride not unlike their brief stint in the Sun Belt.

Look no further than who they lose on offense to see this for yourselves: two starters on the O-line, Hardy, running back Deonte Jackson, Enderle and receivers Eric Greenwood and Maurice Shaw. The situation is marginally better on defense, with the not inconsiderable productivity of Keo and end Aaron Lavarias the only major losses. When your kicker (Trey Farquhar) and punter (Bobby Cowan) are the best returning players of note, and the best remaining players on the rest of the team are Justin Veltung and Robert Siavii, 5-7 is probably the most optimistic you can be for 2011.

So that was the Summer Filler series. I hope I can look back on these in December and not find too many mistakes I made. But it is my blog, after all, so the "Edit" button is always an option, and you'd never be the wiser if I went that route. You'll see me again on Friday when I start a unit-by-unit look at what the Pack will be up against this season.

PWtW Says Goodbye (But Not Really) to Boise State

2011-06-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

It's true, folks. By this time next week, Boise State will be an official member of the Mountain West and the R.M.S. Benson will be right on time for its date with that iceberg we've all seen coming. But while the Broncos are being escorted into that first set of lifeboats, allow me to take a look back at the time they've shared with Nevada in the WAC. Or at least the times I can remember.

*Cue "Wayne's World" flashback sound*

I had first heard about Bronco Stadium's blue turf in early 2005, and like the film "The Room" I figured I had to see it for myself in order to believe it. And sure enough, when I tuned in to see Nevada get pummeled in Boise later that year, my reaction to both their on-field performance and the actual field itself was "Sweet zombie Jesus that's heinous." To this day, that field is to college football what Liberace was to fashion: while you can't help but admire and commend the guy in question for his obvious skill at what he does, it all nonetheless begs the question "Why?"

Worst Memory

The 2006 game in Reno. This...was...awful. If I ever contribute a word to a dictionary someday, hopefully it will be the word "facepalm" so I can put a picture of Jeff Rowe getting sacked for the fiftieth time by a Boise State player underneath it. We all love Jeff -- he was a local high school hero, the first Nevada quarterback to run the pistol and a really nice guy by all accounts. But to put it delicately, he was about as effective as roadkill whenever he played the Broncos.

And that wasn't even the worst part. That was reserved for the Mackay Stadium field's hosting of the unofficial post-game victory celebration. If games like Pack Friday made you glad from the depths of your heart and soul to be a Nevada fan, then games like this one made you wonder why you take it so seriously at all. Being pretty much the only student fan left in that stadium, it was six, maybe seven different kinds of depressing to watch thousands of life-size traffic cones streaming on to that field. It was like the part in "Conan the Barbarian" where James Earl Jones kills Conan's mother right in front of him -- my cherubic innocence as a sports fan was forever defiled and the seeds of their future destruction were planted on that day (At least, in my head they were). The only comforting thought I had was that if their fans decided to tear down the goal posts like some of them had suggested before the game, the judge would go easy on me for whatever I would've done next. I'm no legal expert, but I'm fairly certain this is true.

Honorable Mention: the quarterfinal loss in the 2005 WAC Tournament in Reno. Sitting one section over from the Bronco fans in attendance made this one even worse. On the upside, seeing Nevada get an at-large bid to the Dance and a win over Texas the following week while BSU sat at home were pretty swell rebound prizes.

Best Memory

...Do you actually need to ask this question? Seriously, if this is even up for debate in your mind, just stop reading right now.

It wasn't just the second half ripped straight out of a cheesy sports movie that made this so wonderful, but all the things that were secondary to the win itself. All of the publicity it earned for the program. The feeling of proud vindication for all the people who stood by the team through the worst of times. The looks of stunned disbelief on the faces of every person in blue and orange shuffling out of that stadium. The giddy and unabashedly ridiculous dancing I performed to the sounds of Journey blaring out of my car speakers.

Honorable Mention: the ASUN bus trip I took up to Boise for a basketball game in 2007. The moment that has stayed with me ever since that night was when a very old lady sitting in front of us tried to talk smack -- something unimportant about Nick Fazekas being Nevada's only good player or something. I responded with a polite "Watch the rest of our guys and you'll see for yourself" almost immediately before Denis Ikovlev and Tyrone Hanson hit back-to-back threes. We didn't hear a peep out of her the rest of the evening.

So Hello/Goodbye, Boise State. As you venture forward into that world of uncertain possibilities, take one last look at those "Western Athletic Conference Co-Champion" rings, pop in a copy of that TCU/Wisconsin Rose Bowl and be sure to carry a fond remembrance of who made them both possible into the Mountain West with you.

Summer Filler #11: Utah State

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

The various conference realignments which have transpired over the last year have played out like a high-stakes game of musical chairs, with plenty of hemming and hawing from the athletic programs seemingly left without a seat. Nevada could've very easily been in that position, and it goes without saying that we sympathize with the programs and fan bases who will have to figure out how survive in the new Western Athletic Conference in 2012.

Unless, of course, those same fans claim to be morally and ethically superior to the rest of us. In that case -- pardon my French -- screw 'em.

Utah State Aggies

If the worst football programs in the WAC were contestants on "American Idol," the Aggies would have the best chance of moving on to Hollywood, i.e. getting to the .500 plateau. Granted, that's still not saying much when you haven't played in a bowl game since the Clinton administration and all of the other contestants might as well be named William Hung, but a little hope here and there couldn't hurt.

Offense

Scoring: 22.0 points per game (t-94th)
Rushing: 168.7 yards per game (41st)
Passing: 178.7 yards per game (93rd)
Total: 347.3 yards per game (84th)
1st Downs: 19.2 per game (t-65th)
3rd Down Conversions: 39.8% (64th)
Red Zone Conversions: 89.5% (9th)

Defense

Scoring: 33.8 points per game (101st)
Rushing: 179.9 yards per game (89th)
Passing: 249.8 yards per game (106th)
Total: 429.7 yards per game (101st)
Sacks: 13.0 (t-109th)
Tackles for Loss: 46.0 (118th)
Turnover Margin: -5 (t-80th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 2 (t-107th)
Kickoff Returns: 25.2 yards per return (13th)
Punts: 40.3 yards per punt (t-76th)
Punt Returns: 4.24 yards per return (107th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 1,444 - Number of yards on kickoff returns junior receiver/return specialist Kerwynn Williams accumulated in 2010, a single-season FBS record; 11.08 - Number of tackles senior linebacker Bobby Wagner averaged per game in 2010, tied for seventh-best in the country; 6 - Number of winning seasons Utah State has had since 1975.

Whether it was the late kickoff, the sparse crowd or the Halloween parties that were no doubt on the minds of everyone who actually attended, Nevada's defense did not have a good second half against Utah State last year. After bolting out to a 35-0 lead while holding the Aggies to 71 total yards in the first half, the visitors exploded for 419 offensive yards and 42 points in the next two quarters. It completely soured what should've been an easy victory and gave another measure of hope to a fan base whose entire existence over the last year has been a series of hopes being cruelly/hilariously dashed one after another.

It also remains one of the two most baffling blemishes on Nevada's otherwise sublime 2010 season, with the other being the offense's (literally) offensive performance at Hawai'i. How in the silver and blue hell do you hold Hawaii and Boise State to fewer points than the Fighting Cow Milkers? Even second-string defensive players should be able to put up more resistance than what they showed in the second half of that game. It ultimately matters little in hindsight, as Utah State went on to finish 4-8, but it still mildly irritates me many months later like the lingering stench of cat pee in an old apartment.

It's easy to see why some followers of WAC football are predicting bigger things for the Aggies in 2011. The offense's only starting losses are quarterback Diondre Borel (our inaugural recipient of the Poor Man's Kaepernick award) and left tackle Spencer Johnson. Formerly injured running back Robert Turbin also returns, albeit with a newly healed ACL and as-yet-unknown effectiveness. The linebacking corps returns all three starters, but the defensive line and secondary lose five starters and four back-ups and will have to be nearly completely retooled. Vacancies at punter and place-kicker round out the losses.

The good news: the offense's potential for improvement and a more favorable schedule than in other years, both of which point to a possible breakthrough season for the Aggies. The bad news: all the replacements which must be found on a defense that was already poor and the slim margin of error the team will have in its toss-up games, meaning equal potential for another year of more of the same. Can they finish with more than four wins this year? I think so. Can they finish at .500 or better? That remains to be seen.

The very last Summer Filler entry is next Tuesday, and it's one of the only circumstances in which you'll ever see me legitimately happy to be talking about the Idaho Vandals.

A Few Words on Brandon Wimberly

2011-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it would be right to continue "blogging as usual" unless I said a few words about Brandon Wimberly first.

For the second time this summer, tragedy has struck our Nevada family. A bright and promising young life, though thankfully not extinguished from this world, was nonetheless forever changed. Although I can't say I know him personally, it is clear that Brandon has touched a lot of people's lives, and that is reason enough for me to feel profoundly saddened by Saturday's news.

I thought about listing some of my favorite memories of him wearing the silver and blue. But this isn't a memorial, and it wouldn't feel right to do that for a young man whose entire life is still in front of him. More importantly, this isn't about football.

Instead, all I ask is that you reserve judgment on this situation until all the facts come to light. Look at some of the things which have previously been said about him before you jump to any conclusions. Let this case play out before making any presumptions about Brandon, his teammates, his coaches or the city of Reno.

Please wish Brandon the best on the road to recovery that now lies before him. But more importantly, give him and everyone else involved in these events the benefit of the doubt that our system of justice provides.

The Ballad of Tyler Lantrip

2011-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I feel bad for Tyler Lantrip.

Sure, when the media inevitably asks him what's it's like to try and follow in Colin Kaepernick's shoes, he'll say all the right things a collegiate quarterback and leader amongst his teammates is expected to say. And we have no reason to doubt his honesty in saying those things. But no matter what he ends up doing on the field, no matter how many wins he leads his team to, the comparisons will unfairly start up at the first and slightest sign of struggle.

And it's all because of timing, really.

He arrived on campus one year after Kaepernick and -- like many people at that time -- with nary an inkling of what he was capable of. A knee injury to Nick Graziano in a home game against Fresno State in 2007 is what initially thrust Kaepernick into the spotlight. His first official start the following week -- on national TV at Boise State -- formally introduced the whole country to "Krazy Legs" in a way few players ever introduce themselves to a sport. Records, both program and national, would be shattered over the next three and a half seasons, culminating in Nevada's night of all nights on November 26th, 2010.

Throughout this entire time, Lantrip sat on the sidelines, patiently waiting for his turn to take command of the ship his eventual predecessor had so skillfully guided to rarefied waters. He could've very easily followed the examples of Tate Forcier and Ryan Mallett and transferred out instead of continuing the waiting game. When you've been recruited by the likes of Arizona State, Stanford and Northwestern, chances are you don't have many illusions as to what you're capable of doing on a football field.

But Lantrip was content to honor his commitment to Nevada, both confident in the chance he would eventually have to blaze his own trail and knowing firsthand just how quickly circumstance could necessitate a new leader. Additionally, he realized there was no better place for him to be than right here at Nevada. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." And in that sense, there was no better way to groom himself for a starting role than to practice every day alongside the best pistol quarterback in the nation.

Lantrip is a quarterback with good height, a strong arm and a good presence in the pocket who also displays great maturity on and off the field. In short, he's the kind of player all but a few programs would welcome to their roster, and is good enough to start at many of them. But partly because of that aforementioned maturity and patience and mostly because of who held the position before him, his skill set won't be considered "good enough" by some.

The fact is that we can't expect every successive Nevada quarterback to churn out the kinds of numbers Kaepernick did any more than Alabama fans can expect every Crimson Tide coach to become the next Bear Bryant. It's not fair to the players of the present and it idolizes Kaepernick to an extent he probably wouldn't be comfortable with.

What we can do, however, is maintain our trust in a Hall of Fame head coach whose expertise in picking out quarterbacks is among the best in his profession. Lantrip has earned Coach Ault's backing, and not because he feels he'll be the next Colin Kaepernick. Becoming the next Tyler Lantrip will be plenty good enough for Coach and for all of us.

Summer Filler #10: Louisiana Tech

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

We're approaching the end of our Summer Filler series, and frankly I'm not sure what else I can add to that right now. So enjoy this video in honor of the Mavericks' win on Sunday night.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

It's easy to feel bad for the WAC's "other" Bulldogs. Even in the years they field good teams, it's difficult for fans of other WAC teams to get fired up when they come to town because...well, they're from Louisiana. They've been stuck all by themselves in their central time zone outpost ever since the WAC's last major reorganization in 2005. And when your basketball "travel partner" is in Las Cruces, New Mexico -- across the entire state of Texas and one time zone over -- it's not a great situation for anyone involved.

Offense

Scoring: 26.8 points per game (59th)
Rushing: 170.8 yards per game (40th)
Passing: 219.1 yards per game (62nd)
Total: 389.8 yards per game (t-49th)
1st Downs: 20.9 per game (41st)
3rd Down Conversions: 37.6% (t-78th)
Red Zone Conversions: 77.6% (91st)

Defense

Scoring: 30.7 points per game (90th)
Rushing: 171.9 yards per game (t-81st)
Passing: 290.2 yards per game (117th)
Total: 462.1 yards per game (116th)
Sacks: 24.0 (t-65th)
Tackles for Loss: 63.0 (t-93rd)
Turnover Margin: -5 (t-80th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 5 (t-82nd)
Kickoff Returns: 23.5 yards per return (t-25th)
Punts: 40.11 yards per punt (79th)
Punt Returns: 13.6 yards per return (10th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 4 and 4 - Number of kick-offs and punts, respectively, that departed wide receiver and return specialist Phillip Livas returned for touchdowns in his career, which together tied an NCAA record; 4-53 - Since 1998, the Bulldogs' record in games in which they've score less than 21 points; 2 - Number of teams other than Boise State who have won an outright WAC title since the Broncos joined the conference (Louisiana Tech in 2001 and Hawai'i in 2007).

The states of Nevada and Louisiana have about as much in common with each other as Wayne Newton and Britney Spears do -- aside from both being professional singers, that's pretty much where the similarities end. And aside from both having played football in the WAC for around a decade apiece, the Pack and the Bulldogs don't have much else in common themselves. Maybe in a parallel dimension these programs could've developed a nice little rivalry, but here in our non-Bizarro world a little thing called "geography" gets in the way.

Once Sonny Dykes' spread offense began to click last year, the Bulldogs took on a form that many other WAC teams have made famous over the years: a high-octane offense with a "defense" best preceded by the words "We don't need no stinkin'". Even as their offense improved from the first half of the season onward, their defense continued to struggle and was the biggest reason why they ultimately came up just short of bowl eligibility. The unit's improvement will be crucial in getting back to the .500 plateau in 2011.

This fact is even more apparent after looking at who the Bulldogs must replace. The losses on offense are fairly minimal, with the aforementioned Livas, tackle Rob McGill, guard Jared Miles and inconsistent quarterback Ross Jenkins the only departing players. The defense, however, is not in the same boat, as three defensive backs (Tank Calais, Josh Victorian and Olajuwon Paige) and two tackles (Mason Hitt and Randy Grigsby) must be replaced. It goes without saying that Livas' skill set on punt and kick returns will also be greatly missed.

With running back Lennon Creer poised for what could be a break-out season, the Tech offense has the potential to get even better and surprise some people. But any hopes the Bulldogs have of winning a WAC championship hinge on finding numerous productive replacements in a defense that wasn't particularly good to begin with.

Next week it's Utah State, everyone's favorite ambassadors of premature celebration.

The "Old vs. New" Conundrum

2011-06-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

As I alluded to in Tuesday's entry, the Mountain West unveiled its new logo and re-branding efforts in a press conference this week. And like so many other big changes that have taken place across college sports in the last year, the reaction to it was visceral and almost immediate. Is this honestly how people perceive the logo? Or are they just acquiescing to the "everything sucks and you're stupid" culture the Internet perpetuates? Or is it something else?

I've already gone on record as saying I think the logo is fine -- it's not the best one out there, but I've certainly seen worse. The recent trend in branding athletic conferences has been to move beyond the "conference" label to something bigger and more abstract, and this new look for the Mountain West is no exception. With this new image and marketing effort, Craig Thompson wants to elevate the Mountain West name to become synonymous with the region whose name it bears, to help give it the same cache the SEC name carries in the south or the Big Ten name has in the upper Midwest.

No one should be surprised the logo got the kind of reception it did -- the anonymity and instant feedback the Internet now provides to people's thoughts has fostered entire generations who are absolutely certain they can instantly hate something even if they're not quite sure why. What I don't quite understand in this case, though, is the attachment people apparently had for the old Mountain West logo. The conference itself is very young -- not yet a teenager compared to its peers and even younger than Conference USA or the Big 12. Yet fans still went absolutely apeshit when this change was made public, like they had just returned to their new car and found it mounted on cinder blocks with its tires missing. Had they really grown that attached to something which had come into existence barely over a decade ago?

I'm fully aware that being a Nevada fan pretty much makes me an outsider to Mountain West history and lore up to August 18th of last year. But I still think this whole ruckus can be chalked up to good ol'-fashioned nostalgia -- that fond remembrance of things past which almost always ends up idealizing them to the point when they become something else entirely.

To prove my point, first take a look at this picture:

That's James Cannida, former Wolf Pack defensive lineman. See the helmet he's wearing? That's the "script 'Pack'" helmet you'll sometimes hear older Nevada fans clamoring to be brought back, usually because they're not fond of our current helmet. Inevitably they'll claim that it was distinct and uniquely Nevada, that it was indicative of a simpler time when linemen could get away with wearing big Quasimodo shoulder pads and "Big West football" wasn't an oxymoron yet.

Well I hate to burst your silver and blue bubbles, but that helmet wasn't all that great. In fact, you might say it was downright average. Talk all you want about the great Pack players of the Big West era, the old tailgating scene south of the stadium or even the live wolf the team used to run on to the field with, but quit pining for those damn helmets.

"But Pack Backer! Those helmets really were special and unique!"

No, they weren't. In fact, Fresno State had some just like it...

...and so did Idaho...

...and New Mexico State...

...and San Jose State...

...and even Boise State.

Still think that logo is special and unique now?

Don't get me wrong -- I still like the script "Pack" helmets, but I'll never mistake them for some grandiose symbol of "the good old days." Besides, do you remember how bad some of those Nevada teams actually were? I don't know about you, but I'm in no hurry to idealize the Tisdel years any more than they deserve.

Ultimately, it's possible to have a healthy appreciation for the past without distorting it into something it never was in the first place. We're not cave men and not all changes are things to be terrified of. At least let some time pass before you immediately decide you hate something like the new Mountain West logo, and resist that urge to trundle on over to the comments section of the next article you read and spew whatever bile you feel compelled to share with the world.

Unless, of course, it's this one.

Summer Filler #9: Hawai'i

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Before I go into the SF entry on Hawai'i, I'll briefly share my thoughts on the Mountain West's press conference from yesterday.

On the whole, I think the new logo is fine -- it's simple, but effective, and will help to further build up the Mountain West as something more than just a collection of athletic programs and universities. What I didn't like, though, is the hype that preceded what turned out to be a relatively modest announcement. But I admit that might've been a case of my personal hopes and aspirations being transposed on to something that didn't intend to come across that way. And it still beats the hell out of that "Leaders and Legends" crap.

