SB Nation - Vai Taua

WAC All-Decade Team: Dinwiddie, Moore, or Brennan: How will you vote?

Kevan Lee — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:41:39 -0000

What does your WAC All-Decade Team look like? Pretty much exactly the same as your Bronco All-Decade Team?

The conference is holding an All-Decade vote-off on its website, letting fans pick the best players at each position from the past 10 years. Who will get your votes? What positions are the toughest to call? Join me after the jump for a look at some of the closest races, and we'll take the debate to the comments and see if we can't figure this thing out.

A quick note before we get started: The WAC automatically generated its list of nominees based on players who earned first- or second-team All-WAC honors at least twice and who were still playing WAC football during the year 2000. The year 2000, Conan? That's right, David Duchovny.

Without further ado, here are the positions that I am having the most trouble with. Please help me.

WAC All-Decade Quarterback: Dinwiddie, Moore, Carr or Brennan?

The Chase Holbrook mindscrub is nearly complete

Quarterback is going to be the most notable position on this All-Decade team, especially if Jared Zabransky can get that PF Chang's grassroots campaign going. The four biggest names on the list make for an interesting debate about who was the best quarterback of the past 10 years.

In my opinion, the favorites are Ryan Dinwiddie, Boise State's most accomplished quarterback of all-time; Kellen Moore, Boise State's future most accomplished quarterback of all-time; David Carr, No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft; and Colt Brennan, prolific college passer and Honolulu wax museum feature. Karl Benson, their WAC accolades if you will:

Ryan Dinwiddie: 1st team (2002), 1st team (2003), POY 2003
Kellen Moore: 2nd team (2008), 1st team (2009), Freshman of the Year 2008, POY 2009
David Carr: 2nd team (2000), 1st team (2001), POY 2001
Colt Brennan: 1st team (2006), 1st team (2007), POY 2006, POY 2007

How do you think the QB race will shake down? The race most likely will come down to Dinwiddie and Brennan as one is the most successful WAC quarterback of the decade and the other is the most recognizable. Will productivity or popularity win out?

My deciding factor: Dinwiddie won WAC championships. Brennan did not. That should account for something.

via media.idahostatesman.com

Etcetera: Will Jared Zabransky get any votes? Anyone surprised at how well Kellen Moore holds up against players who have played an entire career in the WAC?

WAC All-Decade Running Back: What do you do with LaDainian Tomlinson?

a.k.a. The One Where You Vote For Ian Johnson

Climb aboard the way-back machine for this category, destination: anonymity.

Yonus Davis, San Jose State (2nd 2005, 2nd 2006, 2nd 2008)
Brock Forsey, Boise State (1st 2001, 1st 2002, POY 2002)
Howard Jackson, UTEP (1st 2003, 1st 2004)
Ian Johnson, Boise State (1st 2006, 1st 2007, 2nd 2008)
Keylon Kincade, SMU (2nd 2002, 2nd 2003)
Chance Kretschmer, Nevada (1st 2001, 2nd 2003, FOY 2001)
Ryan Moats, Louisiana Tech (1st 2003, 1st 2004, POY 2004)
Daniel Porter, Louisiana Tech (1st 2008, 2nd 2009)
Joe Smith, Louisiana Tech (2nd 2001, 1st 2002)
Vai Taua, Nevada (1st 2008, 1st 2009)
LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU (2nd 1998, 1st 1999, 1st 2000, POY 1999, POY 2000)
Deonce Whitaker, San Jose State (2nd 1999, 1st 2000)

Howard Jackson? Deonce Whitaker? The immortal Joe Smith? What conference have I been watching for the past 10 years?

A lot of votes will undoubtedly go LaDainian Tomlinson's as voters go "Hey, he's in my ESPN the Magazine" when they see his name. But is one year of 21st century WAC domination enough? For me, it is not, but I am open to any arguments that say otherwise.

Out of the whole list, there are only three POY winners: Tomlinson, Ryan Moats, and Brock Forsey. Moats and Forsey are definitely in the running for me, but I think you also have to consider Ian Johnson (three-time All-WAC performer) and Vai Taua (the face of Nevada's new rushing attack).

If I'm picking one back, it is Brock Forsey. If I'm picking two (and I am because the WAC lets me), it is Forsey and Moats. Would you put Ian Johnson on your All-Decade team?

WAC All-Decade Wide Receivers: Do any Broncos make the cut?

Two Broncos make the roster of All-Decade nominees. Are either Jeremy Childs or Austin Pettis worthy of a spot?

The competition at WR is intense with the likes of Bernard Berrian, Davone Bess, Kevin Jurovich, Ashley Lelie, and Chris Williams. Any one of those players could make the final three. Do Childs and Pettis fit with them?

Add one season to either player's resume, and I think the answer is easy. However, since Childs left early for the pros and Pettis still has time left at Boise State, their careers are not as complete as other WAC receivers. Was Childs the best receiver in the conference during his stay with the Broncos? I'd say yes. Is Pettis the best receiver in the conference right now? Absolutely. Are either good enough to make the All-Decade team? What do you think?

WAC All-Decade Offensive Line: If you had to choose between Daryn Colledge and Ryan Clady ...

Fat guys have their day in the sun

There are a lot of big names on the nominee list for offensive linemen, and the fact that the WAC lets you vote for five big uglies makes stuffing your ballot with Broncos a little easier.

But let's say you had to choose between the two Broncos on the list. Would you take Daryn Colledge or Ryan Clady? And why?

Colledge was the self-made Bronco lineman who was an All-WAC player three years running. Clady was the prototypical NFL tackle who earned two first-team awards then left early for the NFL. Does Colledge's four-year success trump Clady's brief brilliance?

For the record, I voted for both, but if I had to choose only one for the All-Decade team, I think I'd lean toward Colledge.

WAC All-Decade Defensive Backs: If Quintin Mikell doesn't make this, I am not responsible for what happens to Karl Benson

Is this where I vote for Marty Tadman?

Mikell is the only player in the secondary to win POY honors, and his two trips to the first-team (plus his success at the pro level) should make him a shoo-in. Will any other Broncos join him?