Hawai'i Warriors

Although they will most likely be in the mix for a WAC title in the coming Year Without a Boise State, the Warriors will still field a team that will look very different from the one that went 10-4 last year. A few things will likely remain true, though: they'll pass a lot, they'll score a lot, and their roster will boast more hard-to-pronounce names than a Russian all-star hockey team.

Offense

Scoring: 39.6 points per game (10th)
Rushing: 106.4 yards per game (107th)
Passing: 394.3 yards per game (1st)
Total: 500.6 yards per game (6th)
1st Downs: 23.9 per game (t-13th)
3rd Down Conversions: 37.6% (77th)
Red Zone Conversions: 80.9% (71st)

Defense

Scoring: 25.5 points per game (58th)
Rushing: 135.9 yards per game (40th)
Passing: 221.7 yards per game (63rd)
Total: 357.6 yards per game (50th)
Sacks: 30.0 (t-32nd)
Tackles for Loss: 75.0 (t-59th)
Turnover Margin: +12 (t-11th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 5 (t-82nd)
Kickoff Returns: 20.2 yards per return (t-94th)
Punts: 43.0 yards per punt (29th)
Punt Returns: 3.8 yards per return (111th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 194, 74 and 38 - Number of passing plays of 10+, 20+ and 30+ yards, respectively, that senior-to-be quarterback Bryant Moniz completed last year, all three of which were national highs; 23 - Number of interceptions the Hawai'i defense caught in 2010, tied with Virginia Tech for second-most in the country; 17 - Number of seasons which passed between the Warriors' last two 1,000-yard rushers (Travis Sims in 1992 and Alex Green last year).

In 2005, the WAC's top three teams beat each other in a manner not unlike a game of Rock Paper Scissors: Fresno beat Boise, Boise beat Nevada and Nevada beat Fresno. It happened again in 2010: Boise beat Hawai'i, Hawai'i beat Nevada and Nevada beat Boise, but unlike the previous instance, all three teams became co-champions this time. But where Nevada has arguably surpassed Fresno State in the last few years and finally shed its back of the Bronco monkey (or "Bronkey," if you will) for at least one year, the Warriors are a team which has continued to vex the Pack, and often in ways which have been incredibly frustrating and painful for us as fans to watch.

It's not that Nevada hasn't had success against Hawai'i in the recent past -- the home team has won ten of the eleven meetings between these two since Nevada joined the WAC in 2000. But since 2003, all but one game have been decided by ten or fewer points, and the Pack is 3-5 in those contests. In fact, from the standpoints of competitiveness and closeness on the field of play, I'm going to go so far as to declare Hawai'i as Nevada's best rival of the last few years. You read that right. NSU has been a rival in name only as of late, but these Wolf Pack/Warrior games have fit the term perfectly.

Like the other two front-runners for this year's King of the Hill Who's Not Boise State For Once, Hawai'i has a lot of important questions to answer. Those questions begin on offense, where four out of five starting linemen, three receivers (two of whom were highly productive) and a rare 1,000-yard running back all depart. On the other side, the two defensive backs who accounted for more than half of the Warriors' interceptions -- Mana Silva and Jeramy Bryant -- are both gone, as well as both ends and a back-up linebacker. Place kicker Scott Enos and kickoff return man Dustin Blount round out the alohas. Luckily for the Warriors, the team's undisputed leaders on offense and defense -- Moniz and linebacker Corey Paredes, the nation's fourth-leading tackler last year -- do return, and their chances of winning the last championship of the WAC as we know it will likely hinge upon their efforts.

Next week's Summer Filler will focus on Louisiana Tech, so get those numerous connecting flights and long bus rides squared away.

PWtW Brings You the News

2011-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

There are now less than 100 days until Nevada's season opening game at Oregon, and it's our job here at Pistol Whipping the WAC to bring you the latest in news that matters to Wolf Pack fans.

Nevada football scheduled to play entire NFC West

Reno, NV - In what's believed to be the first arrangement of its kind in the history of college football, the University of Nevada Wolf Pack will play a series of four exhibition games against four different NFL teams next year.

The deal was announced by Nevada athletic director Cary Groth at a press conference at the team's offices on campus. Flanked by football players -- who remained silent throughout the event -- Groth extolled the publicity it will bring to the program.

"I feel this will be a tremendous opportunity to expose NFL fans to Wolf Pack football, and I know our players will be up to the challenges presented by these games," which she added would all be played at the NFL teams' respective stadiums. "Frankly, I'm not sure why no other program has thought to do this before."

Under the terms of the agreement, the program will receive an as-yet undisclosed amount of money for the games against Seattle, St. Louis, San Francisco and Arizona. In spite of this, Groth assured the group of reporters present that the amount Nevada is due to receive will be "comparable to what other collegiate programs would get."

Because of recently departed quarterback Colin Kaepernick's draft selection by San Francisco, Groth said, he would be held out of that game to avoid any "conflicts of interest."

When asked why she sought out the Seahawks, Rams, 49ers and Cardinals for these games and didn't make more demands during the negotiating process, Groth was adamant in her response. "We wanted destinations that would be easy for our fans to travel to. The program's well-being and our fans' ability to support these players in person were paramount concerns for us throughout this whole process."

Nevada head coach Chris Ault was out on the recruiting trail at the time of the announcement. He sounded mostly pleased when reporters contacted him and told him the news.

"That's really neat stuff. Since it's the NFC West, it won't be much different than the competition we'd face from someone like New Mexico State."

Latest Oregon football uniforms visible from space

In this satellite photograph of Eugene, Oregon taken from aboard the ISS, the blue arrow points to a cluster of the new Duck football uniforms.

Eugene, OR - In their continuing effort to provide their football players with the latest in futuristic clothing, athletic department officials from the University of Oregon unveiled the program's latest line of uniforms at a press conference yesterday.

"These uniforms are indicative of Nike's commitment to providing our players with the best competitive edge in all of sports," said Ducks head coach Chip Kelly. "The cosmically bright shades of neon green and electric yellow in addition to the black and silver alternates will be just another facet of playing the Ducks that our opponents will have to plan for."

The stylized, distinct combinations of jerseys, pants and helmets were developed at Nike headquarters in Beaverton. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station later confirmed the uniforms were plainly visible to the naked eye from low Earth orbit, just as UO officials had boasted.

"We were skeptical at first, but once we got into a geosynchronous orbit over Eugene and went out for a space walk, it was real easy to spot 'em," said shuttle commander Col. Dennis Hayes. "No binoculars necessary. That's American ingenuity for you."

In response to concerns that have already been voiced over the potential danger the uniforms could pose to other players and fans, a Nike spokeswoman seemed unfazed.

"We've anticipated such concerns, and are prepared to address them with a new line of premium sunglasses which will be available exclusively from Nike. You've heard the phrase 'put on your stunner shades' before -- well, you might say these are actual 'stunner shades,' as they prevent you from being physically stunned by these colors."

Summer Filler #8: New Mexico State

2011-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

So we're done celebrating Memorial Day weekend here in northern Nevada and it actually snowed in a few places. This is usually the time when I make some contrived reference to Nevada weather and how unpredictable it is, but I'm too cold and too angry right now to do that. Instead, I'll just have to console myself with the merciful end of the Slog Through Red October, which is finally within typing distance.

New Mexico State Aggies

Remember back when I alluded to the Lobos as only the second-worst team in the state of New Mexico historically? Of course you do. As you can guess, these poor dopes are the first-worst. Between the Aggies, Lobos and their neighbors in El Paso, there's just something about being along the Rio Grande that seems to doom your football program to have a losing overall record and little postseason success.

Offense

Scoring: 15.7 points per game (117th)
Rushing: 129.1 yards per game (89th)
Passing: 167.4 yards per game (99th)
Total: 296.5 yards per game (112th)
1st Downs: 16.9 per game (102nd)
3rd Down Conversions: 30.0% (118th)
Red Zone Conversions: 79.2% (84th)

Defense

Scoring: 39.5 points per game (115th)
Rushing: 207.1 yards per game (110th)
Passing: 246.3 yards per game (t-103rd)
Total: 453.3 yards per game (112th)
Sacks: 9.0 (119th)
Tackles for Loss: 42.0 (119th)
Turnover Margin: -6 (t-86th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 1 (t-113th)
Kickoff Returns: 24.4 yards per return (17th)
Punts: 37.0 yards per punt (116th)
Punt Returns: 5.9 yards per return (95th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 1,410 and 16 - Total kickoff return yards and number of kickoff returns of 30 or more yards, respectively, for senior-to-be return specialist and wide receiver Taveon Rogers last year, the latter of which was the most of any player in the country; 16-58 - The Aggies' overall record since joining the WAC in 2005, the conference's worst record in that time frame; 50 and 5 - Number of years and months, as of today, which have passed since the last time New Mexico State played in a bowl game, a 20-13 win over Utah State in the Sun Bowl.

Just how long ago was the Aggies' last bowl appearance? It was New Year's Eve of 1960 -- gas was 31 cents a gallon, the United Nations had only 99 members and Ralph Macchio's glorious conception was still nearly a year away. Oh, and New Mexico State had just completed a perfect 11-0 season in which they finished ranked 17th in the Associated Press poll. It's at this point that facts like those cease to be amusing bits of trivia and they instead become sad, strange testaments to the longest running absence between bowl appearances in college football history.

When Hal Mumme was brought to Las Cruces in 2005, he quickly gained notoriety for engineering insanely productive passing offenses, still managing to lose a ton of games in spite of said offenses and looking vaguely like a coked out Michael Douglas with a towel fetish. Then DeWayne Walker replaced him in 2009, and he's trying out the quaint tactic of building up a balanced offense coupled with a sound defense. We make fun of teams like New Mexico State all the time on here, but given that Walker has already shown more tact and class in two years than Mumme ever showed in twice that time, we have no problem wishing him luck.

For many new head coaches, the third year is about the time when real, tangible improvements start to get reflected in the win and loss columns. And to the Aggies' credit, they return enough players on both sides of the ball to warrant such positive thoughts. Seven starters each on offense and defense return, and the only departing player of real note productivity-wise is NFL draft pick Davon House at corner. This was a team whose inexperience at key positions showed all throughout last year, and gained enough experience to warrant (nonetheless cautious) optimism for a few more wins in 2011.

Well that's that. The Slog Through Red October is finally complete, and now the more intriguing WAC summaries can begin. So grab your custom gang-appointed vests and artfully tussle up your hair for next week's entry on Hawai'i.

The "G Word"

2011-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is, folks: the "lost entry" I alluded to in the Summer Filler for New Mexico. It's not quite the same entry that was so cruelly taken away from me that week, but it's the most faithful reproduction I could put together. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

For many of you -- particularly those of Italian descent -- "the G word" refers to "Guido," an ethnic slur and source of consternation and debate among Italian-Americans. But today, I'd like to submit to you another "G word" most commonly used among sports fans which unequivocally needs to be retired, or at least replaced with something better. Like the more well-known word, it's also often used as a put down, with more than a hint of condescension beneath the surface. I'll let dictionary.com pull up the curtain here for me:

gim`mick (gim-ik) noun - 1. an ingenious or novel device, scheme or stratagem, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal. 2. a concealed, usually devious aspect or feature of something, as a plan or deal...3. a hidden mechanical device by which a magician works a trick or a gambler controls a game of chance.

Incidentally, a hand-off out of a zone read fits that third definition pretty well, don't you think?

Yeah, we've all heard this word used to describe the pistol offense before, and it seems to have once again come into common use since Colin Kaepernick's draft selection by the 49ers. We'd be some of the richest fans in the land if we had a nickle for every time a national columnist or ESPN talking head used the words "gimmick" or "gimmicky" to describe Nevada's offense. It's a term seemingly as old as the sport itself, and Nevada is not the first -- nor will be the last -- to have it directed at them.

But herein lies the first problem of using the word "gimmick" to describe a way of doing things in college football, or any other sport for that matter: it's ignorant of the sport's evolution over its history. The people who call the pistol "gimmicky" today are the same people who would've called the spread, shotgun, single-wing or even the forward pass gimmicks when they were first introduced. The word implies that there's only a select few "acceptable" ways of doing things on the field, with no room for creativity or deviation of any kind. Apparently, across 120 different FBS programs in college football, there's absolutely no reason to try anything different or differentiate yourself from other programs in any way -- who knew?

According to many Cal fans, this was the result of a "gimmicky" offense the Bears had never seen before...or because Mike Mohamed didn't play...or because it was on a Friday night...or because of the altitude...or because the tide wasn't out yet...or because the players were all on their periods at the same time...

That last point segues perfectly into my next one. Take another look at that first definition of the word: "...especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal". This would limit the number of programs who use gimmicks in some way to EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM IN THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN' NATION!!! The pistol is no more a gimmick in attracting attention to Nevada football than Boise State's blue turf is in attracting attention to theirs (but for the record, Nevada's is MUCH cooler). The same thing can be said for the Fresno State "V", Oregon's infamous football uniforms and Auburn's network of boosters skilled in leaving wads of cash in discrete places (allegedly). In case you hadn't noticed, recruiting players to your program is all about "attracting attention and increasing appeal". If you're going to call the pistol a gimmick, fine, but apply it equally to everything which fits the definition and not just to the quirky offense you don't know or care enough about to understand.

And that last sentence leads me to the final reason why the "gimmick" label has to go: it's convenient. It's an easy way by which casual fans and self-proclaimed experts alike can quickly absolve themselves of the task of learning more about it. Rather than find out exactly why the pistol has worked for Nevada, they simply call it a gimmick and use the label as a means of downplaying what it has been able to do. It speaks to laziness on the part of the person saying it, and rather than making them look more informed, it has the opposite effect.

So to recap why we should stop calling things in college football "gimmicks" or "gimmicky":

~ It's ignorant of the sport's history
~ It's ignorant of what a gimmick really is
~ It makes you yourself look ignorant when you use the word

Not much else to it, really. If you want to be a trendsetter amongst your friends, put some thought into crafting a more respectable name for innovations like the pistol. But if you don't mind looking or sounding like these idiots...

...then by all means, keep saying "gimmick".

Summer Filler #7: Fresno State

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

So it's after May 21st, 2011 and we were all spared the Rapture that was supposed to have taken place on Saturday night. Is it wrong that I kinda sorta half-expected it to happen? After all, wouldn't it have been just our luck as Wolf Pack fans to have our one win over Boise State in the last decade immediately followed by a worldwide, Biblical cataclysm of death? Maybe this means we CAN have nice things once in a while!

Fresno State Bulldogs

If the Bulldogs are playing a BCS team, chances are good that they'll come out with the focus and intensity of soldiers on a mission. But often against the teams they're expected to beat, they can't seem to recapture that same fire. They've also shown an unfortunate knack for coming apart as their seasons wind down. In a way, Fresno State is to college football what Stephen King is to horror stories: their set-ups are awesome, but their pay-offs are crap.

Offense

Scoring: 29.0 ppg (t-48th)
Rushing: 150.6 ypg (65th)
Passing: 220.0 ypg (61st)
Total: 370.6 ypg (70th)
1st Downs: 19.3 pg (64th)
3rd Downs Converted: 35.4% (93rd)
Red Zone Conversions: 84.8% (41st)

Defense

Scoring: 30.0 ppg (83rd)
Rushing: 158.5 ypg (66th)
Passing: 208.8 ypg (46th)
Total: 367.2 ypg (59th)
Sacks: 35.0 (t-12th)
Tackles for Loss: 84.0 (t-34th)
Turnover Margin: -11 (t-111th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 6 (t-77th)
Kickoff Returns: 22.5 ypr (45th)
Punts: 37.4 ypp (110th)
Punt Returns: 9.3 ypr (44th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 2.69 - Number of sacks per game the Bulldogs averaged in 2010, tied with Arkansas for 13th in the country; 16.0 and 93 - Number of tackles for loss and their yards, respectively, that Chris Carter accounted for in his final season; 15 - Number of fumbles lost by the Bulldogs last year, tied for 108th in the country.

There's been a pivotal moment in each of the last few seasons where the Bulldogs seem to have just thrown up their hands and said "Screw this." Last year it was after they came up short against the Pack, when they got shut out by Boise, squeaked by Idaho and Illinois and then got spiritually de-pantsed by Northern Illinois. In the year before, it was a beatdown in Reno that set the stage for two more close wins and a flat, uninspiring bowl loss to Wyoming. And in the year before that, a close road loss to Louisiana Tech led to losses in three of their next five games, capped off by their first New Mexico Bowl loss to Colorado State. For a program with so many wins against BCS competition, they seem to have a lot of trouble grasping the concept of "finishing what you start."

The stats tell the story of a team that was exceptional in a few areas (sacks and tackles for loss) mediocre in most others and sub-par in the rest. Their offense was capable of being good, and their defense was capable of being exceptional, but they still had a lot of trouble holding on to the ball and keeping teams out of the end zone, respectively. Turnovers, in particular, seem to have played a big role in unraveling the team in each of their five losses. Even with a final record of 8-5, it was still evident that they couldn't...quite...get...over...the hump, a problem that should be all too familiar to us.

Gone are Ryan Colburn at quarterback, tight end Vince Pascoe (not to be confused with Bear Pascoe -- I looked it up) and a stunning four out of five starters along the offensive line. The situation is only slightly less pressing on defense, where the aforementioned Carter, Cornell Banks (nose tackle), Ben Jacobs (middle linebacker), Desia Dunn (corner) and Lorne Bell (strong safety) all depart. The skill players who do return, like Jamel Hamler, Robbie Rouse and Logan Harrell, will be relied upon early and often for this team, particularly as Derek Carr gets acclimated to being the new starting quarterback. Even so, they still probably have enough talent to at least be in the mix for the WAC title.

If the Slog Through Red October were a video game, next week's team would be the Gigantic Main Boss Monster of Suck: New Mexico State.

If I Made the Schedules...

2011-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. I know this may shock and appall some of you to hear, but it's true. In spite of what I can often convince myself of, I especially don't know what goes into running a successful collegiate athletic department. I suspect it's a lot like dating multiple women at once or running a drug ring in that it looks like heaps of fun from the outside, but is actually much harder than it looks once you go into it at the ground level.

I can imagine the same is true for crafting a football schedule. Today's mid- to lower-level BCS team at the time an agreement is signed could become tomorrow's Top 15 behemoth when the actual game rolls around. There's a certain amount of calculated risks that must be taken to put together the ideal slate of games. It must be logically structured for the sake of helping your team to realize its full potential. It certainly should NOT consist of stepping out for weekly tilts against top-level competition early in the year without a reprieve of any kind. Who would ever put together a schedule like that? Even I know that would be profoundly stupid.

That's why I'm devoting this entry to a few teams I'd like to see the Pack play a series with in the future. They're not arranged in any particular order and no matter how much rationalizing I may do, the ultimate criterion for putting them on here is still "Because I want to, consarn it!".

Tulsa

They're two time zones apart and it probably wouldn't make much sense logistically for either team, but in Pistol Whipping Land I am the Dictator for Life. In spite of their coaches constantly getting poached, Tulsa's been a very solid team the last few years -- particularly on offense -- and I think it'd be a fun series.

Utah

Here's a series I've wanted to see happen since before their Pac-12 invitation came down. Utah has the kind of athletic program that Nevada should seek to emulate, be it the BCS bowl wins in football or the Final Four appearances in basketball. And it'd be a pretty easy trip for fans of both teams as well. For Utah, at least, it would also make a lot more sense than another series with San Jose State would.

TCU

The only meeting between the Horned Frogs and Wolf Pack was back in 2000 and...it didn't go well. And as far as resources, fan support and on-field success go, TCU is still a good deal farther ahead of Nevada eleven years later. But as Nevada's recruiting presence in Texas begins to increase, it would make sense to try to get a series or two with some Texas teams, even if their mascot does resemble a freakish Pokemon/human hybrid like Super Frog here.

Ole Miss

Would Nevada have a shot at beating an SEC team on the road? Couldn't tell you. Would an SEC team even agree to a series with a team from the Mountain West in the first place? I have no idea. The only reason I put the Rebels on this list is for the selfish reason of wanting to see the pre-game experience that is The Grove. It's been talked about and ballyhooed so much across college football that it's gotten to the point where I feel like I HAVE to see it for myself. And I'm just talking about the tailgating that goes on there -- no distracting scenery for this blogger. None whatsoever. No sir. None at all.

Stanford

Why the hell hasn't this series happened yet?! It's not the fact that they've only played each other thirteen times, or the fact that all of them have been in California, or even the fact that the last game between these teams was in 1931 -- it's the principle of the matter, damn it! Especially in this time of high travel expenses, quality teams that are four hours apart have no business avoiding each other like they have the Plague. If Cal can afford to come down out of their trees and grace us Renoites with their smelly presence, then so can the Robber Barons!

Summer Filler #6: New Mexico

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had an entry all lined up and scheduled to be posted last Friday morning, but due to some difficulties beyond my control, that entry was deleted by this hosting service. It was a good one, too, and I'm sad I won't be able to bring it to you. Maybe I'll be able to recall it by memory at a later date, but for now, I'll just have to settle for the second episode in my Slog Through Red October four-part saga. Joygasm.

New Mexico Lobos

Former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was brought to Albuquerque in 2009 to replace Rocky Long and -- for lack of a better phrase -- it's pretty much been all downhill for the Lobos since then. In spite of his (apparent) recruiting prowess, they've gone 2-22 in Locksley's first two seasons, fielding some of the most inept offenses and defenses in the country in that time.

Offense

Scoring: 15.8 ppg (116th)
Rushing: 108.4 ypg (106th)
Passing: 167.4 ypg (99th)
Total: 266.1 ypg (120th)
1st Downs: 15.7 pg (t-112th)
3rd Downs Converted: 32.2% (109th)
Red Zone Conversions: 84.0% (46th)

Defense

Scoring: 44.3 ppg (120th)
Rushing: 250.2 ypg (120th)
Passing: 218.8 ypg (57th)
Total: 469.0 ypg (119th)
Sacks: 11.0 (t-116th)
Tackles for Loss: 55.0 (t-108th)
Turnover Margin: -12 (t-115th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 5 (t-82nd)
Kickoff Returns: 23.5 ypr (24th)
Punts: 39.6 ypp (84th)
Punt Returns: 2.3 ypr (119th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 9.58 - number of tackles per game senior-to-be linebacker Carmen Messina averaged last year, 26th in the country; 31.4 - average margin of defeat in the Lobos' 11 losses last year; 6 - total number of games the Lobos have won since shutting out Nevada in the 2007 New Mexico Bowl.

When the best thing you can say about the Lobos is that they aren't the worst team in the state of New Mexico historically, you can probably deduce there's not much to discuss about them back in the present. To give you a unique idea of how truly bad this team has been, here's a link to the Google Images search I performed on the aforementioned Messina. Notice how the best image I could find of him from last season -- gang-tackling a TCU running back -- compares to the next-best images you'll see: standing with his helmet off during practice and limping off the field with an injury. Truly a fitting metaphor for how far this program has fallen of late.

Granted, the Lobos aren't really known as a world-beating program anyway, as evidenced by their lack of a single conference championship since 1964. But they were at least adequate with the occasional bits of greatness sprinkled here and there -- this was the same program that gave the football world Brian Urlacher and the 3-3-5 defense, after all. They're actually not much different than Nevada in many ways, but the two programs have gone in very different directions since that fateful December afternoon in Albuquerque in 2007.

Locksley will no doubt be under a lot of pressure to perform in this coming season, and he'll have relatively few personnel questions to answer first. The biggest area of concern will be on the offensive line, where three starters are gone from a unit that already had a lot of trouble generating offense and protecting its young quarterbacks. Two wide receivers and a fullback also depart, and that's fortunately where the major losses appear to end. The defense's only losses of note are end Seth Johannemann, tackle Peter Gardner, linebacker Cody Neely and safety Brian Hill, the latter two of which were both back-ups. This team has the makings of a put-up-or-shut-up season for its beleaguered coach -- if they want to get back to the .500 plateau, it will have to be with this group, or Locksley's own lox could be cooked.

We're halfway done with the Slog Through Red October, and a brief respite is on the horizon: Fresno State, the least terrible quarter of this crimson quartet.

Summer Filler #5: NSU

2011-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Take another look at Nevada's 2011 football schedule. After having the reaction that's become standard by this time -- swearing out loud and violently punching the person closest to you -- what's the first thing you notice about it? There's a lot of red congregating around the month of October, isn't there? Much like with repeat criminals or Larry the Cable Guy fans (often one and the same), no good can be expected when this many red teams share the same confined space, even when spread out over four weeks. And in the case of these four, it produces a quantum singularity of pure suckitude -- a "red hole" -- right in the middle of the season.

I can already hear some of you: "Fresno State almost beat Nevada last year. They didn't start sucking until after that game." Be that as it may, for convenience's sake, they're guilty by association today. "What about all the good things in this world that are red, like Santa Claus or the Red Cross?" Very true, but you know who else likes red? Satan and communists.

That's why I'm enlisting the help of Tom Clancy submarine commander Marko Ramius to help me navigate this treacherous stretch of calendar. He defected to the U.S., has a submarine that's nearly undetectable, and was once played by Sean Connery -- what's not to love?

"Lenin'sh beard! It'sh a red hole! Take evashive action, you panshiesh! And why doesh everyone on thish shub shpeak with a phony Russian ackshent eckshept me?!"

NSU Rebels

If Rebel football were an environmental disaster, it would be a tire fire. No one knows exactly when it started burning, but that's pretty much all it's ever done and will likely continue to do for the foreseeable future. And that toxic black smoke coming from Sam Boyd Stadium billowed thicker than ever last year, with a new coach, young team, new offense and brutal schedule each playing a part in reducing the Rebels to rubbery kindling.

Offense

Scoring: 18.4 ppg (110th)
Rushing: 103.3 ypg (109th)
Passing: 170.9 ypg (98th)
Total: 274.2 ypg (118th)
1st Downs: 15.7 pg (t-112th)
3rd Downs Converted: 34.1% (t-103rd)
Red Zone Conversions: 83.3% (t-50th)

Defense

Scoring: 39.7 ppg (116th)
Rushing: 222.7 ypg (116th)
Passing: 227.8 ypg (t-77th)
Total: 450.5 ypg (109th)
Sacks: 12.0 (t-113th)
Tackles for Loss: 48.0 (117th)
Turnover Margin: -1 (t-61st)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 11 (t-44th)
Kickoff Returns: 23.3 ypr (28th)
Punts: 37.0 ypp (114th)
Punt Returns: 7.7 ypr (67th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 224 - Number of kick return yards sophomore-to-be Marcus Sullivan racked up in the season finale against San Diego State, a UNLV record; 8 for 170 - Number of receptions and receiving yards senior-to-be Phillip Payne had, respectively, against Nevada last year, both career highs; 3-32 - The Rebels' record in road games since 2005.

One thing you'll notice very quickly with three of the next four teams I'm profiling is that they're all pretty much interchangeable. Look at an offensive or defensive statistical category and there's a high likelihood that NSU, New Mexico and New Mexico State were all clustered at the bottom nationally in it last year. The only difference with the Rebels is that Bobby Hauck's second season on tap isn't nearly as far along in the "rebuilding process" the three teams have all been stuck in of late.

And if Paul Myerberg over at the Pre-Snap Read is to be believed (check out his blog more often if you don't already), then this year will likely be more of the same for the Rebels. Sure, with Marcus Sullivan returning kicks and a couple of wins posted over some even worse D-1 teams (something San Jose State can't boast) it wasn't all bad. It was more like "still predominantly bad with a peephole-sized ray of hope for comfort." The Rebels just haven't been able to find a coach that can build them up to respectability since John Robinson's first few years -- they make a hire that sounds good at the time, but who can't get things going quickly enough and is inevitably replaced four or five years later by another coach who believes he'll succeed where nearly everyone else has failed. The cycle then starts over, and friend and foe alike are left to wonder why they can't seem to get it right.

The Rebels lose quarterback Omar Clayton, three starting offensive linemen and a few other back-ups on offense. Meanwhile, a defense that was already porous to begin with is poised for significant turnover: tackle Isaako Aaitui, ends Preston Brooks and Daniel Mareko, safety Alex De Giacomo, corner Mike Grant and all three starting linebackers must be replaced. It took the team's dearly departed previous coach four years to get his players fully installed and up to a level where they started showing flashes of real potential. If that timeline for development stays true this time around, then another year of hardship is probably on the way for the Rebels, prompting our traditional response to such news.

The Slog Through Red October continues next week with Los Lonely Lobos de New-o Mexico-o.

Opposing Spring Game Round-up

2011-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Spring practices across the country are officially dunzo, and rather than update you on them as they transpired, I decided to lump them all into one entry. Consider it equal parts convenience and prior laziness on my part.

~ Oregon - The Green team beat the White 16-0 in a game defined by defense.

~ San Jose State - Improved passing was the story of the day in a 21-7 win for the White team over the Blue.

~ Texas Tech - Seth Doege cemented his status as the QB to beat heading into summer and fall.

~ Boise State - The Bronco offense was held to 277 total yards in their spring game.

~ UNLV - Questions abound for what will still be a young Rebel team next year.

~ New Mexico - In a rare spring game blowout, the Silver beat the Cherry 41-0.

~ Fresno State - Derek Carr's performance at his last spring practice of the year evidently had more than met the eye.

~ New Mexico State - Andrew Manley and Taveon Rogers led the way for an Aggie offense hopefully on the upswing.

~ Hawai'i - Through numerous replacements on both sides of the ball, defense was the story for the Warriors.

~ Louisiana Tech - The Bulldogs may have a new starting quarterback after Colby Cameron threw for five touchdowns in their spring game.

~ Utah State - A couple of receivers stood out for the Aggies.

~ Idaho - Vandal spring practices ended on a high note.

Summer Filler #4: Boise State

2011-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since it ain't my style to boast on other people's blogs and a healthy amount of time has passed since Pack Friday, I may as well take this opportunity to indulge in a little belated bravado:

"AWW HELL YEAH, BABY!! WOO!! How do you like them apples, Bronco fans? HOW DO YOU LIKE 'EM?! 'Best Team Ever'? I don't THINK SO!! 'National Champions' my ASS!! We put up with ten years' worth of your crap and guess what? You ain't never gonna live THIS ONE down! Now the shoe's on the other foot, ya smug, self-righteous pricks! Hurts, doesn't it?! From Pasadena on New Year's Day to Las Vegas before Christmas! And don't EVER forget who put you there! Who's your daddy?! CHRIS MOTHERFUCKIN' AULT, THAT'S WHO!!"

Ahem. Let us now move forward.

Boise State Broncos

Like Coen Brothers movies or U2 albums, a sub-par season by Boise State's own standards is still pretty damn good to the rest of us. The Broncos spent the majority of their season in top fifteens, be it in national rankings or a host of statistical categories. Though it came up short for reasons we all know, the fact remains that this program will likely stay at or near this same level of excellence for at least another year.

Offense

Scoring: 45.1 ppg (2nd)
Rushing: 200.2 ypg (21st)
Passing: 321.1 ypg (6th)
Total: 521.3 ypg (2nd)
First Downs: 25.1 pg (8th)
Third Downs Converted: 49.0% (11th)
Red Zone Conversions: 85.3% (38th)

Defense

Scoring: 12.8 ppg (2nd)
Rushing: 103.8 ypg (7th)
Passing: 150.9 ypg (4th)
Total: 254.7 ypg (2nd)
Sacks: 48.0 (t-1st)
Tackles for Loss: 109.0 (2nd)
Turnover Margin: +8 (t-22nd)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 9 (t-58th)
Kickoff Returns: 23.6 ypr (23rd)
Punts: 42.9 ypp (32nd)
Punt Returns: 12.7 ypr (16th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 507 - yards of total offense Kellen Moore accounted for in a game against Hawai'i last year; 5,901 - combined career receiving yards of departing wide receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis AND the total number of points the Broncos have scored since 2000, the most of any team in the country in that time; .818 - Boise State's overall winning percentage since 1997, also the highest of any team in the country in that period.

What can you honestly say about Boise State football that hasn't already been said dozens of times before? They get it done on offense, they get it done on defense, they get it done on special teams, and more often than not, they get it done in big games on big stages. They can annoy the ever-loving hell out of you if you root for anyone else, but if you're a fan, they're likely the center of your universe.

And why not? They play an appealing brand of confident, mistake-free football that deserves respect in spite of how stupid they sometimes look while doing it. They're the kind of team that you have to beat entirely on your own, as they don't make enough stupid mistakes to give their opponents even a sliver of unconditional hope. In the time they've shared the WAC with Nevada, they've been like the Ned Flanders to our Homer Simpson: gratingly chaste and perfect in so many ways that you can't help but gloat a little bit on the occasions that they do fall from grace.

After winning gobs of games with what seemed like a perpetually young team for a couple of years, the Broncos finally sustained some losses at key positions after the 2010 season. This is most evident on defense, where end Ryan Winterswyk, MIKE linebacker Derrell Acrey, nickel back Winston Venable, cornerback Brandyn Thompson (I call "illegal use of a superfluous 'y'", by the way) and safety Jeron Johnson all depart. Aside from the aforementioned duo of Young and Pettis, the offense's only other losses of note are linemen Will Lawrence and Matt Slater and back-up running back Jeremy Avery. Kicker, punter and all-around object of pity Kyle Brotzman rounds out the losses.

We should all know by now that no matter who they lose from one year to the next, the Broncos will likely remain very good. But with that said, it'll still be interesting to see the composition of next year's team coming off of what was supposed to have been their "best team ever" the prior year.

Tune in for another Summer Filler next week when we begin the Slog Through Red October. Our first patsy? The Nevada Southern Rebels.

The Wolf Pack Summer Drinking Game

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous entry, summertime in northern Nevada is a fine season in its own right that suffers from the lone drawback of having no college football. And with the 2010 season still fresh in our minds, the Mountain West move a whole fourteen months away and actual bad news still coming in on all fronts for the University, this summer will be especially brutal for die-hards. How can we pass the time in a way that both plays to our strengths as fans and still allows us to enjoy the summer?

Well, let me ask you another question: what's the one thing Renoites do better than anyone else? I mean, besides "not show up to games" and "complain about how much better something could be without actually working to improve it in any way"? Drinking!

Yes, good old alcohol consumption. It loosens your inhibitions, levels the playing field for ugly women, and makes you feel invincible and all-powerful when your sober friends can attest to the opposite being true. And what better twist is there on this pastime than the drinking game? From Beirut to "The Big Lebowski," there's no shortage of ways to attach unique conditions to the objective of getting plotzed as quickly as possible. So why not take all the cliches and tropes we Pack fans will be repeatedly hearing for the next four months and at least bring our good friend alcohol in to the equation?*

*It goes without saying that drinking should never ever involve driving. Lord knows if you actually adhered to these drinking game rules you'd probably be dead of alcohol poisoning within a week, anyway. So please don't take this as anything other than satire and good-natured fun. Be responsible, don't be stupid and all that goodness.

Take one sip whenever...

~ Someone writes off this year's team with something to the effect of "Well, Kaep and Taua are gone, so they're probably gonna suck now." - Get ready for a LOT of this in the coming months. It's not that they aren't going to be tough to replace, because they are. It's saying stuff like this with a complete disregard for all of the other people that helped make the team successful that irks me. Not to mention the total indifference it shows towards what should be a very solid defense. They won't be the same group they were before, of course, but an entire team dependent upon the efforts of two guys? Please. And on one of those last notes...

~ Someone comments on how good the defense will be this year - The novelty of having a defense that doesn't suck pavement and actually helps the team win games has not worn off. I feel this is worth drinking to.

~ A fan of another WAC team wishes bad things on Nevada for their Mountain West invitation - Whether it stems from "the Project" not going through or just plain old jealousy, Nevada won't be very popular for the next year. But regardless of the circumstances surrounding them, Nevada, Fresno State and Hawai'i all earned their invitations through the hard work and perseverance of their student-athletes and coaches. They've all had varying degrees of above average success in football of late, and they all bring other very strong programs and assets to the table. Before you tear others down, look at how you can build yourself up.

~ A Boise State fan uses the actions of one jackwagon caught on camera to justify painting our entire fan base, city and state in a negative light - Yeah, you knew this was coming. Apparently some BSU fans weren't treated well in the time immediately following last year's game, and their fans will invariably use this picture as evidence of what mean, nasty and generally despicable human beings we all are. What they won't do, however, is mention that bad behavior went both ways that night, like with the players who ran straight through the Senior Day families before kick-off, or any number of the Bronco fans in the stands who made general fools of themselves during the game, or the players who taunted the home crowd at various points, and the list goes on. The reason we heard stories about OUR fans is because Boise State lost, and if the roles had been reversed (keeping in mind just how close that was to happening) I doubt our fans would've made the same fuss. Douchebaggery and violence aren't condoned by anyone with an ounce of common sense, but it has to apply to everyone everywhere and not just the human rubbish like that guy in the picture. Also, please refer to this post if you question my motivations in all of this.

~ Nevada's fan support gets criticized - No righteously indignant rant here. I've criticized our fan support plenty of times in the past, including just a few paragraphs ago. This particular drinking game condition could become a vicious cycle for someone like me, so let's move on.

~ Someone mispronounces "Nevada" or misspells "Wolf Pack" - Because hell, this already occurs enough to justify a sip when it happens.

~ A Rebel fan refers to our teams as "UNR" instead of "Nevada" - This is something seemingly as old as the rivalry itself and will never change, but I'd be remiss if I didn't fit it in here somewhere.

Take two sips whenever...

~ Someone wonders out loud why Nevada jumped to the Mountain West so hastily given their current financial problems - Normally I'm capable of seeing two sides to every argument, but not in this case. How even the most casual fan can ask this as a serious question is astounding to me. Nevada's choice was to either make the move now or get left behind in the new WAC forever. Even after TCU's departure, this is still a very easy choice to make. The Mountain West has an actual future to look forward to. The WAC does not -- at least, not a relevant one. END. OF. ARGUMENT.