Kyle Wilson is up for nomination along with Jeron Johnson, Gabe Franklin, and Marty Tadman. Franklin, Tadman, and Wilson all made three All-WAC teams, a feat only matched one other time by a secondary player (UTEP's D.J. Walker). The Broncos should be well-represented in this category. But how well-represented? Is three players too much to ask?

Your turn

How will you be voting with the WAC's All-Decade Team? Are you putting down Dinwiddie's name? Where will Ian Johnson be on your ballot? Is Korey Hall a no-brainer? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Game balls for Boise State versus Nevada

Kevan Lee — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:07:39 -0000

More photos » by Matt Cilley - AP

25 days ago: Boise State's Doug Martin (22) rushes for a first down past Nevada's Jonathon Amaya (49) during the second half of their NCAA college football game on Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 in Boise, Idaho. BSU went on to win 44-33. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)

Browse more photos »

Boise State showed a lot of heart and determination in Friday's win over Nevada, as the Broncos overcame several key injuries and one of the best teams on their schedule for a 44-33 victory.

Who took home a game ball from the win? I'll hand out a few after the jump, and I encourage you to add your own winners in the comments.

Readers' choice award for player of the game

Doug Martin

For the second week in a row, Martin won player of the game honors from OBNUG readers, thanks to his 110-yard second half and the slightly embarrassing man crush that Bronco Nation currently has on him. What can I say? Bronco fans heart exciting running backs, and Martin is exciting in a pressurized-air-keyboard-cleaner kind of way.

The only thing left between Martin and Bronco immortality is for the Idaho Statesman to demand its readers to come up with a nickname for the rushing duo of Martin and Jeremy Avery. Because that worked so well last time for the Boise State defense.

Gameplan of the game

Justin Wilcox

Coach Pete said it himself after the game: "Wilcox for president." And while I would need to look at Wilcox's stance on capital punishment and nationwide sidewalk infrastructure, I tend to agree with Coach Pete. Justin Wilcox for president, Bryan Harsin for vice, and Paul J. Schneider for surgeon general.

Wilcox's gameplan against Nevada was as solid as last year's, but it was also different enough that the Wolf Pack couldn't simply plan for what they had seen before. The Broncos still used defensive backs to neutralize Kaepernick's running ability. They still pinched hard inside to take away the dive play. But the formations and blitzes and coverages were creative enough that UNR never knew what hit them.

I'll tell you what didn't hit them: San Jose State's defense. Or New Mexico State's. Or Fresno State's. That the Broncos were able to hold down an offense that no one else could hold down speaks to just how far above the other WAC defenses Boise State really is. Forget this talk of Coach Pete going somewhere else to coach this offseason. I would be and will be worried about Wilcox.

Best impersonation of the Berlin Wall

Boise State offensive line

via impymalting.files.wordpress.com

Much-maligned throughout the season (what's new?), the Boise State offensive line has really hit its stride over the past three weeks. And they saved their best performance for the Nevada game.

Against the Wolf Pack, the Bronco offensive line did its best 1990's communist partition impersonation with the Bronco offense serving as the good side of Germany with the Oktoberfests, German candies, and Claudia Schiffer, and the Nevada defense serving as the bad side of Germany with the swastika museums, the ethnic bias, and sauerkraut. Kellen Moore was kept clean, Martin had holes to hit, and the Bronco offense rarely stalled due to any issues along the line.

Specifically, I'd like to point out two players who exceeded expectations on Friday night. Garrett Pendergast and Matt Slater had the dubious task of going mano-a-mano with Nevada's Kevin Basped and Dontay Moch, two of the best pass rushers in the conference. Pendergast was the sketchiest Bronco lineman going into the game, but he came up roses blocking on the edge. Slater was rushed into action with an injury to Nate Potter, and the former starter more than held his own.

Are we finally seeing a Bronco offensive line that can dominate like lines of old? Here's hoping.

Biggest casualty of the game

Austin Pettis' ankle

Broken or not broken, Pettis' ankle almost doomed the Broncos on Friday night, as the absence of the team's offensive glue almost caused the whole diorama of excellence and points to fall apart. Would you have been confident picking the Broncos to win, knowing Pettis was out and Nevada would score 33? I'm not sure I would. Credit the rest of the offense for stepping up without him. Do not credit the fashion groupthink that took high tops out of style.

Runner-up: Colin Kaepernick's NFL draft status

Best Bronco defender in a supporting role

Hunter White

The backup middle linebacker had more than his fair share of backing up to do once starter Daron Mackey went down with an injury on the defense's first play. Middle linebacker was a key position in the Broncos' defensive gameplan, and White was up to the task. He finished with a game-high in tackles and was the last man standing once fellow MLB Derrell Acrey left late in the game with an injury.

Many Bronco fans thought White would be the starter from opening week. How about the starter on closing week? Note to self: attrition is a perfectly acceptable way to get a promotion.

You're doing it wrong, oh wait, never mind award

Titus Young's kickoff return

via www.bradfox.com

Fumbling the opening kickoff is usually a bad thing (so too returning kicks from eight yards deep in the end zone), but Young's Midas touch and some non-threatening Nevada kick coverage turned disaster into euphoria as Young went 95 yards for the game's opening score. Plus, no celebration penalty! Bonus.

Play of the game

Aaron Tevis's forced fumble

There were many plays to choose from (and your play of the game might be completely different than mine), but Tevis's forced fumble was my choice because of its timing. With the Broncos clinging to a one-score lead and a couple drives after Kirby Moore had fumbled away a big gain, Nevada had the ball back at their own 25 at the start of the fourth quarter. Vai Taua dove through the line for a six-yard gain, which would have left a 3rd and 1 for the Wolf Pack, but Tevis came to the rescue, knocking the ball loose from Taua's bionic left arm. Venable recovered, the Broncos added a field goal, and momentum was back on Boise State's side.

Technical awards

Reparations award: Kyle Brotzman. The Broncos' hard-luck kicker made good on a 27-yard field goal in the second half, perhaps winning back a little bit of confidence from a scorned Bronco Nation. Was I the only one uneasy about Brotzman's attempt? I guess I learned my lesson. I will never doubt Brotzman on 27-yard attempts from the middle of the field again.
Graduate already award: Tons of Nevada players. Kaepernick, Taua, Moch, and Basped will all be back next year unless they plan on stealing a page from the Jeremy Childs playbook. Will next year be Nevada's year? Graham Watson most certainly will think so.
Broken streak of the week: Red zone TDs. For the first time since Louisiana Tech, the Broncos failed to get a TD on a trip to the red zone. Still, four out of five isn't bad.

Boise State beats Nevada 44-33, wins WAC championship and stays undefeated

Kevan Lee — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:36:24 -0000

More photos » by Matt Cilley - AP

25 days ago: Boise State's Titus Young (4) runs back the opening kickoff for a touchdown against Nevada during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)

Browse more photos »

The Broncos overcame injuries and a determined Nevada team to win their seventh WAC title in eight years with a 44-xx win over the Wolf Pack.

Kellen Moore threw five touchdowns and Doug Martin rushed for over 100 yards for the Broncos, and the BSU defense held Nevada's Colin Kaepernick in check in the second half. What stood out to you in Boise State's big win? Join me after the jump in a few minutes for some analysis of the game (UPDATE: 12:45: analysis now added).

Doug Martin saves the Bronco offense, saves the Bronco season?

As far as I'm concerned, the game turned on a Doug Martin drive midway through the third quarter. Spanning the first and second halves, the Broncos had passed on 13 of 15 plays, broken up only be a Kellen Moore QB sneak and a Jeremy Avery two yard loss. Worse, the pass had stopped working as effectively as it was early in the game.

At the same time, Nevada was slowly crawling back into the game. The Wolf Pack had taken a 27-3 deficit and made it 27-19, having just punted on a drive that could have tied the game. The Boise State offense needed a spark, and it needed one badly.

Enter Doug Martin, who had already contributed some clutch first down conversions on an earlier TD drive. He took off for carries of 11, 16, 8, 8, and 5 yards to start the drive, moving the ball from the Boise State 36 to the Nevada 27 all by his lonesome. Kellen Moore capped the drive with his fourth touchdown of the night to a wide open Tommy Gallarda. The lead was pushed to 15, and even though Nevada answered on its next play from scrimmage, the game no longer felt tilted in the Wolf Pack's favor.

Colin Kaepernick reduced to Vai Taua middleman and generally bad QB by Boise State defense

Boise State held Kaepernick to 172 total yards - his 2nd lowest output of the season - and left him completely out of sorts in the second half, thanks to another strong overall effort by the defense. For much of the game, Kaepernick handed off to RB Taua on Nevada's vaunted veer option, as Taua finished with 24 carries for 160 yards. Kaepernick's numbers? Slightly less impressive.

16 carries, 31 yards, 0 TDs.

His passing was a little more effective - on two drives. To end the first half, Kaepernick marched the Wolf Pack 79 yards in 1:30, going 5-for-5 for 62 yards on the drive. To end the game, Kaepernick again took Nevada down field and into the end zone on a 71-yard drive, completing four passes for 66 yards and a score.

The rest of the game? 13 yards passing and an 0-for-7 stretch during the third and fourth quarters that all but spelled Nevada's doom.

Much credit goes to the Bronco defense for stopping Kaepernick. They took the ball out of his hand on the option and forced him to go laterally when he kept it around the end. I only remember three or four times when he was really able to turn it upfield and gain yards, but it would have taken a lot more of those carries to make a difference in tonight's game.

Austin Pettis proved his value by standing on the bench in street clothes

If anyone was not convinced that Pettis is perhaps the team's most valuable player, his absence from pretty much all of the Nevada game should have stated a pretty good case. The Broncos missed Pettis. There is simply no other receiver like him, and the drop off from Pettis to Chris Potter and Mitch Burroughs is considerable.

Nevertheless, for the Broncos to overcome an injury to an MVP-type player like Pettis shows a lot of heart and guile from the team. Young players stepped up in Pettis' absence. Doug Martin made his presence felt. Kellen Moore found other receivers to contribute. But the biggest impact might have been on the Broncos' gameplan, as there's a pretty good chance that Coach Pete and Bryan Harsin had to throw the whole thing out the window once Pettis went down. The changes to the strategy on offense - be it Doug Martin's running, working FBs and TEs against Nevada linebackers - obviously worked. Here's hoping the coaches get the credit they deserve.

By the way, anyone want a do-over on that two-point conversion try? I'm okay with the call. You could never know that Pettis would get hurt on something like that.

Same with Daron Mackey

Mackey was no doubt a huge part of Boise State's gameplan to stop Kaepernick and Co., so seeing him leave the game on the first defensive snap couldn't have been easy. Major high fives to Derrell Acrey and Hunter White for stepping in to fill Mackey's shoes (although Acrey did leave the field late in the fourth quarter with an injury).

Anyone catch Boise State's defensive strategy?

Whatever the Broncos did to Nevada, it worked. Apart from one long Vai Taua run, the Wolf Pack were forced to grind their way down the field or get nothing at all. Five times the Broncos forced three-and-outs. Nevada had barely more than 10 total three-and-outs coming into the game.

So what did you see the Broncos doing? They lined up in the 3-4 defense quite often with Shea McClellin and Byron Hout getting much of the work at stand-up OLB. The Broncos brought the middle linebackers fairly often at the first sign of a run. Venable or another spy seemed to always be ready to take Kaepernick down, which may have been why he chose the inside handoff so often.

All those are great, but one thing that I really enjoyed was the timing of the pre-snap movement. The Bronco defensive line waited to change the set-up until Nevada's center put his head down to get the snap signal from Kaepernick. When he brought his head back up and snapped the ball, all the Bronco linemen were in a different position. It's the simple things, really.

All Dan Paul does is catch touchdowns

Paul went 3-for-3 on catches for touchdowns against Nevada, snaring all three first-half Kellen Moore TD tosses. And as if that didn't make Richie Brockel feel bad enough, Heather Cox had to remind Brockel about three times during his interview that he is injured and out for the season.