~ The RGJ is referred to as "the Urinal" - Juvenile? Yes. Crude? Absolutely. Still true a lot of the time? You bet.

~ You or someone else mispronounces Willie Faataualofa's name. - Big Willie rules and we doubt he'd come after anyone who accidentally said his name wrong. But why take that chance? The guy's big. Hence the nickname.

~ Cody Fajardo is referred to as "the quarterback of the future." - We all love Cody, and at this point in time this statement is probably true. But at least show Tanner Roderick a little respect before you fully commit yourself to the Fajardo Fan Club.

~ Yours Truly mentions how hard it is to find stuff to blog about in the summertime. - Hey, it's my drinking game!

Take three sips whenever...

~ Someone replays the video of Wolfie dancing off the top of the dugout. The guy in the costume wasn't hurt, so it's all good.

~ You actually see someone else adopt the Brett Roy style of wearing a jersey. - Seriously, what IS that?

~ Someone mentions the secondary's pass efficiency defense from last year. - This means one of two things: either you read this blog, or you regularly visit silverandbluesports.com. Congratulations are in order for both.

I'd like to see this turn into a yearly tradition, so let me know what other ideas you may have to help make this game even more impractical/needlessly complicated next year.

Summer Filler #3: Texas Tech

2011-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wave of realignments that swept across college sports last summer, the Big Ten ended up with twelve members and the Big 12 was trimmed down to ten members. Normally this is where I would go on a childish rant about how this is all stupid and makes no sense, but then I thought about the logic behind Louisiana Tech playing in a "Western" Athletic Conference and decided to hold my tongue. Instead, I'll just fix myself a drink and wonder why the sports I follow insist upon being built on foundations of lies.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

The spread offense has been a fixture at Texas Tech in the last decade, first under Mike Leach and now under Tommy Tuberville. But where Leach's teams gained notoriety for almost exclusively passing the ball, Tuberville's teams will seek more balance. The Red Raiders seemed to adjust to this slight change just fine last year, finishing 8-5, playing in their eleventh straight bowl game and winning their second straight.

Offense

Scoring: 33.1 ppg (t-23rd)
Rushing: 141.3 ypg (75th)
Passing: 318.9 ypg (7th)
Total: 460.2 ypg (15th)
First Downs: 24.8 pg (9th)
Third Downs Converted: 44.3% (35th)
Red Zone Conversions: 81.8% (t-63rd)

Defense

Scoring: 30.9 ppg (93rd)
Rushing: 162.5 ypg (69th)
Passing: 293.8 ypg (118th)
Total: 456.3 ypg (114th)
Sacks: 25.0 (t-60th)
Tackles for Loss: 76.0 (t-54th)
Turnover Margin: -3 (t-70th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 21 (t-10th)
Kickoff Returns: 22.4 ypr (51st)
Punts: 40.5 ypr (68th)
Punt Returns: 6.3 ypr (88th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 1,894 - number of career kickoff return yards junior-to-be Eric Stephens (above) has already racked up, a program record; 7 - number of games last year in which the Texas Tech defense gave up 300 or more passing yards, including three 400+ yard games (Baylor, Texas A&M and Houston); 5-0 - the Red Raiders' record in games decided by eight or fewer points last year.

Stop me if you've heard this routine before: this team had an offense that could move the ball and score points on just about any defense in the nation, but when it came time for their own defense to take the field blah blah blah blah can't stop the pass. Sound familiar? That's because it's the same song and dance we've grown used to hearing for Nevada's teams of the last few years. Needless to say, we here at PWtW can identify with Red Raider fans.

And just like in many of Nevada's previous seasons, these two units had the effect of either propelling the team to lopsided victories or screwing them over en route to puzzling defeats. They beat a Missouri team that finished 10-3 and ranked #18 in both major polls, but also found ways to lose to Texas and Iowa State, who each finished 5-7. Those pass defense numbers, in particular, look like they were the result of Nigel Burton's "expertise."

The Red Raiders are definitely the most difficult to read of all of Nevada's non-conference opponents, and are also the most intriguing one as a result. All five starters return on the offensive line, but gone are the team's top two receivers (Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis), their starting running back (Baron Batch) and quarterback Taylor Potts and his Unabomber beard. The questions on defense center around who will replace defensive tackle Colby Whitlock's experience (49 consecutive starts) and the productivity of linebackers Bront Bird (106 tackles) and Brian Duncan (7 sacks). It also remains to be seen how long long it will take that defense to adjust to new defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow and his new scheme. Additionally, Coach Tuberville's recruiting prowess is already evident in the first full class of his tenure in Lubbock, but how many of those players will be talented enough to play right away, and what kind of impact would they make and where?

Next week we'll check up on the defending Maaco Bowl Las Vegas champion (hurts, doesn't it?) Boise State Broncos.

Summer Filler #2: San Jose State

2011-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to hype up a team that went 1-12 last year without sounding bored or obligated to do so? I don't know, but I'm about to give it a shot.

San Jose State Spartans

You know those "motivational" posters you occasionally see in office cubicles featuring the phrase "Just Hang in There!" next to a kitten dangling on a tree branch? Well Mike McIntyre slummed his way through a "'Just Hang in There' kitten poster" kind of season in his first year in San Jose, failing to beat a single FBS opponent and even managing to lose to an FCS team along the way.

Offense

Scoring: 16.1 ppg (115th)
Rushing: 78.5 ypg (119th)
Passing: 236.5 ypg (45th)
Total: 315.1 ypg (101st)
1st Downs: 15.6 pg (114th)
3rd Downs Converted: 26.0% (120th)
Red Zone Conversions: 78.8% (86th)

Defense

Scoring: 34.7 ppg (t-104th)
Rushing: 203.2 ypg (104th)
Passing: 260.5 ypg (111th)
Total: 463.7 ypg (117th)
Sacks: 24.0 (t-65th)
Tackles for Loss: 68.0 (t-76th)
Turnover Margin: -7 (t-98th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 8 (t-63rd)
Kickoff Returns: 21.1 ypr (t-76th)
Punts: 40.5 ypp (t-72nd)
Punt Returns: 8.33 ypr (59th)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 14 - number of tackles for loss by Keith Smith, the most all-time by a freshman linebacker; 8.9 - average tackles per game for Smith, the most of any freshman in the country; 32 - number of games which have transpired since the last time the Spartans beat a team that finished the season at .500 or better (Hawai'i in 2008).

In the last decade, the gulf between "have" and "have-not" in the WAC has been one of the biggest discrepancies you'll find in any football conference in the country. On one hand, both of Boise State's Fiesta Bowl seasons stand as testaments to the heights that non-AQ programs can hope to reach with the right pieces in place. But at the other end of the spectrum, when WAC football is bad, it's really bad. Horrifically, stupendously, hilariously bad. Tommy Wiseau bad, even.

Enter the 2010 Spartans. Pretty much the only thing they did right with any kind of consistency was pass, but considering how frequently they played from behind and were no doubt forced to throw, that probably doesn't say much. There just isn't much statistically speaking that stands out about this team in a positive way. They couldn't generate much offense when they had the ball, and they couldn't stop much of anything when they didn't have it. This was a team that was forced by numerous injuries to play lots of young players, and when coupled with a first-year coach and a non-conference schedule that only Cary Groth would seek to emulate, their struggles didn't surprise anyone.

The only upside to experiencing what the Spartans weathered last year is how much it no doubt toughened up the players who lived through it. 1-12 seasons force players like the aforementioned Smith or wide receiver Noel Grigsby to rise to the top and take control of the team heading forward. Truth be told, the Spartans return a lot of starters and have very little to replace heading into 2011. Quarterback Jordan La Secla, wide receiver Jalal Beauchman and a couple of offensive linemen are the only departing players of note -- all the defensive and special teams starters from their last game will be back, and there's usually something to be said for that kind of carryover from one year to the next.

Tune in next week when Summer Fillers profiles the Fighting Bell Ringers of Texas Tech.

Dr. Milton Glick, 1937-2011

2011-04-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

The University of Nevada lost a tireless crusader and great ambassador over the weekend. His unceasing devotion to bettering the University and championing its important place in the state was unmatched, but his personal interactions with the people of northern Nevada will leave the widest impression. He believed in the power of the college experience to transform people for the better, and in keeping graduates connected to their alma mater. Nevada Wolf Pack sports will also miss one of its biggest fans. I'll personally remember Dr. Glick for his warmth, openness and level of energy that belied his age. He always had time to stop and listen to people's concerns wherever he was, and it's this dedication to reaching out and building relationships that we should carry on in his memory. My only regret is that the University and the state couldn't have benefited from his leadership under brighter circumstances. Godspeed, Dr. Glick, and thank you for all of your efforts.

Silver and Blue Game Report

2011-04-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday turned out to be quite long and trying for yours truly, but at least it started the right way at the Silver and Blue Game.

From nevadawolfpack.com

- The weather was outstanding. We should know by now that it's not truly the end of winter until Nevada concludes its spring practices.

- The scoring system was a huge departure from other spring games, but I think it was for the better. I personally believe the ways in which to earn points made it a much more equitable way to look at the day's events than other formats can offer. Once you figured out what each kind of play was worth and got past the idea of a TD being worth 10 or 12 points instead of just 7, it was a good system. I hope it returns for next year's game.

- Like most of the crowd size estimates the AD puts out these days, I must call BS on how many people attended the game. 2,500 is more like the low end of what I would guess. But I'm also afraid that if I complain too vocally about it, then those infernal turnstiles will appear at next year's game and everything will go downhill from there. So let's move on.

- It took a few series for the passing game to start clicking, and even then it was sort of hit-or-miss. Each QB had their share of bad throws that were either over, behind or nowhere near their intended receivers. Lantrip had the only passing TD on the day, and didn't do anything to dispel the notion that he's the guy to beat heading into summer and fall. Magleby regressed from his previous scrimmage performances, while Fajardo definitely improved. Either way, look at Kaep's passing stats from last year's spring game and you'll see how little there is to actually glean from these games and what bearing it will have on how good the team will turn out to be (meaning "possibly no bearing whatsoever").

- One thing I'll grant each of the two younger QBs is that they're slippery -- even with swarms of defenders around them, they were often very difficult to catch. Fajardo in particular put together some long runs that looked (dare I say it this early) Kaepernick-esque. Assuming Lantrip stays in front and no one gets injured, the competition for all three QB spots will be fun to watch unfold.

- The running backs continue to impress me. True, we have every reason to believe that Ball and Mark will be fired up to hit the fall practice field when they fully heal up, but that doesn't mean the development of the young guys behind them will be any less meaningful. Keeping the hyperbole to a minimum, both Jefferson and Hale showed flashes of some of the skills that made Taua great, mainly their reading of which blocks to follow and the timing of the cuts they make. In Jefferson's case, I actually think he's a little farther along than Taua was when he was a sophomore. To put it succinctly, Hale just gets stuff done.

- The Union did mostly well. Their run blocking was very good in most cases, but the fact that six different players got past them for sacks was slightly discouraging. But herein lies the central problem of judging any spring game: who deserves the praise and who deserves the criticism?

- The QBs weren't particularly special on this day and neither were the receivers. I, personally, was glad to see Wimberly getting more touches, and I think it's awesome that 49 yards on three catches is considered a "quiet" day for Matthews. Most of the units' drops today could be chalked up to sub-par throws or being snuffed out by their defenders. One thing I was definitely intrigued by were the number of fly sweep hand-offs to receivers in motion. It would seem that the coaches are trying to look for other ways to put the ball in many different receivers' hands, and I like these efforts so far. If it were up to me to pick that third receiver spot right now, I'd have to go with either Session or Anderson.

- It was great to see the defense get out to the start that they did. Forcing two three-and-outs and stopping another drive later was a positive departure from their other two scrimmages.

- The six different sacking players I mentioned earlier is testament to the variety that we're beginning to see in Coach Buh's play-calling. At one point, Faddis got a nice tackle for a loss and I remarked to someone next to me that Coach Burton would never have called a safety blitz when he was here, much less a successful one.

- More often than not, the corners and safeties were in place to make good plays on passes. Granted, a couple of times this resulted in pass interference being called, but how much can you really chew out a player for a penalty in a spring game?

- I'm really interested to see who the second cornerback will be opposite Frey. Thompson and Garrett both had good outings today, and when you throw in James, Wooten and Brown things will only get that much more intense. Hold on to your butts, folks.

- Rosette and Hekking made some good plays at the end spots, with Rosette getting the edge today. This kid just can't seem to do wrong out there and the coaches look really smart for moving him up to the line.

- This observation doesn't really have to do with the spring game, so I'll put it here at the end of my report. I love seeing Roy's intensity and swagger out there. He represents the kind of attitude that this defense has needed for so long: the confidence in one's self and one's ability to kick your butt without crossing the line over into disrespectful territory. But he also flirts with that line once in a while, and seems to enjoy doing so. With that said -- and because I would never ever dream of saying this to his face -- the pulled up jersey look does not suit him. Maybe it's partly a psychological thing like Brian Wilson's beard and I'm not seeing it, but it just doesn't sit well with me. But whatever -- different strokes for different folks.

See you all on Tuesday for another edition of Summer Fillers.

A New Summer Feature

2011-04-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me (first off, congratulations and high fives all around), then a part of you always dreads summertime. Sure, there are plenty of good things about summers in the Truckee Meadows: perfect golfing weather, night games at Aces Ballpark and taking in the wonderful Tahoe scenery on Fourth of July weekend, for starters. But in spite of all of those things, summertime in Reno -- and indeed every other city across this great nation -- suffers from a terrible handicap: no college sports.

After March Madness ends and the last spring football practices conclude, the time from mid-April to about August is the worst time of year to be a fan of college sports. Sure, college baseball lasts into June, but that's merely methadone for this kind of addiction. You can try using those aluminum bats for smashing mailboxes or beating up Boise State fans, but it just isn't the same.

But fear not, for you won't have to endure it alone anymore! This is the first installment of what I'm going to call "Summer Fillers." I'll be taking a look at each of the teams on the 2011 football schedule and give you a brief recap of their 2010 season, break down some stats and take a look at who they lose from their prior season. And if you're not completely satisfied for whatever reason...it's filler, so what did you expect?

Oregon Ducks

Nevada opened last year against the eventual FCS national champion Eastern Washington at home. This year they open on the road against the team that was a field goal away from becoming the FBS national champion. "Not quite the same" is an understatement on par with "The Great Wall of China is long."

Offense

Scoring: 47.0 ppg (1st)
Rushing: 287.6 ypg (4th)
Passing: 243.1 ypg (39th)
Total: 530.7 ypg (1st)
First Downs: 26.6 pg (1st)
3rd Downs Converted: 44.9% (29th)
Red Zone Conversions: 82.4% (t-56th)

Defense

Scoring: 18.7 ppg (12th)
Rushing: 128.1 ypg (27th)
Passing: 217.9 ypg (56th)
Total: 346.0 ypg (34th)
Sacks: 33.0 (t-21st)
Tackles for Loss: 96.0 (t-10th)
Turnover Margin: +13 (t-8th)

Special Teams

Touchbacks: 12 (t-39th)
Kickoff Returns: 21.4 ypr (t-66th)
Punts: 41.8 ypp (44th)
Punt Returns: 16.98 ypr (2nd)

Some Numbers to Ponder: 5 - number of punts the Ducks returned for touchdowns, the most of any team in the country; 158 - number of touchdowns the Nevada and Oregon offenses combined for last year; 4 - number of offensive categories (scoring offense, rushing offense, total offense and first downs per game) in which the Ducks and Wolf Pack both finished the season ranked in the top ten nationally.

The Ducks' offense put up a best-in-the-nation 81 touchdowns last year, and frankly I'm too overcome with awe to whip out a snappy retort for that. Whether watching them on TV or just perusing their stats, it's evident this was a team that struck hard, fast and often when they had the ball. When you're only punting 0.9 times per game while cranking out 47 points per game, it means your offense expects to control every contest and succeeds in doing just that most every week.

The top-shelf talent leading the Ducks in 2011 will include LaMichael James, a Heisman candidate and the nation's leading rusher a year ago, and cornerback/return specialist Cliff Harris, who accounted for four of those five punts returned for touchdowns I mentioned earlier and also pitched in six interceptions on defense. It's nice to see Nevada continuing its tradition of scheduling teams that look quite beatable at one time and then get REALLY good by the time Nevada actually plays them (see Texas Tech and Missouri in '08).

Oregon's offense was a lot like Nevada's in that it centered on a powerful ground game that could shift to a less potent but nonetheless effective passing attack. Defensively, they were actually a little soft ("little" being the key word) as far as the amount of yards they gave up, but as their average points allowed, tackles for loss and turnover margin all show, they stepped up in the most important areas at the most important times.

Odds are that there will still be plenty of talent for the Ducks to boast when the season rolls around, but this isn't to say they still don't have some crucial holes to fill. Receivers Jeff Maehl (the program's most productive receiver ever) and D.J. Davis are gone, as are three offensive linemen (tackle Bo Thran, center Jordan Holmes and guard C.E. Kaiser). Three out of four starting defensive linemen must be replaced, including tackle Brandon Bair and end Kenny Rowe, who combined for nearly one third of the team's tackles for loss. Linebackers Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysinger and corner Talmadge Jackson III round out the departing defenders.

Look for a recap of the Silver and Blue Game some time on Saturday night and a Summer Filler for San Jose State next week.

April 2nd Scrimmage Report

2011-04-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

I was able to head up to Mackay for this morning's scrimmage and took lots of notes just for all twelve of you loyal readers!

You'll also notice that I didn't take any pictures. Yes, I probably could've zoomed in and snapped shots of one player at a time to circumvent whatever concerns the coaching staff no doubt has about formations being photographed, but I wasn't in the mood to draw any more attention to myself than my notepad was already drawing. That, and about 85% of my time at the scrimmage was already being spent scribbling notes about what I was seeing between plays. I write about as fast as a pregnant cow can run, and a multi-tasker I am not.

- I arrived at the stadium when the kickers were practicing field goals right before the scrimmage started. Anthony Martinez is still fairly accurate, but I'd feel better if he worked on extending his range and getting a little more lift under his kicks. Two new transfer kickers followed him: redshirt freshman Allen Hardison (UNLV) and junior Spencer Nolen (Chattanooga). Since each kicker only got about three kicks and none of them were longer than about 35 yards, it's hard to assign much meaning to what I saw. But with that said, I did like the lift the two new kickers put under the ball, and it looked like the potential is there to challenge Martinez during this session.

- The tone was set early on when Tyler Lantrip hit Rishard Matthews on a long touchdown over the middle on the first play. The defense had its moments, but today mostly belonged to the offense. I think we'll be hearing a lot of "Lantrip to Matthews" touchdown calls on the radio this year.

- Matthews was far and away the best receiver out there today. Aaron Bradley was what you'd call "solid if unspectacular" and L.J. Washington made some nice plays, but also dropped what would've been an easy touchdown pass. The only TE who caught some passes was Kolby Arendse, and the one pass that Necho Beard hauled in was a sight to behold. Corbin Louks couldn't haul in anything today -- hopefully it won't discourage him going forward. Aside from a great 4th down catch where he kept fighting to reach the corner of the end zone, Brandon Wimberly was fairly quiet.