Kirby Moore makes the most of his second chance

Moore's fumble near midfield late in the third quarter could have been a killer for the Broncos. Boise State was only leading by 8 at the time, and the drive started after Taua's 71-yard sprint to the end zone. Fortunately, the Boise State defense came up big with a three-and-out and no harm was done.

Kellen let Kirby redeem himself on one of the game's most important plays. Boise State faced a 3rd and 5 at the Nevada 6-yard-line with just over five minutes to play and an 11-point lead. If Nevada held the Broncos to a field goal, it still would have been only a two-possession game, and the Wolf Pack would have been very much in it. But the Moore brothers made that point irrelevant as Kellen placed a beautiful fade pass onto the arms of Kirby who caught it with a defender draped on him and falling out of bounds. The touchdown essentially iced the game.

Titus Young starts things off right

Young's opening kickoff wasn't the most beautiful TD return you'll ever see, but what a way to start the game. After fumbling the kick, Young weaved his way in and out of Nevada tackles, breaking free for a 95-yard TD return. The return set the tone for a strong start to the game that saw the Broncos jump out to leads of 20-0 and 27-3.

Aaron Tevis came up big in the second half

As he usually does, Tevis found himself in the middle of some big plays against Nevada, both coming in the fourth quarter. His strip of Vai Taua led to a Bronco field goal, and on the next series, he sacked Kaepernick for a 16-yard loss back to the Nevada 10 that gave the Broncos a short field (and ended with Moore's TD catch).

Other observations

Did Jason Robinson ever see the field? Seemed like Venable took the most snaps he has taken all year.
Kyle Brotzman did not get any bounces to go his way tonight on punts. A 35-yard average is pedestrian for Brotzman.
Kaepernick short-hops more passes than any other quarterback I have seen. In fact, he looked like a worse quarterback tonight than he did last season. I don't mean to be hard on the kid, but he never looked comfortable on passing plays. When he was blitzed, he gave up on his receivers too early and started scrambling. When he scrambled he was never able to see receivers downfield. Was the Boise State secondary just playing that good? Partly, I'm sure. But I think Kaepernick should be better than he was tonight.
Credit that Nevada offensive line. They know how to run block and move the pile.
The Mitch Burroughs Experiment found a new way to disappoint: dropping sure touchdowns that would give his team a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Ugh. I will give Austin Pettis my ankle so that I never have to see that again.
Can we just give Kellen Moore the WAC offensive player of the year trophy now and get it over with? He'll likely have 40 passing TDs by the time the New Mexico State game is over.
On a similar note, can we give the defensive player of the year to Ryan Winterswyk? He's at least got to be in the conversation, right?
Did Nate Potter ever come back in the game after that facial laceration? I saw Matt Slater in there for quite awhile.
That defensive pass interference call on 3rd and 4 on the Broncos' last drive was a huge one.
Boise State finished 7-for-14 on 3rd downs, and they got a big conversion on every single TD drive. Dan Paul's first TD catch was on 3rd and 2, Kirby Moore caught a 34-yard pass on third down on the second TD drive, Doug Martin converted two third downs with receptions on the third drive, Martin ran for a conversion on the fourth TD drive, and the pass interference call and Kirby's touchdown both came on third down on Boise State's final scoring drive.
Nevada linebackers in coverage: Yikes.
Seeing Ault and Kaepernick just makes my skin crawl. I think I despise them almost more than any other Boise State opponent, Akey and Enderle included.
Is it time to talk openly about the BCS now? I mean, New Mexico State doesn't really count as a real game, right?
I'm very anxious to get the injury report on those Bronco players.
I'm just as anxious for the Oklahoma State game tomorrow.
Man, there were a lot of extra observations this game.
Go Broncos.

Poll

Who was Boise State's player of the game versus Nevada?

Doug Martin

176 votes

Kellen Moore

60 votes

Aaron Tevis

7 votes

Dan Paul

59 votes

302 votes | Poll has closed

UNLV Gets Smoked by Instate Rival Nevada

Jeremy Mauss — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:28:18 -0000

Final - 10.3.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
UNLV Rebels	0	21	7	0	28
Nevada Wolf Pack	14	7	14	28	63

Complete Coverage >

So much for UNLV to be a sleeper in the Mountain West. Nevada was supposed to be good as well, but after slow star their Pistol offense exploded for their highest point total of the year with the 63. The Wolfpack also racked up an amazing 773 yards of total offense even by committing four turnovers, and being without their top running back Vai Taua.

This game was going back and forth during the first half with Nevada getting up early 14-0, but then UNLV responded to tie the game at 21 apiece at the half. The second half was a disaster for UNLV as they were out scored 42-7.

This loss was an absolute disaster for UNLV and Mike Sanford really could be given the pink slip after two embarrassing losses even though he did sign a three year contract extension last December. This game was really bizarre in how Nevada won the game. Nevada had 773 yards of offense --559 on the ground, four turnovers, and 15 penalties for 169 yards. While UNLV had one turnover and a decent 276 yards of passing offense, plus the time of possession was basically a fifty-fifty split.

The Rebel downfall besides the obvious of their terrible defense, but their running game needs to be addressed because this game they were only able to manage 70 yards which was their lowest of the year. The 559 rushing yards was amazing enough, but the Wolfpack for the first time in school history had three 100 yard rushers. The passing game for Nevada was also solid with dual threat QB Colin Kaepernick going 15 for 18 with 208 yards and a score.

UNLV had no answer for Nevada and by the way this was their first win of the year. More on the Rebel offense, is that QB Omar Clayton did not start and that news was keep quiet up until kick off.

"I would say that Omar was pretty beat up, and he doesn't have anything long-term, but we made a decision. We felt like he'd be injured more if we played him today, and we needed to get him back healthy."

Even with Mike Clausen starting the drop off is not there, and the blame should not fall on Clausen starting. The running game was a mess with QB Mike Clausen getting 15 carries compared to twelve for the rest of the backs. Not really sure what Coach Mike Sanford was thinking, because Nevada was able to move the ball at will, and some type of running attack would have kept the Nevada offense on the sideline.