- The only three running backs who saw action today were Stefphon Jefferson, Nick Hale and Nathan Lytle, and I was pretty impressed with the first two. Jefferson strung together a couple of sideline runs where he showed good cutting and juking skills, but he also took lots of punishment on some decent runs up the middle. Hale showed surprising speed on a 20-ish-yard touchdown run to his right and has some shake-n-bake moves of his own. Hopefully their performances today will put the impetus on Ball and Mark when they recover.

- It was a pretty good day for the Union on the whole. The pass protection was better than average and the run blocking was excellent from what I could discern. But I also admit I didn't pay as close attention as I could've to this facet of the offense.

- This brings me to the quarterbacks. For every great connection to a receiver I saw, there was a pass that would go over their heads or that they were forced to throw away due to defensive pressure. There's already some good chemistry on display between them and the receivers, but I'm also interested in seeing how they progress between now and the spring game. I was genuinely surprised to see that Magleby threw for the most yards in the practice's final stats, because there's still a general feeling that Lantrip is the guy to beat. He and Magleby both showcased some good scrambling skills, be it on a zone read or a broken play like when Magleby ran for his touchdown.

- There was a moment when Fajardo bobbled a snap and lost a few yards as he was forced to fall on it. I suddenly realized then just how much we may have taken Kaep for granted these last few years. The best summary I can offer for today's quarterback play was seeing Magleby drop another snap before recovering, scrambling to his right and hitting a wide open Matthews for another long touchdown. Finding the new starting quarterback will be a long process for these three players, and I think there will be equal parts great plays and growing pains before a starter is officially named.

- On the whole, there wasn't too much that could be easily picked out from the defense's play today. They forced a couple of three-and-outs, and held off a score or two after the offense moved within scoring distance, but there just wasn't much you could quickly point to and say "That was awesome defense!"

- DeAndre Boughton and Dean Faddis were the leading tacklers with 5 apiece. Charles Garrett had the day's only interception, which came on a Fajardo pass that was slightly under-thrown, but Tyler Thompson should've picked off another pass in the end zone from (I think) Magleby. The two sacks both came from linebackers: Jeremiah Green and Brandon Marshall.

- The run defense was solid against runs up the middle, but seemed to have trouble keeping containment when the backs went outside the hash marks. The secondary stayed with their receivers most of the time, but broke down and gave up their share of open catches a few times as well.

- The best hit of the day came from a player I hadn't even heard of before it happened. Wimberly took a hand-off on a fly sweep to the right just before David Jamieson -- a sophomore from Reno High -- snuck past his blocker and absolutely DRILLED him. He got knocked backwards about three or four yards and you could hear everyone in the stadium react to the hit.

- I saw a few intriguing adjustments that were worth mentioning. Sam Foster, for example, was listed on my roster as a DE, but lined up at tackle next to Brett Roy a couple of times. I could've sworn I also saw Brandon Marshall getting some action at DE as well.

That's what I can tell you about today's scrimmage. I'll head up to whatever practices I can and see what I can gather from here on out.

Breaking News!!!

2011-04-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

I felt a story of this magnitude speaks for itself. God help us all.

Kaepernick Revealed to be Robot from Future

Reno, NV -- In a startling revelation which has shaken the foundations of humankind's perceptions of time and space, former University of Nevada football player Colin Kaepernick was revealed to have actually been a highly intelligent, self-aware robot sent to the present from the distant future.

Addressing a stunned crowd of assembled scientists and physicists through a temporal rip, the robot formerly known as Kaepernick explained why it first came to Reno in 2006.

"I was sent to your time by my creators for a single purpose: the destruction of what would've been Boise State's national championship season," it said, "and the preservation of the world you know."

The picture that first hinted at Kaepernick's true nature.

According to the machine, its creators inhabited a bleak future in which Boise State's 2010 championship fostered a master race of arrogant, self-absorbed fans immune to reason and completely unaware of the concepts of heartbreak and losing. Schoolchildren recited the Boise State fight song instead of the Pledge of Allegiance. Television stations were forced to eliminate their programming and show a continuous loop of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. All religions -- save for the Church of Saint Petersen the Infallible -- were abolished.

"Their malice and smugness knew no bounds," continued the robot, "and it wasn't long before they proceeded to dominate the entire planet with their brand of prickish douchebaggery. The punishment for rooting for another team was death."

It was into this dystopian nightmare that a group of defiant scientists created the robot known as Colin Kaepernick. Operating in secret and constantly under suspicion by their blue-and-orange-clad overlords, the scientists were able to create a portal to the year 2006 and sent their creation back to the Reno of that time.

"They gave me the basic tools they felt I would need to earn a scholarship," said the robot, "but they ultimately placed their faith in Coach Chris Ault to shape me into a true weapon."

Like a heavyweight boxer undergoing intense training for a title fight, the robot was slowly but surely molded into the player which fans recognize now. All the setbacks and losses of its first three years, said the machine, were part of the plan that culminated on the night of November 26th, 2010.

"I treated the previous seasons as learning experiences. I used them to acquire more knowledge, to become more intelligent and better prepared to meet the Bronco menace for the final time," it explained. "They were a powerful threat, but their lack of experience with real adversity was their greatest weakness."

When faced with this revelation, many of the robot's former teammates were only mildly surprised.

"That's news to me, but it would definitely explain a lot," said Rishard Mathews, one of the robot's favorite recipients of its high-velocity passes. "I could've sworn I saw wires sticking out of his ears one day -- he tried to play it cool and said 'Don't all humans have them?'"

Asked by a scientist if he had any parting words of wisdom for the past he was sent to protect, the robot thought for a moment before answering.

"If you're a fan of the Broncos -- or any other team -- don't be a jerk."

Other Headlines of the Day:

Big Ten, Big 12 swap names for own amusement

Auburn fans burn Chizik in effigy for not winning championship sooner

Ohio State president rushed to hospital for third foot-in-mouth extraction

Latest Oregon football uniforms visible from space

Karl Benson on resurrecting the WAC: "It's all about curling"

Stew Morrill preemptively lining up excuses for future postseason failures

Bay Area fans "shocked" to discover San Jose State still has football team

Nevada AD schedules road series with entire NFC West

The Schedule: Why It's Not THAT Bad

2011-03-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

"Can't is the cancer of happen; 'I can't do it.' The Nike slogan doesn't say 'Just Try It'...No, 'Just Do It,' man."

~Charlie Sheen

The 2011 schedule was finally released and let's be honest: it blows. After everything came together and the sports gods finally smiled down on Nevada Wolf Pack football and its fans in so many ways last year, those same gods appear to have reverted back to their prior stance of hating our guts. Like one of Mr. Sheen's alleged mood swings, the schedule has totally shifted from "logical, well-crafted and smart" in 2010 to "illogical, cruel and bat shit crazy" in 2011.

Four straight September road games -- three against Top 25 competition, two against likely Top 10 teams -- and no home games until October 8th. These are not the ways in which to capitalize off of a season like 2010. It's most definitely not "bi-winning"...whatever the hell that means.

Nevada's 2011 football schedule gets the Charlie Sheen Winning Stamp of Winning Approval......duh!

But consider the following before you gnash your teeth anymore than you already have about the schedule. First, the conference realignments of 2010 have had a profound effect on schedules across the country, even for the teams who aren't going anywhere. Some teams were able to emerge from this chaos relatively unscathed or even better off than they were before, while other teams found themselves victims of trying circumstances.

Nevada's Mountain West invitation threw all of its future schedules into temporary disarray, with UNLV now becoming a conference opponent and the status of New Mexico and a slew of other future opponents -- either actual or potential -- suddenly up in the air. Imagine you're throwing a big, fancy dinner party for fifty or sixty guests and then find out you have to rearrange the seating fifteen minutes before everyone is expected to arrive. That's what scheduling was like for countless athletic departments in the wake of 2010's realignments, and unfortunately, Nevada re-emerged in a seat further down the table than they had originally envisioned.

Second, the game with Boise State had to be scheduled with the future in mind. Boise State and UNLV are arguably the two biggest must-see games that Pack fans could count on seeing at Mackay every year: Boise in even years, and UNLV in odd years. If you take a one-year break from playing BSU, what's to stop the Mountain West from making Nevada play there in 2012 instead? Then you'd have Boise and UNLV in the same rotating slate of home/away games instead of the opposite ones they're currently in. Needless to say, this would be bad for Nevada's bottom line and bad for Nevada fans (And as the last game added to their 2011 schedule, it's safe to assume Nevada probably wasn't trying to get it removed altogether as some sanctimonious/resentful Bronco fans have convinced themselves they were).

This schedule isn't what Nevada wanted. From what our sources have told us -- and with respect to the privacy of those sources -- the plan that was in place for scaling down the schedule didn't come to pass for a variety of reasons. Whatever happened behind the scenes is ultimately beside the point, though: this is the schedule they've been dealt and that's what they have to play. And after last season, who says this team doesn't have a little tiger blood in its veins and why shouldn't we put them to the test? Or maybe I'm every bit as loopy as Mr. Sheen is and I'm just biding my time with this blog until I get tossed back into rehab? Either way, the guy's obviously enjoying himself and I've resolved to do the same.

And if you recall my preview of San Jose State last year, you'll remember the lesson that no matter how bad things may seem, there's always someone out there who has it worse than you. So with that in mind, here are three teams whose schedules are even more "can't" than Nevada's.

#1 San Jose State

I know, I know -- "Quit piling on to San Jose State!" But the level of abuse this program continues to subject itself to with its scheduling is nothing short of astounding. Seriously, they make the albino guy from "The Da Vinci Code" look well-adjusted. A year after playing Alabama, Wisconsin and Utah on the road, it's a relatively modest slate by their standards: Stanford, UCLA, BYU and Colorado State on the road and Navy at home. Even so, these are the kinds of non-conference games Pacific was forced to play right before their program was discontinued. If San Jose State still has an FBS football program five years from now, we'll buy the first Spartan fan we meet a stiff drink or five. (I'll also explain in a minute why Nevada's game in San Jose on September 17th is important for looking at the schedule in a better light)

#2 Florida Atlantic

The only team in the nation (to my knowledge, at least) whose first home game is later in the year than Nevada's. They start off with Florida, Michigan State and Auburn on the road, then get a couple of conference road games before finally playing at home on October 15th. Revenue-wise, it's never a good thing when you can only manage to schedule five home games, and (thankfully) that's one pitfall Nevada has successfully avoided since 2001. Don't feel too bad for the Owls, though: their schedule was only drawn up this way to accommodate the grand opening of their new stadium. Additionally, the Sun Belt will probably look and sound a lot better than the WAC in a few years, and when was the last time the Sun Belt could brag about being better than anyone in football?

#3 Colorado

The Buffaloes got perhaps the most raw deal out of the 2010 conference upheavals when it came to their schedule. First, they took a guarantee game at Ohio State -- one of the few times you will EVER see one BCS team play another with no return game. Next, they decided to let Dan "Zen Master (of Losing)" Hawkins go and replaced him with an entirely new staff. Then, when they couldn't rework a series they had previously signed with Cal before their Pac-12 invitation came, they had to get approval from the Pac-12 offices to have it counted as a non-conference game for both teams (try wrapping your head around that for a moment). Finally, thanks to their new conference and its new championship game, their full schedule of 13 regular season games (they open the season at Hawai'i) has no bye weeks. None. That's not only shitty -- that's shitty with a capital "S," a capital "H" and a capital "I-T-T-Y."

I'll end this entry with a challenge to Nevada fans. You've probably noticed by now that the WAC added insult to Nevada's (mostly self-inflicted) scheduling injuries by making them travel to San Jose State on September 17th. Aside from a reprieve in Week 1, they'll be on the road for the entire month of September and the first week of October.

You'll also recall that our fans invaded and took over San Francisco in true winning fashion for the Fight Hunger Bowl, no? Well I ask you, loyal readers: what's to stop us from doing the same for that game in San Jose? If the WAC won't give us a game at Mackay until October, then I say screw the WAC and let's make one ourselves elsewhere! Let's take over Spartan Stadium that day and turn it into Mackay Stadium West.

Sure, it ain't the real City by the Bay, but who cares? The best revenge we can exact upon the WAC (after winning the whole damn thing, of course) would be to show up at that game in droves and turn it into the Pack's (unofficial) home opener. This isn't an extended weekend in San Francisco, so you needn't worry about spending a ton of money on a trip like this. It'll all be a matter of getting up early, heading over the summit for a 1:00 afternoon game and heading back that same evening. Easy peezy lemon squeezy.

Get your tickets through Nevada's ticket office when they become available later this summer, then buy them elsewhere after the allotment runs out. There's plenty of time to start up some grass-roots efforts to get people to head out to this game -- convoys and bus trips will be extremely simple to organize. We've already proven we can travel well to the Bay Area and we can do it again!

The WAC tried to throw us another curveball by scheduling this game when they did, but we can turn it into a point of pride if we work together to make this plan happen. Just do it, man.

Getting to Know the Eagle Defense

2011-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

As you've no doubt surmised by now, this is where things start to get fun...

We've all heard about the Eagles run defense, and even a cursory glance at their numbers is enough to tell you that this is not a unit to be underestimated under any circumstances. In addition to allowing the fewest average yards per game in the nation (an even 80), Boston College has allowed an opposing team's rusher to run for 100+ yards only once in the last two seasons. And while rushing defense is clearly what has brought the Eagles to this point, it's not like the rest of their defense is riding the coattails of the run-stoppers. They're similar to Nevada in that they give up a large amount of yards through the air (229.8 per game, 81st), but are surprisingly solid with regards to pass efficiency defense (113.3, 19th), which stems from having 19 interceptions on the year and allowing just 13 passing touchdowns, tied for 10th- and 12th-best in the country, respectively. On the whole, they're surrendering less than 20 points and 310 total yards to their opponents per game. If the Eagle offense is the atrophied and barely functional left wing of this bird, the defense is the steroid-enhanced and ridiculously muscular right wing.

Individual play-makers abound in this unit. They're led by sophomore linebacker and consensus AP All-American Luke Kuechly, who leads the country with 171 total tackles, 102 of which were solo, second only to Mason Foster of Washington in that category. Another sophomore stud is defensive end Max Holloway, with 13 tackles for loss on the year. Out of those 19 interceptions I mentioned before, 5 came from junior cornerback Donnie Fletcher and another 4 apiece came from sophomore defensive back Jim Noel and senior linebacker Mark Herzlich. If you think you've heard that last name before, it's for good reason: his story is one of the most genuinely inspiring you'll ever hear about anywhere. I'm not normally a fan of fluffy human interest subplots that lead up to sporting events, but if there's a "You've Got Balls" award somewhere out there, this guy has earned it ten times over. It goes without saying that we all should be fans of his after Sunday night.

This isn't to say there aren't some chinks in this bird's armor, though. For a team with such a great run defense, they haven't piled up a ton of tackles for loss (77, tied for 50th), and their 19 sacks on the year (tied for 90th) means they haven't generated a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, either. Furthermore, they've allowed their opponents to convert a pretty mediocre 40.4% of their third downs, which will be robustly tested by the Pistol.

I'll now try the same brief look at how the BC defense stacked up to its competition this year that I did in the last entry with their offense. This time, though, I'll list what each opponent's offense managed to put up against the Eagles:

9/4 Weber State W 38-20
Total Offense: 7th (in FCS)
BC Defense: 381 yards, 2 TDs, 2 FGs, 24 first downs

9/11 Kent State W 26-13
Total Offense: 102nd
BC Defense: 205 yards, 1 TD, 2 FGs, 10 first downs

9/25 Virginia Tech L 19-0
Total Offense: 41st
BC Defense: 343 yards, 1 TD, 4 FGs, 16 first downs

10/2 Notre Dame L 31-13
Total Offense: 61st
BC Defense: 315 yards, 4 TDs, 1 FG, 18 first downs

10/9 @ NC State L 44-17
Total Offense: 39th
BC Defense: 422 yards, 3 TDs, 3 FGs, 26 first downs

10/16 @ Florida State L 24-19
Total Offense: 59th
BC Defense: 311 yards, 3 TDs, 1 FG, 19 first downs

10/23 Maryland L 24-21
Total Offense: 80th
BC Defense: 222 yards, 3 TDs, 1 FG, 13 first downs

10/30 Clemson W 16-10
Total Offense: 88th
BC Defense: 264 yards, 1 FG, 19 first downs

11/6 @ Wake Forest W 23-13
Total Offense: 109th
BC Defense: 287 yards, 1 TD, 2 FGs, 15 first downs

11/13 @ Duke W 21-16
Total Offense: 59th
BC Defense: 311 yards, 3 FGs, 19 first downs

11/20 Virginia W 17-13
Total Offense: 37th
BC Defense: 421 yards, 1 TD, 2 FGs, 25 first downs

11/27 @ Syracuse W 16-7
Total Offense: 97th
BC Defense: 238 yards, 1 TD, 13 first downs

Looking at these numbers takes a bit of the luster off of the Eagle defense, but not much. Out of the three offenses they faced who had a pulse (three and a half, of sorts, if you count Weber State's), the team lost to two of them. The NC State game was far and away their worst performance, but given that two of the Wolfpack's (I'll never get used to spelling it that way) five touchdowns came on a blocked punt and a pick six, it could be argued that the defense might've kept that game manageable on their own were it not for the mistakes of their teammates, and Nevada fans should know all about those kinds of games. And poor offenses or not, there's something to be said for having your three best defensive performances in your final three games. Statistically, they're fairly comparable to a team like Cal, but are probably a notch or two better. Is their defense as good as Boise State's, the best one Nevada faced all year? No, but with more than a month to prepare for this game, it's certainly possible they could play like they are.

I'll end this entry by referring you to my interview with BC Interruption again for my "Best-Case Scenario, Worst-Case Scenario" outlines. Ultimately, I agree with the RGJ's Dan Hinxman in that the winner of this game will be whoever does the best job of executing their game plan. Both teams know pretty much exactly what to expect from each other with regards to their offenses, but I feel the differences in this game will be Nevada's passing attack and the motivation spurred by this particular class of seniors to end their losing streak in bowl games.

Now I'm off to San Francisco -- pictures and a road trip recap will follow soon after. Let's do this!

Five Good Minutes with BC Interruption

2011-01-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here's the second collaboration between myself and Brian over at BC Interruption. You can find my answers to the questions he asked me here. We're going to ignore the fact that the interviews we've exchanged take more than five minutes to read. Brian's a guy after my own heart in that when he's asked a question about his favorite team, he answers the HELL out of it! Because that's just how passionate the two of us are...so up yours if you don't like it.

1. Describe the Eagles' season to date in 100 words or less.

Word limits? Ugh. Just had a bad flashback to grad school application essays.

This year’s Eagles season can be summed up in one word: rollercoaster. It’s been a wild, strange ride for the Eagles football team in 2010. The year started with a lot of promise. BC got back their star linebacker, a year after winning a battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer. Had a ton of talent returning from an 8-win team. After falling into a very disappointing 2-5 hole, the Eagles rebounded to win 5 straight and make their 12^th consecutive bowl game appearance. This year’s team is stout against the run but leaves a lot to be desired on offense.