Instead they opted to attempt to play score for score and had Clausen throw fifty times, and to make things worse star WR Ryan Wolfe was smothered and only managed five catches for 36 yards. With the four turnovers UNLV's defense was able to muster up the UNLV offense should have been able to do more.

It ended up being a good thing this game was not telveised, or UNLV fans may have started throwing their television sets out the window. Now it is up to UNLV --more specifically Mike Sanford-- to save this season. They do have three winable games at New Mexico then a home game for San Diego State and Colorado State. Well, the Ram game will be an upset but it is a winnable game.

Mizzou-Nevada: Beyond the Box Score

Bill C. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:19 -0000

Confused? Catch up with the BTBS Primer.

In the end, this was not a very statistically impressive win. Mizzou's now looked extremely statistically impressive twice and unimpressive twice, and...guess what: they're 4-0. What we're seeing right now is a young, relatively inconsistent team that kicks its game up in the second half and makes the plays it needs to make. We'll see what happens when the schedule gets tougher--does Missouri get tougher too, or is this shaping up to be another 7-5/8-4 season when all is said and done? Anybody who says they know the answer is lying.

	Mizzou (31)	Nevada (21)
Close %	93.8%
Field Position %	54.2%	57.5%
Leverage %	63.9%	71.2%

TOTAL
EqPts	29.8	23.2
Close Success Rate	41.7%	51.6%
Close PPP	0.41	0.28
Close S&P	0.831	0.798

RUSHING
EqPts	4.1	15.4
Close Success Rate	25.8%	65.8%
Close PPP	0.13	0.36
Close S&P	0.391	1.019
Line Yards/carry	1.45	4.07

PASSING
EqPts	25.7	7.8
Close Success Rate	53.7%	30.8%
Close PPP	0.63	0.17
Close S&P	1.163	0.476
SD/PD Sack Rate	0.0% / 5.0%	0.0% / 25.0%

STANDARD DOWNS
Success Rate	43.5%	55.8%
PPP	0.37	0.25
S&P	0.803	0.803

PASSING DOWNS
Success Rate	38.5%	42.9%
PPP	0.50	0.50
S&P	0.881	0.928

TURNOVERS
Number	1	2
Turnover Pts	4.1	10.1
Turnover Pts Margin	+6.0	-6.0

Q1 S&P	0.675	0.991
Q2 S&P	0.796	0.382
Q3 S&P	1.128	1.031
Q4 S&P	0.866	0.956

1st Down S&P	0.541	0.783
2nd Down S&P	1.043	0.884
3rd Down S&P	1.105	0.870

Projected Pt. Margin	+12.6	-12.6
Actual Pt. Margin	+10	-10

Reactions

Here's where a stat nerd faces a conundrum. Nevada ran almost three-fifths of their plays in Mizzou territory, which is way too many, but they also gave up only three touchdowns, one of which came when the game was iced. There is not much of a place for statistical peace when it comes to the "bend but don't break" style, but...Mizzou didn't break. What to think?
Another dilemma: Mizzou faced way too many Passing Downs, but they responded very well to them. Is that a silver lining or a warning sign?
1.45 line yards per carry. Yeah. Though that was balanced out a smidge by what ended up being a damn solid pass blocking performance. Some credit for that has to go to Blaine Gabbert showing some really good escapability, but as David Yost pointed out on Tiger Talk last night, sometimes Gabbert escapes the pocket when he doesn't need to. It usually ends up working out okay (at least not including the first half of the Bowling Green game), but the protection really is probably a bit better than it gets credit for...which is good, because the run blocking most certainly is not.
Both teams did better offensively on Passing Downs than Standard Downs. Makes total sense. Mizzou couldn't move the ball on first downs to save their lives, but Blaine Gabbert was a laid-back assassin on third downs.
Q2 defense and Q3/Q4 offense won this game for Mizzou. Nevada's S&P rebounded with a near-flawless final drive after Mizzou had closed out the win, but in all Mizzou really did do enough to win this game--this wasn't a little lucky like the Bowling Green game. Nevada played well, and Mizzou played a bit better. This brings up an interesting situation with perspective: without knowing what happened in Nevada's first two games, this would have been exactly the type of effort I would have expected from Nevada. They made plays and had a chance to win, but Mizzou made more plays and won.

If I'd been told we'd win like this in the offseason, I'd have been thrilled. But thanks to a wretched two-game road trip to start the season, expectations on Nevada's capabilities changed pretty significantly. I guess we'll see how the Wolf Pack responds as the season progresses--they need to turn things around pretty quickly, or else they're looking at a 2004 Mizzou type of situation, where negative sentiment and lack of confidence in key moments affects what seems overall to be a pretty talented squad.
So here's something amusing: I spent all offseason writing approximately 125,000 words about Mizzou's 2009 prospects, and I came to the following conclusion about the offense: big plays might be a problem, but Mizzou should be able to fall back on their run game, a great offensive line, and solid possession receiving from guys like Andrew Jones and Wes Kemp to move the chains and take pressure off of Blaine Gabbert.

Yeah, the exact opposite has more or less happened. Teams are focusing on the run and stopping it more effectively than I anticipated, and Andrew Jones has been a complete non-factor...but Mizzou has made more big offensive plays than anybody else in the conference. Who knew? I sure didn't. Good thing I spent all season analyzing this instead of, you know, working out or something.

More after the jump.

Three Positives

Missouri > Circumstances. Tricky road trip, altitude, a desperate opponent, a young QB's first long-distance start...and Mizzou won. We can analyze data all we want, but this could have been a hornets' nest, and Mizzou handled it well, making all the big plays when the game was on the line in the second half.
The Receiving Corps. Needless to say, when your top three receivers combine for 20 catches, 341 yards, and three touchdowns, the receiving corps is a strength. Danario can do it all, Jared Perry is a master of the screen, and Wes Kemp is great on both out routes and deep balls. Again, I could go a lot further into the numbers on this one, but why? The typical box score stats do just fine.
The Pass Rush. Or to specify, the Passing Downs Pass Rush. The "scorpion" defense is successfully doing exactly what it was supposed to do--get after the quarterback. Colin Kaepernick escaped the rush because he's Colin Kaepernick, but on 12 Passing Downs pass attempts, Mizzou registered three sacks and almost had a couple more. With this sort of pass rush, it's no wonder our pass defense as a whole is looking better. You can still complete short passes on us on Standard Downs, but in the grand scheme of things, that's allowable. You can complete those passes against just about anybody, not just Missouri.