2. If Boston College could take one Nevada player and have them play for the Eagles, who do you think it would be and why? And if Nevada could take one Boston College player and have them play for the Pack, who do you think it would be and why?

Colin Kaepernick is certainly the Wolf Pack’s most talented player, but I don’t think I would take Kaepernick. Before you flame me for that, hear me out. I think Kaepernick can run the “Pistol” offense to perfection, but I’m not sure that style of offense would play to the Eagles’ offensive strengths. We have an offensive coordinator that is pushing 80 years old, and I’m not sure he’s ever even heard of the “Pistol” offense. Well, we’ve run some “Pistol” offensive plays in the past, but I’m sure he’s never heard the term before.

It’s a tough question as I’m not too, too familiar with the Wolf Pack. I guess I’ll go with Vai Taua coming out the backfield. Taua, along with BC’s Montel Harris and Andre Williams, could be great running behind BC’s offensive line.

Then again, maybe we could use Kaepernick out of the Wildcat/Bazooka. I’m torn on this one, but will probably stick with Taua. If you have any standout wide receivers, BC could use them, too.

For Nevada, sophomore linebacker (and tackle machine) Luke Kuechly would be a great anchor to the Wolf Pack defense. The guy just flies to the ball and would help further solidify the Nevada D.

3. Imagine this Boston College team is the six BCS conferences in a nutshell. Who or what would be the SEC and the Big East? (In other words, what are this team's strengths and weaknesses?)

BC’s SEC is our rush defense, which is what makes this bowl matchup so interesting. Their Big East is the team’s receiving corps. There is a lot of talent there, but the receiving corps is very, very young and a bit inexperienced.

Just a step below the SEC – Pac 10? Big Ten? Big 12? ACC? – is the Eagles offensive line. They have been maddeningly inconsistent, especially in the beginning of the year, but have started to put things together down the stretch. The line is anchored by Anthony Castonzo, a four year starter that will break the school’s record for starts in the Bowl game.

4. Name three keys to victory for the Eagles and one key to certain defeat.

Here are my Eagles keys to victory:

1) Open up the playbook. No use going conservative on offense with nothing really to play for and given that this could very well be offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill’s last game. Nevada will clearly be expecting a heavy dose of running backs Montel Harris and Andre Williams, so it’s time to take the training wheels off of true freshman Chase Rettig at QB.

2) Make life uncomfortable for Kaepernick and the UN-R Pistol offense. Of course its cliché, but winning the turnover battle on Sunday will be very important for both teams. Hawaii used four Wolfpack turnovers to hand you guys your only loss. BC needs to be opportunistic on defense and take advantage when Kaepernick and the offense slips up.

3) Come away with points in the red zone. BC was the worst in the nation at scoring touchdowns after getting into the end zone. The Eagles converted on just 1/3 of their trips to the red zone. That’s just plain awful and was caused by a combination of play calling and execution. If BC comes away empty on their trips to the red zone on Sunday, it could get ugly and in a hurry. Field goals aren’t going to be enough to keep up with a potent Nevada offense.

As for a key to certain defeat, I’ll go with steering clear of penalties, particularly on offense. The AT&T Park crowd will be decidedly pro-Nevada, so the Eagles can’t take many false start and holding penalties. The Eagles young offensive skill position players just can’t seem to execute when they fall back to 1^st and 15 and 2^nd and 20.

5. What do you think the conference realignment future holds for the ACC? And what was up with the Big East this year? Seriously, "automatic bid" my ass.

I’m not convinced that a football conference beyond 12 teams is sustainable in the long run. I know the Pac-12 flirted with 16 earlier this year, but I’m not sold that 16 or more is sustainable longer term. Look no further than the failed experiment of a 16-team WAC as proof.

The Big Ten is probably the exception to that rule, however, and I wouldn’t rule out a 14-team or 16-team incarnation of the Big Ten in the not-so-distant future. Just because the Big Ten does this, however, doesn’t mean that the era of the super conference will catch on for the other AQ conferences.

I think 12 (or 10, in the case of the Big 12 and the Big East) is the magic number for us AQ conferences going forward. I know programs like BYU and TCU are hoping for their invite in the mail for the Big 12, but with Texas and Oklahoma happy with 10, that conference really has no incentive to expand. The Big East will move to 10 with TCU in the short term, and perhaps a Villanova, Central Florida or Memphis in the future.

The beauty of having all the AQ conferences at 12 (or 10) teams is that it keeps the six BCS conferences happy and stable, and doesn’t leave much room for non-AQs to move in and crash the big-money, BCS party. I hardly agree with this as I’m anti-BCS and favor a playoff, but if you are a BCS conference team, you have to be happy that Utah and TCU are moving to AQ conferences, since they posed the greatest threat of crashing the BCS bowl party the last few years. There will undoubtedly be other challengers to the BCS over the next few years – maybe Nevada, Central Florida, Houston – but including Utah and TCU silences the program’s that have most threatened the status quo over the past few years.

As for the ACC, I don’t see the conference being proactive in the expansion arms race. The most likely scenarios are that a Maryland (disgruntled with all the power the North Carolina bloc has in the conference) or Georgia Tech moves to an expanded Big Ten, or the four southern schools – Florida State, Miami, Clemson and Georgia Tech – break away and join the SEC in an expanded 16-team conference. I guess the SEC poaching Virginia Tech and Texas A&M is also in play too, albeit a much slimmer possibility.

If the ACC gets raided, I think they would look to Big East schools like Syracuse or Pittsburgh to fill the void.

As for the Big East, that conference was an absolute train wreck this year. Big East fans are quick to point the finger back at the ACC and say how close the ACC is to the Big East, but I beg to differ. I think there was a sizable gap between ACC football and Big East football this year. That league has the potential to be very good in a few years with Syracuse, USF, Louisville and TCU all on the upswing, but as of now, it’s a lot of ‘meh.’

6. Rate your confidence in a BC win heading into this game on a scale of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, with "Commando" being "supremely confident" and "Batman and Robin" being "not confident at all."

I really like BC’s matchup with the Wolf Pack. I think the Pistol offense’s strength is BC’s strength on defense. This one is going to come down to how well the BC offense can move the ball. I think that the long layoff will be a factor in the game, and I wouldn’t discount the emotional boost the Eagles will have as they play alongside cancer survivor Mark Herzlich one final time.

As for my confidence level, I’d give BC no more than a 50/50 shot at pulling this one out. So let’s go with Kindergarten Cop, a respectable, middle-of-the-road Schwarzenegger movie. “I'm a cop, you idiot! I'm Detective John Kimble!”

Getting to Know the Eagle Offense

2011-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

Nevada's 2009 season started and ended with nationally televised 35-point beatings in far-flung locations. As of now, the only things guaranteed to start and end the Pack's 2010 season are home games (either actual or in spirit) against opponents nicknamed the Eagles (As an aside, cheer on Eastern Washington when they play Delaware in the FCS National Championship game this Friday).

We'll start this week's bowl festivities with a closer look at the Boston College offense.

One quick look at this unit is enough to tell you that it's not the main reason why the Eagles are here. BC only averages 18.9 points per game -- more than four of Nevada's prior opponents, to be fair, but still 109th in the country. They only tally 308.5 yards of offense per game, good for 106th -- that's nearly seven fewer yards per game than San Jose State, barely higher than Nevada's per-game rushing average and ranked only six spots higher than New Mexico State's offense and twelve spots higher than UNLV's. Moving the ball through the air has been a trying task for the Eagles all year long, who've thrown more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (13), completed just 52.4% of their passes (for comparison's sake, Kaep completed 53.8% of his passes his freshman year) and boast an average efficiency rating of just 110.9. They only convert one out of every three third downs and have surrendered 2.25 sacks per game as well. Even the relative strength of their rushing attack is still ranked in the bottom half of the nation's teams at 133.2 yards per game. A group of world-beaters this unit is not.

The Eagles have five quarterbacks listed on their roster, all of whom are underclassmen. Three of them have seen significant action at various points of the year, with sophomore Dave Shinskie starting four of the first five games before gradually handing the torch over to true freshman Chase Rettig. He'll be the third true freshman quarterback Nevada's defense will face this year after Colorado State's Pete Thomas and BYU's Jake Heaps. Their highest passing output was 265 yards in a 31-13 home loss to Notre Dame, and their worst performance was probably in a 24-19 loss at Florida State in which they were held to just 95 yards. The only game in which they scored more than two passing touchdowns was the season opener against Weber State.

But luckily, the outlook gets much rosier (or would it be maroon-ier with BC...?) when the focus shifts to the Eagle ground game. They're led by junior back Montel Harris, whose 103.5 yards per game are currently 16th-best in the nation. If given the chance, freshman back-up Andre Williams has shown he can lead the offense, too, as he did when he ran for 185 yards and a touchdown in the season finale at Syracuse. Though not spectacular by most standards, being ranked 88th in rushing yards per game is a little misleading with this group -- they've actually had six 150+ yard games that are brought down in the averages by a few really sub-par outings, like the 5 yards on 23 carries they ran for against Notre Dame.

The following is a small breakdown of how Boston College's opponents have stacked up on defense and how the Eagle offense fared against them.

9/4 Weber State W 38-20
Total Defense: 109th (in FCS)
BC Offense: 411 yards, 5 TDs, 1 FG, 17 first downs

9/11 Kent State W 26-13
Total Defense: 11th
BC Offense: 305 yards, 2 TDs, 4 FGs, 19 first downs

9/25 Virginia Tech L 19-0
Total Defense: 53rd
BC Offense: 250 yards, 16 first downs

10/2 Notre Dame L 31-13
Total Defense: 52nd
BC Offense: 270 yards, 1 TD, 2 FGs, 13 first downs

10/9 @ NC State L 44-17
Total Defense: 32nd
BC Offense: 272 yards, 2 TDs, 1 FG, 12 first downs

10/16 @ Florida State L 24-19
Total Defense: 42nd
BC Offense: 266 yards, 4 FGs, 9 first downs

10/23 Maryland L 24-21
Total Defense: 39th
BC Offense: 285 yards, 3 TDs, 16 first downs

10/30 Clemson W 16-10
Total Defense: 19th
BC Offense: 305 yards, 1 TD, 3 FGs, 16 first downs

11/6 @ Wake Forest W 23-13
Total Defense: 100th
BC Offense: 298 yards, 3 TDs, 1 FG, 14 first downs

11/13 @ Duke W 21-16
Total Defense: 108th
BC Offense: 356 yards, 3 TDs, 15 first downs

11/20 Virginia W 17-13
Total Defense: 78th
BC Offense: 370 yards, 2 TDs, 1 FG, 18 first downs

11/27 @ Syracuse W 16-7
Total Defense: 7th
BC Offense: 315 yards, 1 TD, 3 FGs, 18 first downs

Whenever an AQ team and non-AQ team are matched up, the initial impulse for many is to explain away any of the AQ team's statistical imperfections by saying "Well, they play in a tougher conference." And indeed some of the blame for BC's struggles on offense can probably be assigned to the above average defenses they've lined up against many weeks. But you wouldn't be able to tell the defenses of Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia apart from a lot of WAC teams, and the Eagles still didn't exactly light up the scoreboard those weeks. But ultimately, to their offense's credit, the three statistically best defenses they've played against -- Syracuse, Kent State and Clemson -- were all wins, and that's what matters most. "Good enough" has usually been just that for BC. In a way, they're the Millennium Falcon of offenses: they may not look fast, but they've got the fun where it counts.

In one of my next two entries, I'll turn my attention to one of the main attractions of the Fight Sponsorship Bowl: the Boston College defense.

Presenting BC Interruption

2011-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

The following is an introduction from one of the contributors to SB Nation's Boston College blog, BC Interruption. Enjoy!

Greetings Wolf Space Pack fans. My name is Brian Favat and I write for BC Interruption, SB Nation’s Boston College blog. [Pack Backer] had the great idea of writing an introductory post familiarizing Nevada fans with the Boston College Eagles, since ACC and WAC teams don’t play each other very much. My experience with Nevada is basically limited to this season, the Pistol office, and Pistol Whipping The WAC’s introductory post on your team.

Let’s get a few BC misconceptions out of the way first. No, us Superfans aren’t all card-carrying members of Red Sox Nation. Jeff and I both root for the Yankees, and due to an increasingly national student body base, cheer for all different types of professional teams. Though if you aren’t affiliated with a pro team growing up, it’s easy to get caught up in the Sox, Pats, Celtics and (to a lesser extent) Bruins once you head to college in Boston.

We all don’t talk like Mayor Quimby from “The Simpsons.” There are a good percentage of students that come from the greater-Boston area, but more and more students come from all over the Northeast (and increasingly parts of ACC territory).

We are the only “College” in Division I-A college football; mostly because the name “Boston University” was already taken. Technically, BC is a university as it has multiple colleges. Speaking of Boston University, learn to hate the BU Terriers. The two schools are separated by just 3.5 miles and are bitter college hockey rivals. In football, learn to love to hate the University of Notre Dame, and whiny Big East schools that are still bitter BC left. In basketball, we are still feeling out the rivalries in the ACC. But everyone loves to hate Duke, and so do we.

BC actually has a pretty good tradition and history on the Division I-A college football scene. The Eagles remained independent up until 1990, when they became founding members of the Big East conference. The vast majority of BC’s time in college football’s top-level, however, was as an independent. BC would play a lot of similar schools early in its history, which is reflected in the teams we have played the most in our history – Holy Cross (82 games), Syracuse (46), Villanova (45), Temple (37) and Army (36). After a 14-year stint in the Big East, we jumped ship to the ACC, where we’ve been since 2005.

There was a lot of resentment towards BC’s move towards the ACC (more so than Virginia Tech or Miami, for some reason), and we’re kinda thankful that schools like TCU, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Nevada are all switching conference affiliations over the next few years. Hopefully that will help deflect some of the hate we get for moving to a more stable conference.

As for this year’s team, depending on who you ask, this year was a bit of a disappointment. When you dig yourself into a 2-5 hole, I guess you’ll take what you can get when it comes to bowl season. BC abandoned their 27 year old incumbent sophomore quarterback after 3 games in favor of a true freshman – Chase Rettig – from San Clemente, Ca. Rettig has played a bit better as the weeks went on, but for the most part, BC’s five-game winning streak after our five-game losing streak can be attributed to a lightening up of the schedule down the stretch. BC’s five game winning streak came against Clemson, Wake Forest, Duke, Virginia and Syracuse. To put that in context, that’s probably the equivalent of ending the season with Hawaii (Clemson), Sac State (Wake Forest), Louisiana Tech (Duke), Idaho (Virginia) and Fresno State (Syracuse). Not exactly a murderer’s row down the stretch.

This year’s Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl looks like it will be a virtual road game for the Eagles, with all these tickets getting gobbled up by Wolf Pack fans. And that’s cool. BC is used to playing teams close to their hometown turf in bowl games. Over the last 10 years, BC has played USC in San Francisco, Vanderbilt in Nashville, Boise State in Boise, North Carolina in Charlotte and Toledo in Detroit. Bowl committees seem content with sending the Eagles to bowl games that end up being de facto road games. BC is 3-2 in those games.

Despite playing 6+ weeks after the end of the regular season, I’m actually looking forward to the bowl game and watching the Eagles go up against the Wolf Pack. The Eagles fell to the ninth and final ACC bowl slot, but get to play the second highest rated BCS opponent of any ACC team in the bowl game. San Francisco and northern California has a decent-sized BC alumni base, and we’ve been able to play out there for three times in the last eight seasons. While Nevada doesn’t have the same college football cache as BC's bowl opponent last year, I think it will be a well-attended game. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Nevada’s Pistol offense go up against the number 1 rush defense in the nation.

The "Home" Bowl Advantage (Part 2)

2011-01-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

Let's go through the remaining five bowl games with discernible "home" teams:

Armed Forces Bowl

Normally played at TCU's stadium across the Metroplex in Fort Worth, this game was moved to SMU when renovations were started on Amon G. Carter Stadium. Obviously, either location would've suited the Mustangs just fine, but it didn't end up helping them against yet another opponent already fired up just being there. In a rare year when all three service academy teams played in bowl games, Army's defense carried them to a win, and in spite of just 229 yards of offense and converting only 4 of 12 third downs, all the Black Knights had to do was make fewer mistakes (zero turnovers and zero penalties). In true Junie B. Jones fashion, the Mustang coach felt his team wasn't "arrogant" enough, prompting our usual response to any Jones team's loss.

Pinstripe Bowl

We here at PWtW (and by "we" I mean "I") don't understand the suddenly renewed fascination with playing football games in baseball stadiums. As an amateur college football historian, I understand there's powerful nostalgia associated with ideas like bringing Army and Notre Dame back together at Yankee Stadium. But the reasons why this hasn't been done more often are numerous, including potentially killer outfield walls and poor sight lines. But in the case of this game, the mostly pro-Orange crowd had less to do with Syracuse's win than Kansas State's terrible run defense and a bogus celebration penalty did.

Music City Bowl

We liked Derek Dooley in the time he spent at Louisiana Tech, and thought bringing Tennessee to a bowl game in his first year there -- even at 6-6 -- was a minor miracle. But in addition to that baffling loss at LSU back in October and this unholy abortion of a choke, he's apparently trying (and succeeding in) a new form of on-field stand-up comedy for the SEC. This time, instead of having too many players on the field (Butch Davis and the Tar Heels picked that one up), it was personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that did the Vols in. We're guessing he saw some of Les Miles' handy work and said "Pfft, that's nothing! Watch THIS!"

Meineke Car Care Bowl

South Florida and Clemson were very similar statistically to each other in many categories, so it would seem that having the game two and a half hours from the Clemson campus in Charlotte would've given the Tigers and their well-traveled fans the edge. And even looking at the stats now, it seems like the game could've gone either way. But the Bulls got out to an early lead after a Clemson field goal that they never relinquished thanks to a solid if unexciting passing attack. I guess even Clemson's fans can't get too excited over a bowl game with "Car Care" in its name.

TicketCity Bowl

Rounding out the pointless games with stupid names is this one, which I'll admit I waffled back and forth on including in this entry. It's another first-year bowl, and (in theory) is supposed to fill in for the Cotton Bowl, which will now be played at Jerryworld. Even without Dan Persa at quarterback, Northwestern played valiantly and didn't give up in a game they never led. Northwestern is almost always a hard place to coach at, and the sheer difficulty of consistently winning there is underscored by the fact that the Wildcats haven't won a bowl game since 1949, and have just two Rose Bowl appearances in that time.

So what conclusions can be drawn from all of these games? The answer is...not many. The "home" teams in these games went 4-6, and out of the three teams with actual home fields to boast -- San Diego State, Hawai'i and SMU -- only the Aztecs won. Did momentum play a major role for the winning teams? Not really. Tulsa was the only team on an actual roll of any kind, having won six games in a row leading up to the Hawai'i Bowl, and a couple of bowl winners (Army and Syracuse) actually headed into their postseason games on 2-game losing streaks. The main factors behind the wins (in my admittedly limited ability to analyze all of them, at least) ranged from turnovers to penalties to great offensive showings and defensive efforts -- the crowds were often at or near the bottom of the list each time.

Does this mean crowds don't count for anything at bowl games? Of course not. They just don't seem to factor into wins nearly as much as good prep work and proper motivation do. And in a way, this validates the original aim of all of those bowl games of yesteryear: to reward good, well-coached teams for exceptional seasons.

The "Home" Bowl Advantage (Part 1)

2011-01-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

I'm finally back from Christmas vacation, and it's obvious that I owe Packfan7 thanks for picking up the slack while I was away. Blame my absence on getting caught up with the wrong sorts of people.

With the preponderance of preposterous bowl games with equally ridiculous and unwieldy names polluting college football's postseason, some of them are bound to have tie-ins that result in a few teams getting either a quasi- or actual home field advantage. This is because the principal aims of these bowl games are to sell tickets and fill up hotel rooms and restaurants, and inviting a team close to where that game is being played obviously makes perfect sense in that regard.

Such will be the case when Nevada faces Boston College on January 9th, with tens of thousands of Pack fans expected to flood San Francisco and no Pac-10 fans to pick up the remaining slack. It may seem unfair to turn what's supposed to be a neutral contest into a glorified home game for one of the two teams involved, but just how advantageous is having no or minimal travel in these games? I decided to have a look at some of this year's results and find out.

Poinsettia Bowl

Out of three teams with actual home field advantages in their bowl games, San Diego State was the only one that took care of business. The only thing really working against them was the soggy field that had only recently been drained (cue the obvious Navy jokes), but that would work against both teams on most nights. Just about everything else favored the home team, though, including a more balanced offense, prior experience defending Air Force's triple option and the motivation of actually playing in a bowl game for the first time since the Clinton administration.

Hawai'i Bowl

Needless to say, things didn't go as well for the Warriors on their home field. 35 points would be enough to win a lot of bowl games, but not when your team coughs up the ball six times and is prevented by injuries from fielding all eleven starters at any one time. With Bryant Moniz, Kealoha Pilares and Greg Salas all out of the game at various points, it's no wonder an equally potent Tulsa offense was able to overcome its circumstances and win its third straight bowl game.

Little Caesars Bowl

Toledo is one hour across the border from Detroit, and the Rockets have played in this same bowl game three other times in the last ten years. But this was another case of a team new to the bowl experience -- Florida International this time -- finding a way to pull out the win. And if you saw the end of this game (Who didn't? It's the friggin' Little Caesars Bowl, after all!) you'd know that "pull out" -- as in "pull out of one's ass" -- is the proper term.

Military Bowl

You should start to notice a pattern of motivation here, and Maryland had whole wheelbarrows full of it in their bowl game. Playing just twenty miles from their campus in College Park and on behalf of a loyal head coach who was more or less forced out the door (not an easy task against a man of Ralph Friedgen's girth), Maryland's players beat down East Carolina and sent a strong message: we love our coach, and he deserves better than this bowl game and this exit. I know if Coach Ault were ever kicked to the curb the way Friedgen was, I'd be the one passing out torches en route to storming the offices at Legacy Hall.

Texas Bowl

Here's a case of a team playing in a bowl game for the first time in a while AND in front of a very partisan quasi-home crowd just not capitalizing on the opportunity. Baylor rolled over and died against Illinois just days before the entire Big Ten decided to do the same in its New Years Day bowls, making an already embarrassing loss look that much worse. On the other hand, maybe Ron Zook and the Illini finally got tired of losing their bowl games, as they themselves hadn't won one since 1999?

In my next entry, I'll take a look at the Armed Forces, Pinstripe, Music City, Meineke and TicketCity Bowls for more possible trends in "home" bowl games.

Kaepernick's Career Rushing TD's vs. Newton, Tebow, and Crouch

2010-12-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

After reading a recent post at silverandbluesports.com on the difference between Colin Kaepernick's rushing TD's and a few other notable dual threat QB's, we decided to break it down here for you and add in the man Kaepernick is currently tied with for most in NCAA history: Eric Crouch.

When looking at how each player obtained their rushing TD's, we use percentages instead of totals to illustrate just how dominating Kaepernick was as a dual threat while also being a great team player and not a favored player in the Pistol Offense.

The first thing to look at is just how many of each QB's rushing TD's came from the one yard line.

Kaepernick: 6 of his 59 TD's. That's just 10.1%
Crouch: 15 of his 59 TD's. 25.4%. Just over a quarter of them.
Tebow: 18 of his 57 TD's. 31.6%. More than Crouch, less than Newton.
Newton: 7 of his 21 TD's. 33.33%. One third of his TD's.

The next thing to check out is how many came from inside the 5 yard line.

Kaepernick: 12 of his 59 TD's. Just 20.2% Still less than a quarter of them!
Crouch: 27 of his 59 TD's. Less than half at 45.8%
Newton: 12 of his 21 TD's. More than half at 57.1%
Tebow: 38 of his 57 TD's. That's 66.6% of his total TD's, or 2/3rds of all TD's scored.

Ok, so let's look at the longer distances. From the 10 yard line or beyond:

Kaepernick: 34 of his 59 TD's. 57.6% of all his TD's were from at least 10 yards!
Crouch: 21 of his 59TD's. 35.6%, over 1/3rd of his TD's.
Newton: 5 of his 21 TD's. 23.8%, just under one quarter of his TD's were from the 10 or beyond.
Tebow: 10 of his 57 TD's. Just 17.5% of his TD's were from a distance of 10 or greater.

Just for fun, we decided to look at how many other scores came from the 1 yard line for Nevada this season vs. Auburn this season:

Auburn as a team had a total of 6 TD's from the 1 yard line. All 6 were by Cam Newton.
Nevada as a team had a total of 12 TD's from the 1 yard line. Only 4 of those were by Colin Kaepernick.
(The others? Five for Taua, two for Randall, and one for Mark.)

What if Ault called Kaep's number every time. Or if Kaep audibled or kept on reads every time? Would Kaep now have 28 rushing TD's on the season and 67 for his career? Even if he only scored on half of them he would have 24 and 63. Would it have made a difference for any post season award?

That's the difference with Colin Kaepernick. You won't find a better team player out there. There are very few who have played the game as well and gotten as little attention for doing so as CK.

PWtW Week 13 Preview

2010-12-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

~Winston Churchill

Get that lampshade from your Pack Friday party off of your head and turn that profound-but-still-somehow-confusing quote over in your mind a few times. This is my final preview of the regular season -- there will be no crying here on my watch, and the fungo bat I have at my side will make sure of that.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

If you make the mistake of looking past the Bulldogs to any of the multitude of bowl scenario rumors currently swirling around the Pack, you're in dire need of a brief history lesson. In 2008, Nevada's regular season ended with the exact same sequence of games they've been dealt this year: Boise State at home, followed by Louisiana Tech on the road. In both cases, the Broncos came into Mackay Stadium on Nevada's Senior Day nationally ranked and took the Pack's best shot in the second halves. The Pack's rally came up short that day, and it was evident the following week in Ruston that they weren't at their emotional or physical peaks when they fell behind 31-14 in the third quarter.

In the sporting world, this is what's called a "letdown" -- having one's on-field performance take a sudden nosedive as a result of not being able to maintain the same intensity, focus or all-around emotional high of the previous game. It took another, more successful second-half comeback to give the Pack a 35-31 win over the Bulldogs that year, and with all of the preparations carried out for a possible appearance by the Mother of All Letdowns on Saturday, Yours Truly is officially scared shit-less.

But it takes a capable opponent to enable a letdown to fully unfold, and just like that year, Tech is a decent team with some great skill players capable of beating the Pack on the right day. They're led by wide receiver and return specialist Phillip Livas, one of the only players who comes close to terrifying me the same way Kaep has terrified fans of other WAC teams for the last three and a half seasons. He's taken eight punts or kicks back for touchdowns, the latest of which tied the NCAA career record in that category last week. You know those characters in old-time-y cartoons who nibble down their fingernails like corn on the cob whenever they're really scared of something? That's what it's like watching a coverage unit try to tackle Phillip Livas.

Fact: Phillip Livas hates fingernails and would destroy each of yours if given the chance.

First-year head coach Sonny Dykes (a fine name for an aspiring lesbian porn star) gained notoriety coordinating Arizona's variation of the spread offense under Mike Stoops for three years. The change to the spread wasn't easy for the Bulldogs: through their first five games, they averaged just 333.8 yards, 18.8 first downs and 18.4 points per game while losing four in a row. But the unit has started clicking in to place since then, generating 452.8 yards, 23.3 first downs and 35.3 points per game in their last six outings, winning four of those six games and needing one more on Saturday to become bowl eligible.

Aside from Livas and the strides their offense has taken this year, though, not a whole lot else stands out about Tech. Their turnover margin is -5, and for a spread offense they're actually not very good at converting third downs (36.7%). "Average" is probably the highest praise you could give any one part of their defense, and their pass defense is arguably the worst unit the Pack will have played against all year (302.1 yards per game and 141.4 efficiency, 117th and 98th in the country, respectively). Their total defense is ranked 114th, two spots below New Mexico State and only four spots higher than San Jose State. In most weeks, these are not the kinds of numbers which would give an offense like Nevada's much pause.

Best-Case Scenario

What letdown? Fully aware of the day's stakes, the Pack rolls to victory on a tidal wave of offense. The same plan implemented against Idaho -- emphasizing the pass to open up the run -- pays enormous dividends, and five different players find the end zone before the game is over. On the heels of their Pack Friday comeback, the defense puts together a commanding performance, stopping most (but not all) of the Bulldogs' big play attempts en route to a share of a WAC title.

Worst-Case Scenario

Anything that can go wrong does in the aforementioned Mother of All Letdowns. The Pack comes out totally flat, and Tech pounces on them for a quick two-score lead. Just when Nevada builds up some momentum, out comes Phillip Livas for a spirit-shattering kick or punt return. Recurring mistakes take away whatever momentum Livas doesn't. Completely drained from the previous week's win and the long travel, Nevada is unable to put together enough scores for a win against a hungry Bulldog team.

It may sound a little disrespectful to chalk up most of Tech's chances for an upset as a possible letdown for Nevada, but that's pretty much what it boils down to. Their offense is good, but not great, and in most weeks, if Nevada's offense shows up and does its thing, they would win a game like this by 4 or more scores. This final score will be determined by how badly Nevada wants that conference championship, and with this group of seniors leading them, I think a comfortable win is more likely than a letdown loss.

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone.

2010-11-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

Nevada Quarterback Colin Kaepernick celebrates after leading Nevada to a 34-31 comeback victory over rival Boise State. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)


     Boise Nation forgot about Nevada Wolf Pack QB Colin Kaepernick. They were to busy worrying about other more important things. Too worried about beating Virginia Tech and "the best dual threat QB they would face all year, Tyrod Taylor". Too worried about beating Oregon State in what was considered their last "real" hurdle to laying claim to a BCS game and perhaps a chance at a National Title game. Too worried about Kellen Moore's Heisman chances and what Cam Newton may or may not have done. Too worried about which BCS bowl they would be invited too.

     The Bronco Country fans weren't worried about Kaepernick. He was "figured out" after that magical freshman game which ended in such heartbreak for the Nevada faithful. He wasn't that great really. Forget the improved passing. Forget the stats. Not worried at all. And the Wolf Pack game in Reno didn't make fans nearly as nervous as the Hawaii or Fresno games did. This one was destined to end in an even wider margin than the year before.

     OBNUG wasn't worried about Kaepernick either. He wasn't a serious consideration for their annual "Public Enemy No 1" story. Along with Idaho HC Rob Akey, they were courtesy nominations at best. The Boise faithful were too worried about the opinions of talking heads Mark May, Craig James, and Gene Wojciechowski and how they might influence voters. Too busy to bother with an actual opponent. In fact, Kaepernick garnered the least number of votes from Boise fans when poled on the matter.

     And so the season plodded along. The Wolf Pack slowly built it's record up to 10-1 and a 19th overall national ranking. Colin Kaepernick and friends seemingly set or broke new NCAA records on a weekly basis. And yet Boise faithful still weren't worried. They considered it lucky to get to beat a ranked opponent so far into the season to allow a leapfrog of TCU. It would surely secure a berth in the Rose Bowl. And it would inch them closer to a National Title game. They would have no greater ammunition to backup their complaints for a playoff system.

     The game began in typical fashion. Nevada failed to score in it's usual bunches. Boise even got their first ever turn-over against Kaepernick when a pass deflected off the hands of tight end Virgil Green and Boise State safety George Iloka made an amazing tip-toe catch along the sidelines.

     With a comfortable 24-7 lead going into the half, Boise Nation forgot that Colin Kaepernick existed.

     And as soon as they did, Kaepernick did his best impression of Keyser Soze and unleashed the cruelest form of revenge a player can take upon an opponent. He would leave the entire Bronco community wondering how such a travesty could have happened so quickly, right under their noses.

Colin Kaepernick reacts to Boise Safety Jerron Johnson after scoring on a 3rd and 7 from the 18 yard line. (Photo by Mark Rauh of SilverandBlueSports.com)

     With a minute and some seconds left in the third quarter, still down by 17 points, Kaepernick did something that Boise Nation hadn't seen since that 2007 thriller. On a third down and seven, Kaepernick broke containment, beat safety Jerron Johnson to the sideline, and ran in an 18 yard touchdown to pull the Wolf Pack within two scores. It was the first rushing TD for Kaepernick since the 25 yard run in the second OT back in 2007. And as Kaepernick headed back to the Nevada bench, something happened. What was said, who will ever know? But Kaepernick suddenly stopped and headed back towards Johnson to give him what was obviously his opinion on whatever it was that Johnson had yelled in his direction.

     Like Winston Churchill once said of our great country: "The United States is like a giant boiler. Once the fire is lighted under it, there is no limit to the power it can generate". So was our Nevada Wolf Pack's fire lit, with Kaepernick manning the bellows and the Nevada defense generating the power.

     A three and out later and Kaepernick would take over yet again. Kaepernick would complete a key third and seven pass to Vai Taua to extend the drive, which would result in a 44 yard touchdown by Rishard Mathews two plays later.

     And after another three and out, Kaepernick would take over at the seven yard line and contribute 27 yards rushing while orchestrating the offense down into Boise territory for the game tying field goal.

     And when Boise State threw one last desperation punch in the form of a 79 yard touchdown pass by Kellen Moore to Doug Martin, Kaepernick would not be denied his revenge on the Broncos. With just under five minutes left in the game and only one time out remaining for Nevada, Kaepernick would go 4-7 including a key third down and seven conversion and a game tying touchdown pass to Mathews with just 13 seconds left on the clock.

Nevada players celebrate as Boise misses a field goal in over time. (AP)

     Forget about the missed field goals. Boise State should never have even been in that position. But they forgot about Kaepernick. And now they will have to be reminded in the most painful of ways. With their NC game dreams smashed, the kid who they declined to offer in favor of back-up QB Michael Coughlin, would begin to break records along with the hearts and spirits of Bronco Nation.

     Kaepernick will lay claim to becoming the first player in NCAA history to have passed for 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,000 yards in the same season three consecutive times. And it will have come against the Bronco's number two defense in the greatest upset win in Nevada history. Kaepernick will also lay claim to becoming one half of the all time greatest rushing duo in NCAA history along with running back Vai Taua. And it will have come against the Bronco's number two defense during the greatest choke in Bronco history. He will have lead the team to the greatest victory in Nevada history over the highest ranked opponent to ever have entered Mackay Stadium. He likely not only ruined Kellen Moore's chances for the Heisman trophy, he likely ruined his chances for WAC offensive player of the year and first team all conference quarterback. With the head to head win, the records, the probable 3,000 by 1,000 season and highest ranking in school history, how will the WAC deny Kaepernick those titles?

     And it will all have been done against the team who had forgotten him. The team that was convinced that he didn't even exist.

     The senior will not face Boise State again.  Peterson and Co will get their shot at revenge against Nevada. But they will not get their shot at Colin Soze. He will have had the last laugh. The loudest laugh in his personal war with the Broncos....

     And like that, poof. He's gone.

.......Well that was awesome

2010-11-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

"IT'S GOOD!! IT'S GOOD!! NEVADA WINS!! THE BOISE DREAM IS OVER!! Nevada wins the game, the stands emptying -- Boise is shocked."

~Ryan Radtke

Let me start by saying: most understated entry title EVER.

Well now that I've had nearly a couple of days to decompress and organize my thoughts...what can I say? What can I honestly say that hasn't already been said? Almost 48 hours after the final cannon shot, ol' Ludwig Van can still sum up what I'm thinking the best.

The biggest win in Nevada football history? Without a doubt. The greatest comeback in Nevada history? No question (sorry, Weber State -- yours was bigger in quantity, but not in quality). The biggest coup for the program, the University and the city of Reno since the run to the Sweet 16? With a friggin' bullet.

I want all of you to think back over the last few years. Remember all of the heartbreak and all of the various disappointments of those times: Northwestern, Fresno State, Boise State, Hawai'i, San Jose State, New Mexico, Texas Tech, New Mexico State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Colorado State, Missouri and SMU. Remember all of the quarterbacks and all of the receivers who laughed at the prospect of Nevada defending them. Remember all of the fans in Reno and elsewhere who said "Coach Ault doesn't have it in him. Coach Ault will never win the Big One." Remember all of those things before reflecting on this win and savor it that much more. From the coaches and players on the field to the fans in the stands, we've paid our dues in tears and we've earned this. Finally.

What can they possibly do for an encore? Tear themselves away from all of this euphoria somehow and beat Louisiana Tech on Saturday. The Miracle on Ice, after all, wasn't the gold medal-winning game for Team USA -- they still had to beat Finland to clinch it all. The Bulldogs are Nevada's Finland. None of this will mean anything unless they win that game, too.

More to come on Tech later this week. Until then...

The strength of the Pack is the Wolf
And the strength of the Wolf is the Pack

Interview with OBNUG

2010-11-24T22:38:00.000-08:00

I was approached this week by Kevan Lee, one of the contributors to the Boise State blog One Bronco Nation Under God. We exchanged sets of five questions with each other (no doubt while crossing our fingers and cursing each other under our breaths) and the following is what Kevan was kind enough to send back to us. You can find my responses to Kevan's questions here.

1. Describe your team's season to date in 100 words or less. "Potato" must be one of those words.

Boise State has had exactly the type of season that wildly optimistic OBNUG-type fans had hoped. The Broncos are undefeated, on the verge of BCS history, and dominating so thoroughly on both sides of the ball that it's borderline cruel. The potato in this season of bright, shiny apples has been the polls. Get rid of those suckers and Bronco fans couldn't be happier.

2. What's one thing you would change about your team's head coaching style? What's one thing you would change about the other team's head coaching style? Assume the changes that are made would both benefit their respective teams' on-field performance.

Based on the smallest body of evidence outside of DNA strands on Chris Ault, I would say that Boise State coaching could do better with its clock management. Rarely does this come into play, but there always seems to be the occasional burned timeout here and there for no real reason. Bad clock management is a pet peeve of mine, so maybe I'm hyper-sensitive. That, and it's really hard to find a flaw with this coaching staff.