From here on out, against Nebraska and beyond, the key for Missouri will be forcing Passing Downs. Clearly Nebraska's personnel is completely different than Nevada's--Zac Lee is obviously less mobile than Kaepernick, but NU will also have more receiving threats to worry about...plus they actually have a tight end--not sure Nevada does, really. How Mizzou uses the next week and a half to work on its weaknesses, and how it defines its weaknesses, will go a long way toward defining the season.

Three Negatives

Another slow start. If there's one single difference between this year's Missouri team and the Chase Daniel-led Missouri team, it's first-quarter stats. The first time Mizzou touched the ball, they went three-and-out. The first time Nevada touched the ball, they scored a touchdown. Granted, Mizzou was done a favor with Vai Taua's muffed punt, and they were able to get a field goal on their second-chance first possession; but in all, Missouri was -0.316 in Q1 S&P margin. Eventually this will bite us.
The interior defensive line. I'm not at all ready to label this a weakness, but the fact is, while Jaron Baston made a handful of really nice plays, when he wasn't making a play, there were holes wide open for Nevada between the tackles. One game does not define a unit, but they failed that test, and obviously with Roy Helu, Jr., on the horizon, this is at least a bit of a concern. I'm not at all worried about Helu's ability to get outside--he's not a burner, and our perimeter speed is absolutely fantastic, as shown by guys like Andrew Gachkar and Jacquies Smith and the plays they made against Nevada. But interior rushes were a huge success for Nevada, and now Missouri has to prepare for a better running team. Or at least, a team with better running backs. Nothing against Luke Lippincott--he did a helluva job--but Helu's better.
Duh...the running game. On This Week in Mizzou Football, Gary Pinkel mentioned that most defenses this year (everybody but Bowling Green) have aimed to take away the run at all costs. Simply because Blaine Gabbert has been so successful throwing the ball, I don't expect many defenses to focus on that as much. That alone should open up some running lanes for Derrick Washington, who aside from the late-Q2 fumble, I thought actually ran pretty well. He still doesn't get arm tackled, and he falls forward a lot...but he's just having to make moves too early, and the line isn't blocking well enough, period.

I should also mention that I think the people who are complaining about the slow-developing runs are missing the point. This team has produced three straight 1,000-yard rushers with these running plays. The slow development also allows the blockers to do their thing, so if the blocking is good, the speed of the runs really does not matter. The plays aren't the problem--the blocking, and the successful shooting of gaps, are.

Three Keys Revisited

Seen here.

Circumstances

You've got a young quarterback making his first out-of-state start (and for that matter, you've got a team with almost 30 frosh/sophs on the two-deep playing really far away from home for the first time). You've got altitude. You've got a team that has gone from simply being motivated by revenge against Missouri to being motivated by a desperate need to make something (anything) positive happen. You've got a two-timezone trip west. All of these things are working in Nevada's favor.

Mission accomplished. This wasn't exactly a hostile environment--less than 20,000 fans filled the 30,000 seat stadium, and a decent number of those were Mizzou fans. Regardless, Mizzou handled it pretty well, especially their quarterback. Nevada played well, and I would expect that they'll have no trouble making a bowl game if they continue to play like that, but Missouri was better.

Passing Downs

Nevada wins this game by forcing Blaine Gabbert into making mistakes he hasn't made yet. Those will almost certainly come in Passing Downs. Minimize the number of Passing Downs Gabbert faces, and you minimize the risk of mistakes. That means a) good running, especially early in the game, b) no drops, and c) no penalties. You want the Nevada crowd to get into the game, and the Nevada team to get its confidence back? Face a lot of 3rd-and-9's and see what happens. Again, Missouri is the better overall team here, but this is still a dangerous game because of what Missouri could do to Missouri.

Big fat fail here--penalties and drops weren't a problem, but obviously running was--but it didn't matter. Thanks to Nevada's successful run defense, Missouri faced far too many passing downs...and did just fine. Let's not push the limits on our sudden Passing Downs effectiveness, however.

Tackling

Tackle well, shadow Kaepernick, don't give up big gains, and you give your young offense more margin for error. Nevada's big-play potential just hasn't made an appearance yet this year, and they might need Missouri's help in breaking out.

In the end, this one probably won the game. Yes, Kaepernick escaped the rush on his touchdown run, but that was only one of two scores Nevada managed when the game was "close." Most of Kaepernick's passes were short (ten yards or less), and only once did a Missouri defender miss the tackle and allow a bigger gain. It's pretty clear that the Missouri strategy on Passing Downs is to not blitz much, let "The Scorpion" get after the quarterback, and let 6-7 defenders form a cloud in the secondary and either make the tackle immediately (if the QB gets a throw off) or break up the pass. With good tackling, that's a winning defensive strategy.

Summary

Obviously, stat nerds don't particularly like the "A win is a win" cliche, but that's really all I wanted to get from this game, and Missouri got it. They're undefeated in non-conference play over the last four years now, and if nothing else, that all but assures that Goal #1 for the season--bowl eligibility--is in the bag. Goal #2--competing for a North title? We'll learn about this one next Thursday night. Missouri's initial "+" numbers don't look too hot right now, and it's easy to figure out why. They dominated an Illinois team that got dominated by Ohio State. They beat a Nevada team that got dominated by Notre Dame. Bowling Green followed up a well-gameplanned performance against Missouri by losing at Marshall and getting blown out by Boise State.

What we've learned about this team is that a) what we thought would be a concern (QB play, big-play threats at WR, pass defense) isn't...and b) this team still has plenty of concerns. Making any serious judgements beyond that would be crazy, though, and there's a pretty easy reason why: look at 2007. The 2007 season showed that Missouri's coaches use the non-conference season to prepare for the conference season. That year, the defense that gave up 100+ yards to Illinois State's Geno Blow would soon hold just about every 2007 conference opponent below its season averages. We have no idea what type of adjustments this staff will be making before next Thursday night, but it's pretty clear that, for better or worse, adjustments will be made. Gary Pinkel and his staff now know what they have to work with--now let's see what they do with it.

Nevada: Beyond the Box Score Preview

Bill C. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:19 -0000

You had to wait an extra day for it, but you have to wait a day less for the actual game, so that balances out, right?

Image via the Reno Gazette-Journal

Offense

Nevada: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

A BTBS look at the Nevada Offense

Close S&P: 0.802 (National Rank: 52nd)
Close Success Rate: 52.5% (14th)
Close PPP: 0.28 (97th)

Rushing Success Rate: 57.9% (7th)
Rushing PPP: 0.35 (37th)
Rushing S&P: 0.929 (14th)

Passing Success Rate: 43.5% (39th)
Passing PPP: 0.16 (115th)
Passing S&P: 0.592 (102nd)

Standard Downs S&P: 0.942 (37th)
SD Rushing S&P: 0.974 (16th)
SD Passing S&P: 0.324 (96th)

Passing Downs S&P: 0.509 (92nd)
PD Rushing S&P: 0.531 (64th)
PD Passing S&P: 0.506 (97th)

Red Zone S&P: 0.609 (116th)

Q1 S&P: 0.916 (36th)
Q2 S&P: 0.655 (89th)
Q3 S&P: 0.911 (35th)
Q4 S&P: 0.882 (27th)

1st Down S&P: 1.024 (12th)
2nd Down S&P: 0.664 (88th)
3rd Down S&P: 0.678 (77th)

Line Yards/Carry: 3.41 (22nd)
Standard Downs Sack Rate: 7.5% (108th)
Passing Downs Sack Rate: 0.0% (1st)

(Here's your reminder that these are not "+" numbers, meaning they are not adjusted for strength of schedule. It's pretty hard to do that when a team's only played two games. This is important to remember when looking at the UNR defense especially, and in all it's a reminder that these numbers should not be taken 100% at face value. That said, these are per-play measures, so they will still tell you infinitely more than simply "Team A is averaging ___ yards per game," or something like that.)

Even if you don't have a clue about S&P and don't care to have a clue, a quick perusal of these rankings paints a pretty quick, clear picture of Nevada and where it has struggled. We've all heard about how poorly Nevada has played this year, but in reality they've only performed poorly in certain circumstances. In Standard Downs (1st downs, 2nd-and-5 or less, 3rd-and-3 or less), the Wolf Pack rushing attack has been just about as good as it was supposed to be. At least, they've been as efficient as they were supposed to be. It appears that teams are reining them in pretty well, and with a pretty pathetic passing attack, it makes sense why. If defenses don't have to even acknowledge the passing game, they can gang up on the run.

And really, that has been the major issue for Nevada this year. Maybe Colin Kaepernick is trying too hard to make plays, maybe the play-calling has been poor...bottom line is, two games into the season Nevada has no passing threat whatsoever. Getting back home and relaxing a bit (if it's possible to relax in what has become a pretty anti-Ault atmosphere) could help, but at this exact moment they've proven nothing.

Quarterback

Kaepernick's rushing ability, combined with his skill on passing downs, made Nevada's offense a major threat to score at pretty much any moment in 2008. But they didn't score at any moment. Why? Because they weren't the best at staying out of Passing Downs. It doesn't matter how good you are in Passing Downs--your odds are still better in Standard Downs, and the more Passing Downs you face, the more likely you are to fail even if you pull off a few great drive-saving plays. The Standard Downs success must improve.

Colin Kaepernick: 37-for-61 passing, 400 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT, 6.6 yards per pass, 108.0 QB Rating. Also, 17 carries, 63 yards, long: 17.

The Standard Downs success has not improved. That said, it hasn't really regressed either--Nevada's Standard Downs S&P has fallen from 0.966 to 0.942, which is relatively negligible in the end. The problem is, the Passing Downs that were a bit of an issue are a complete and total debacle this year. Their Passing Downs production has fallen 32% thus far, and in 61 overall pass attempts, Kaepernick has thrown one touchdown pass and four interceptions. As Missouri fans learned with Brad Smith, if opponents aren't scared of the pass, they can shadow the run a bit more, and though Kaepernick is still capable of making plays with the defense focused on him, he's simply not going to make as many plays.

Should the Passing Downs struggles be blamed on Kaepernick? The receivers? The coach? I haven't seen a single second of either Nevada game, so obviously I don't know for sure. I do know that Nevada left about 17 points off the board against Notre Dame and blew multiple scoring opportunities, which means that a) they did in fact create scoring opportunities, and b) they (Kaepernick included) shot themselves in the foot eventually. I also know that Kaep's completion percentage has gone up, meaning there might be an issue with receivers not being able to actually make a tackler miss and get downfield. Obviously we'll see tonight what was the cause and the struggles will be sustained now that they're back at home.

Running Back

Few teams in the country are more experienced at running back than the Wolfpack will be in 2009. Vai Taua rushed for 1,521 yards in 2008 (6.4 per carry) as a sophomore, and he will return as the #1 guy. But meanwhile, #2 man Luke Lippincott was recently granted medical hardship year and will return in 2009 having rushed for 1,420 yards in 2007 before being sidelined with a knee injury. They have 633 career carries, pretty good for a 1-2 combination. Then, #3 man Brandon Fragger brings an extra 800 career rushing yards (and 22 receptions) to the table.

Vai Taua: 32 carries, 209 yards, 6.5 per carry, two touchdowns, plus five catches, 42 yards.
Luke Lippincott: 9 carries, 52 yards, 5.8 per carry

Clearly they've been holding up their end of the bargain. Again, Nevada has been relatively efficient in terms of moving the ball on Standard Downs. It's what happens when the RBs are stopped for a short gain that is the problem.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Removing the 115 catches, 1,761 yards, and 12 touchdowns that Marko Mitchell and Mike McCoy brought to the table last year, all that's left is Chris Wellington (42 for 632 and 6 TDs), TE Virgil Green (13 for 136, 1 TD), and Arthur King (10 for 96). The Wolfpack have a lot of hope pinned to redshirt freshman Brandon Wimberley, who had a wonderful year on the scout team and looked good in the spring. If he and Wellington can approximate Mitchell and McCoy, the Nevada passing attack may be good enough to keep defenses from keying on the run.