I've heard that Chris Ault is full of himself, so getting rid of that would probably help. But I'm going to say that gameplanning is the one area where Nevada could improve. The Wolf Pack have the system and athletes to blow teams off the field without really trying, but when the opponent is an equal or better, the coaching edge just isn't there. When Greg McMackin is outscheming you, something's wrong.

3. Imagine you're in the Boise State locker room before kick-off and it's your job to give the team some final words before this game begins. What would you tell them?

I would probably make up some quote about a Nevada guy running his mouth and saying things he shouldn't. Oh wait. Brett Roy already did that. My bad.

First off, I'd make sure that the Broncos had a healthy respect for Nevada and understood that this was a very good team they were playing. Then I'd remind them of the team goals and that winning a WAC championship is always Priority No. 1. After that, I'd go over the past few weeks and tell them how I proud I was that they were playing so well. Then I'd play "Final Countdown," tear a phonebook in half, and brand each of their names onto various team assistants. That should do the trick.

4. Pick out three player-to-player match-ups that you believe will have the biggest effect on this game's outcome and explain why you believe they will.

I kind of already did this in a post on OBNUG today, but I thought of some more.

TE Virgil Green vs. NB Winston Venable. Oregon State's only real offense came on pass plays to the tight end, and Green may be the best tight end Boise State has seen since. Venable will have to walk a fine line between selling out to the run and covering Green, provided the Broncos leave him with that choice.

CB Isaiah Frey vs. WR Titus Young. Did you see the Fresno game last week? Young was abusing the one-on-one coverage, so it will be interesting to see if Frey does any better - or if Nevada even dares put him in that position.

HC Chris Ault vs. HC Chris Petersen. When the stakes are high like they are on Friday night, coaches often come into play with big decisions or crazy gameplans. I'm interested to see what develops and how each coach handles pressure.

5. On a scale of comedians, with Gallagher being "not at all" and Richard Pryor being "supremely", how confident are you that your team will win on Friday?

The strangest thing has happened over the course of the season: I have become supremely confident in Bronco victory week-in and week-out. This is strange because I am normally a skeptic, maybe a realist at best. But this Boise State team is something else.

The Bronco defense matches up so well with the Nevada offense that I really don't doubt their being able to grind the Pistol to a halt. On the flip side, the Boise State offense matches up really well with the Nevada defense, so I don't have any worries there, either.

Is an upset a possibility? You bet it is. College football is a crazy game and anything can happen especially when you factor in weather and road conditions. That said, Boise State wins this game 8 out of 10 times.

Put me down for a "Richard Pryor," or the white version of Richard Pryor - Brian Regan.

End

We also made a fairly simple bet: the blogger that covers the winning team will get to write an entry for the blog that covers the losing team. Thanks again to Kevan for getting in touch with me and helping to arrange all of this, and Happy Thanksgiving.

PWtW Week 12 Preview (Part 2)

2010-11-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

"We have immense confidence...We're at home...And we don't lose at home."

"There is not a person in this building who thinks we're not going to beat Boise."
~Brett Roy, quoted in articles here and here.

Pop quiz: in what alternate universe would the above quotes be considered mean-spirited and disrespectful? If you answered "Whatever alternate universe has currently swallowed up the entire state of Idaho", no shit.

Apparently, alluding to your team's 6-0 home record or putting the belief in the abilities of one's self and teammates on record is considered bad form. If your parents taught you growing up that you have to believe in yourself before others can believe in you, then you're full of it! Leave it to Bronco fans to consider displaying self-confidence (without -- I'd like to point out -- making a prediction of the outcome or directing any actual insult towards Boise State) as being disrespectful. I'd hate to see the bunched up panties that would result from a Nevada player saying something that was actually meant to be interpreted poorly.

But to be fair, when your favorite team goes this long without someone else actually stepping up to beat them, I guess remarks like those are what passes for bulletin board material in Broncoland. What else can be stirred up for controversy's sake when your team (almost) literally doesn't ever lose? When a Louisiana Tech player says their team will play well for their seniors next week, remind me to act righteously indignant and shout "HOW DARE HE?!" at my computer screen.

"Self-respect is disrespectful. KNEEL BEFORE BOISE STATE!!"

Anyway, angry rant done. Let's pour over some stats.

If you love offense -- I mean really LOVE offense -- these teams will make pretty much any telecast a must-see event. Nevada is currently third in the nation in average total offense and Boise State is right behind them at fourth, and first downs are close, too (26.7 to 25.6 per game, respectively), but they're very different in how they go about tearing their opponents apart. The Pistol favors the run (304.4 yards per game), while the Bronco offense prefers the pass (323.4 yards per game), but for the sake of balance both teams can also switch it up and have some success with the other component. Neither team turns the ball over much (+7 margin for Nevada, +6 for Boise), fails to convert many third downs (55.7% for Nevada, an even 50% for Boise), or gives up many sacks (6 for Boise, 7 for Nevada) or tackles for loss (32 for Nevada and 34 for Boise). If offense was solely how this game would be decided, chances are it would come down to whomever has the last possession.

But that's where defense enters the picture, and the Boise State defense is Legit with a capital "L". Seriously, this is where it ceases to sound like actual college football and begins to sound more like a video game where you're taking out frustrations on hapless computer opponents. The Broncos are second in the nation at 229.2 yards given up per game -- that breaks down to 72.3 rushing yards (1st nationally) and 156.9 passing yards (7th). That's supplemented by 39 sacks (2nd in the country), 88 tackles for loss (3rd) and being able to hold their opponents to just 26.6% on third downs (3rd). As much as Coach Buh has improved this team's defense, it obviously still doesn't compare to numbers like those. Remember the "Dark Knight" reference I threw out in Part 1? Think of the Pack ground game as the unstoppable force and the Bronco rushing defense as the immovable object; it's likely the first and most important place where this game will be decided.

There's not much separation between the special teams units, oddly enough. They're fairly close to one another in punting distance (about 42 yards per punt) and kick-off returns (23.8 per return for Boise, 23.1 for Nevada). Nevada gives up lots of yards on kick returns (nearly 26 yards per return, 7th to last in the nation), while Boise gives up lots of yards on punt returns (12.6 yards per return, 102nd in the nation). If the game is close from the outset, a big play in one of these areas could really break it open for good.

Best-Case Scenario

The mistake-free game against Boise State that has eluded Nevada so many times in the past is finally realized. The stout Bronco defense, though not repeatedly gashed like previous opponents, is nonetheless methodically chipped away at by a successful passing attack that paves the way for a trademark Nevada rushing performance. The Pack finishes +2 or better in turnovers, and ends up winning a back-and-forth contest by a single score.

Worst-Case Scenario

History repeats itself to a horribly familiar tune and then some. The Bronco defense sets the tone early on, allowing Boise to jump out to yet another early lead which they never look back from. First half mistakes doom the Pack to play catch-up for nearly all 60 minutes, and the defense surrenders big play after big play. Like the Blues Brothers, the Broncos are on a mission from (the football) God and Nevada is brushed aside by multiple scores in the end.

So there you have it. A lot will have to go right for a Nevada win, but this whole season has felt pretty different than what we're used to. And barring a truly sadistic change of date and time, the next meeting between these teams won't be on a holiday-shortened week. Hopefully my blogging muscles will be in better shape by that time. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and Beat Boise.

PWtW Week 12 Preview (Part 1)

2010-11-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

"An intense anticipation itself transforms possibility into reality; our desires being often but precursors of the things which we are capable of performing."

~Samuel Smiles

"We always feel better in anticipation. You don't think about somethin' and think 'Aw, it's gonna be shitty.' No! You say 'This is gonna be the greatest weekend ever! Sonuvabitch!' And then, by Monday, you're throwin' up and you're thinking 'Ya know, I always knew those guys were pricks!'"
~Lewis Black

I defy my readers to find a quote superior to that second one that better summarizes the experience of anticipating a Boise State-Nevada game of the last few years and the interactions with Bronco fans in cyberspace that have followed those losses.

I say "in cyberspace" because the personal interactions I've had with Boise State fans have almost all been exceptional, and are one aspect of Friday night's game I truly am looking forward to. It's when my attention turns to some of their Internet fans that my head starts throbbing, my faith in humanity wanes and I suddenly have an intense desire to commit seppuku.

Anyway, you read that title correctly: this is but the first part of a preview so big that it deserves TWO parts! Don't get all excited at once. The time has finally come -- let's do this thing.

Boise State Broncos

This is it, children. The Big One. What is arguably the biggest game in the history of Nevada Wolf Pack football, of the current Mackay Stadium and certainly of the current season of WAC football. Two nationally ranked teams. Twenty wins between them. A share of the WAC title on the line. Tickets sold out two months in advance. National championship implications for one team. Twelve years of pent-up frustration coming to a head for the other team. Chances to make different kinds of history for both teams. The last home game for Nevada's most accomplished group of seniors. No hyperbole or exaggeration here -- this is the real thing. Fuckin' A.

Both teams' respective seasons have been building up towards this Friday night, and the fact that they each have one game left after this is just an anti-climactic coincidence (you can probably thank Herr Bensonführer for that one). Even when Nevada lost to Hawai'i back in October, all that did was eliminate any hopes they had for an outright championship. The road to a title still goes through Boise State -- it was true before that game, and it's still true this week.

Not only that, these teams need each other. With the exception of the Broncos' opening win against Virginia Tech, none of the opponents either team has beaten has given them much help in the strength-of-schedule department. BYU and Toledo will both be in bowl games somewhere, but they're just different shades of mediocre at this point. Cal needs to beat Washington for their sixth win, and Oregon State would have to beat either Stanford or Oregon to get theirs -- good luck with that. Colorado State, Wyoming and NSU are all putrid -- thanks for nothing, you worthless schmucks. And that's in addition to the always-stellar slate of Bottom 10 pillow fighters who come and go during conference play. The fact is that neither team has impressed many people to date with who they've beaten, with BSU obviously having the best win between them. Like Batman and the Joker, each team will give purpose and strength to the other (but for the record, Nevada gets to be Batman).

"What would I do without you? No, you complete me! And I'm not a monster. I'm just proven. And my field is blue."

Perusing the box scores of each of their games, neither Boise State nor Nevada has faced much in the way of serious adversity this year. Nevada has trailed in only two games, while BSU hasn't trailed in any game since Week 1. Each team is accustomed to having their way most weeks, and one of them will be very unhappy as soon as they fall behind. The only way there could be higher stakes for who wins that opening coin toss would be if this guy flipped it.

With that said, Boise State has arguably had the most convincing performances week in and week out of any team in the nation aside from Oregon. But even Oregon came uncomfortably close to losing at Cal, and if Nevada has a good plan of attack in place for Friday night and executes it, they can do the same. In the next entry, I'll immerse myself in all the important statistics and outline what it will take for Nevada to pull out a win.

PWtW Week 11 Preview

2010-11-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

"Adversity has the same effect on a man that severe training has on the pugilist: it reduces him to his fighting weight."

~Josh Billings

"Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors."
~African Proverb

I gotta tell you guys that my work isn't always easy. Granted, for a fan like myself this is still one of the best hobbies a guy can take up, but I hope you people appreciate what I do for you every week. Or rather, most weeks. OK, fine: some weeks.

I say this because while the rest of you are getting all geeked up for the rapidly approaching date with Boise State, I -- being the ever-responsible blogger that I am -- have to stay focused on the task at hand. And that task is typing up a preview of New Mexico State, the opponent being played this week. Hooray for responsibility. Did I mention that I loathe all of you right now? Because I do. Ever so much.

New Mexico State Aggies

If sequential football games were parts of a sandwich, then smushed between the hearty breads of the 'No Town Showdown and the HOLY FRIGGIN' SHIT MONKEYS THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC Boise State Game is a rancid little piece of expired lunch meat called New Mexico State. They're a near-permanent resident of espn.com's Bottom 10, they haven't had a winning season since 2002 and the last time they played in a bowl game the Eisenhower administration was in its final month. Oh, and thanks to Nigel Burton's defensive genius ("You mean it's not a good idea to leave my rookie corners on an island and expect them to make plays against offenses that pass a lot?") they beat Nevada the last time they came to Reno. No, I'm not thrilled either, folks, so just keep reading, bide your time and it'll all be over soon.

Name a statistical category and the likelihood is high that the Aggies are low in it. Offense? 108th in the country at 303.5 yards per game (Nevada averages seven more yards rushing per game). Scoring? 15.8 points a game, fifth from last in the country with 29 their highest one-game total (Nevada has topped that output in all but two of its games to date). Defense? Whether against the pass (238.9 yards per game, 93rd), the run (195.1 yards per game, 100th) or the scoreboard (36.3 points per game, 110th) the Aggies just don't cut it. Sacks? 0.6 per game and six total, along with just 34 tackles for loss, all last in the nation (Number of sacks Nevada's ten previous opponents have combined to put up against the Pack? Also six). The Aggies have been behind for all 60 minutes of five games and all but 8 minutes of a sixth, while the Pack has only found themselves behind in two games. Alright, that last one wasn't referring to a specific category, but you should have the idea by now that these guys aren't very good.

From the athletic program that brought you Tyrone Nelson and Jahmar Young comes the "no sex" fliers. Bless you, New Mexico State, and your inability to stop amazing us.

So aside from the usual bottom-of-the-WAC types of stats and an utter lack of star players worth hyping up, what does NMSU actually do well? In spite of my snark and immaturity, several things, as it turns out. Though he hasn't returned one all the way yet, wide receiver Taveon Rogers is a stiff test for any kick coverage unit, averaging 26.6 yards per return. In a testament to their improved quarterback and O-line play, they've only surrendered 10 sacks on the year, not far behind Nevada and Boise State. And the Aggie punt coverage unit is only allowing 5.3 yards per return, tied with Air Force for 18th in the country. Granted, it's a little easier to get down the field in time when your punter only averages 36.6 yards on his punts, but we can't harsh everything they do.

Best-Case Scenario

Nevada quickly builds up a comfortable lead and (more importantly) keeps it that way through the second half. Focus is not a problem, just as it wasn't a problem in Las Cruces last year. The home crowd is large and grateful for a long enough break in the weather to enjoy an actual day game at Mackay. No major injuries occur, and the second- and third-string offense and defense see more than their share of snaps. Just for good measure, a kick-off or punt is returned for a touchdown, and we all celebrate accordingly.

Worst-Case Scenario

Focus quickly becomes a big problem, as Nevada has great difficulty in not playing down to its competition a la San Jose State. The outcome of the game is never in doubt, but the meager crowd on hand can clearly see that the team's attention is elsewhere. On top of the crummy weather, more than one player is sidelined with a major injury. Instead of heading into the next game with their confidence solidified, questions outnumber answers both for Nevada's players and fans, and anxiety runs rampant.

No profound conclusions to draw here. Just show up, kick ass, and move on to Boise State.

PWtW Week 10 Preview

2010-11-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

"There is no greater challenge than to have someone relying upon you; no greater satisfaction than to vindicate his expectation."

~Kingman Brewster, Jr.

Given that Coach Ault often says that football is about doing your one eleventh and trusting your teammates to do theirs, I thought a win like Saturday's warranted a quote like this one. And on a related note, before Nevada's 844 yards against Idaho, their previous record for offense in one game was 794 yards against NSU in 1993. Needless to say, the Rabbles are grateful for this.

Fresno State Bulldogs

If you thought Coach Ault was the WAC coach under the most pressure heading into this season, you would've only been half right. Every coach's best seasons set the bar for where fans expect a team to continue to perform year after year, and Fresno State has arguably the steepest expectations outside of Boise in that regard. Pat Hill has set a high standard in his time at Fresno State, guiding his teams to numerous Top 25 appearances, bowl game wins, and the second-most wins over BCS-conference competition among non-BCS programs in the last decade (Utah has the most). With the fan support they often enjoy and the reputation they've built up, they're by most accounts a model football program at the mid-major level.

But ever since taking USC down to the wire in 2005 -- ranked #1 at the time and in the prime of their dynasty years -- Fresno State football has had a hard time reaching the same heights of their previous teams. They've gone 34-28 overall since that night at the Coliseum, including only one bowl win in that time period -- not up to par with typical Fresno State standards. During this time, Nevada has slowly but surely seen its program rise to increasing prominence, and Coach Ault has helped equalize things with the 'Dogs after Nevada lost six straight in the series from 1999 to 2004. Swiping more and more recruits out of the San Joaquin Valley -- once the front door step of Hill's prime recruiting area -- hasn't helped matters. And with the series assured of being continued for the foreseeable future in the Mountain West, the stakes for both programs will be heightened that much more.

This is the stage that both teams find set for Saturday night. Nevada, in the midst of what's been a (mostly) stellar season, seeks to continue its war path and reaffirm which 'No Town has the better team. And Pat Hill -- ever the motivator in these types of games -- would no doubt relish the chance to scalp another nationally ranked team and relieve some of the pressure he continues to face.

What jumps out first about Fresno State isn't their offense, which is neither great nor poor in terms of average yardage but has managed to put up plenty of points (34.8 per contest). Instead, it's the 3 sacks per game and 24 total sacks that Chris Carter and the defense have put up. Their opponents have only converted 34.8% of their third downs, but this is negated somewhat by their own offense's inability to do the same (35.2%). While Fresno boasts a surprisingly good pass defense yardage-wise (196.8 per game), the same cannot be said for their pass efficiency defense (131.02 per game, 79th in the country). Oddly enough, the reverse is true for Nevada. Both teams will seek to control the clock, with Nevada's average time of possession fourth in the country (33:46 per game) and Fresno not far behind at sixth (33:11). Special teams play -- normally one of Fresno's areas of strength -- is pretty much a wash, with neither team particularly standing out in any one facet.

Best-Case Scenario

Nevada strolls into a hostile environment unimpressed and remains so after the game. Kaep continues his hot passing streak, punishing the 'Dogs for committing to stopping the run. The run game is established later as a result, with Vai and another back combining for 250+ yards. A Nevada receiver gets 100+ yards worth of catches and a couple of touchdowns. Fresno, by contrast, is unable to keep pace, falling behind early and never catching back up. They have, in fact, jumped the shark.

Worst-Case Scenario

Fired up and eager to atone for last year's loss, Fresno's pass rush pushes Nevada out of its comfort zone and straight into the loss column. Fresh off of a strong rushing performance last week, the Bulldogs surpass Nevada on the ground. Offensive execution relapses to pre-Hawai'i status, with Kaep unable to pass often enough to open up the run. Third downs decide the outcome, with Fresno stymieing just enough of them to keep the Pistol off the field. They have not, in fact, jumped the shark.

The Bulldog offense is fine enough in its own right, but the fact is that the Pack's is still better. When Fresno finds itself in third-and-long situations, Nevada cannot afford to let them convert. The opposite battles between the Nevada offense and Fresno defense on third downs are ultimately where the game will be decided: Nevada excels at converting them, and Fresno excels at stopping them. Something has to give, and my money is on the visitors having their way.

Finally, if you happen to have a subscription at silverandbluesports.com (and why wouldn't you, really?), you can hear yours truly pitching in to the post-Idaho, pre-Fresno discussion here.