WR Tray Session (So.): 12 catches, 137 yards, 11.4 per catch.
WR Brandon Wimberly (RSFr.): 9 catches, 140 yards, 15.6 per catch, 1 TD.
WR Chris Wellington (Jr.): 6 catches, 49 yards
TE Virgil Green (Jr.): 6 catches, 37 yards

Aaaaand that's it. Only four WR/TEs have caught passes thus far, suggesting little depth, and only one of the four is averaging more than 11.5 yards per catch, suggesting little explosivness. Again, it's early, and one good game could completely change perceptions (just look at Florida State, described as "on fire" on an ESPN commercial this morning, when seven days ago they were on the ropes after almost losing to Jacksonville State...perceptions change in milliseconds), but for now this unit has done nothing to alleviate the major concern for this offense heading into 2009, which was that nobody would be able to replace Marko Mitchell as the go-to, big-play threat. Wimberly may be well on his way, but it's still early in his first season on the field. An even bigger problem, though, is apparently depth.

Offensive Line

For [Mizzou] to hold Taua and Fragger to just 76 yards on 20 carries was extremely impressive, as was Mizzou's holding the overall UNR attack to just a 0.713 S&P. Unfortunately for Mizzou, their own defensive line is a lot less experienced in 2009, while Nevada's offensive line should be as good or better. Their 62 returning career starts rank them third in the WAC, and they've got 2-3 all-conference candidates in Alonzo Durham, Mike Gallett, and gigantic John Bender. We're all high on the threesome of Jacquies Smith, Aldon Smith, and Brian Coulter; well, Durham and Gallett will make up one of the better pairs of tackles Mizzou will face this year.

The O-line appears to be holding up its end of the bargain, at least to an extent. With a running quarterback, it's impossible to glean much from Sack Rates. Have they protected Kaepernick really well on Passing Downs (leading to 0 sacks), or is Kaepernick either evading the rush or making throws too quickly? Are defenders backing off and trying to contain Kaepernick instead of coming straight at him? Is an awful Standard Downs sack rate the sign of poor protection, or is Kaepernick staying in the pocket far too long, looking to make a play? The OL has done well in run-blocking, and I thought they'd be pretty good heading into the season, so I'm going to assume that they've at least been decent in the first two games. Either way, I'm a lot more comfortable with Missouri's defensive line and a little less sold on Nevada's offensive line. At worst, I think this matchup ends up being a draw.

---

Defense

Nevada: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

A BTBS look at the Nevada Defense

Close S&P: 1.066 (117th)
Close Success Rate: 52.4% (116th)
Close PPP: 0.54 (118th)

Rushing Success Rate: 53.3% (111th)
Rushing PPP: 0.30 (80th)
Rushing S&P: 0.830 (106th)

Passing Success Rate: 51.4% (114th)
Passing PPP: 0.84 (119th)
Passing S&P: 1.353 (120th)

Standard Downs S&P: 0.969 (108th)
SD Rushing S&P: 0.839 (95th)
SD Passing S&P: 1.244 (114th)

Passing Downs S&P: 1.011 (117th)
PD Rushing S&P: 0.531 (69th)
PD Passing S&P: 1.672 (120th)

Red Zone S&P: 1.537 (119th)

Q1 S&P: 1.028 (115th)
Q2 S&P: 1.002 (107th)
Q3 S&P: 1.033 (112th)
Q4 S&P: 0.862 (97th)

1st Down S&P: 1.010 (115th)
2nd Down S&P: 0.993 (111th)
3rd Down S&P: 0.924 (106th)

Line Yards/Carry: 2.95 (78th)
Standard Downs Sack Rate: 3.7% (71st)
Passing Downs Sack Rate: 6.3% (71st)

Oy. Nevada's best ranking anywhere on this list is 71st. Now...again...Notre Dame has a very good offense (or at least they did before Michael Floyd went down--we'll see now), so a strength-of-schedule adjustment will help the Pack here. But still. There's bad, and there's bad, and I think Nevada's going to get the italicization treatment.

One other disclaimer: Nevada's only played two games, so the two long passes to Michael Floyd of 70 and 88 yards could be, by themselves, skewing these numbers. But being that we thought the secondary would be a concern heading into the season, and being that Missouri's WR corps has looked quite good for 2.5 games this year (they didn't in the first half against Bowling Green), this is still obviously a positive sign for Mizzou.

Defensive Line

To say the defensive line is the strength of the Nevada defense is a major understatement. As sophomores, ends Kevin Basped and Dontay Mach combined for 36 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks last year. They both return, as do backups Daniel Agaiava and Ryan Coulson, who combined for another three TFLs in limited time. Now, it should be noted that Nevada registered no sacks on Chase Daniel last year, not even a QB hurry. Basped did manage 1.5 TFLs, but Chase Daniel was not touched all game, and while Daniel and his senior pocket presence are gone in 2009, the Mizzou offensive line should be as good or better.

Kevin Basped: 2.5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 pass break-up
Dontay Mach: 9.5 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 QB hurry

Mach's held up his end of the bargain, but Basped has been underwhelming so far. Tackles Nate Agaiava and Zack Madonick have been serviceable, combining for 7.0 tackles and 2.0 TFL. In all, though, Nevada mas managed just two sacks in two games. It's no wonder the Wolf Pack is apparently considering sending the house at Gabbert instead of dropping seven into coverage like Bowling Green--they probably can't get in Gabbert's face without doing so.

Linebackers

Gone is rock solid Jonathan Mauga, and into the starting lineup (probably) move Brandon Marshall (8.5 of 33 tackles went for loss, another high %) and big Mike Bethea. Looking at the stats, you pretty quickly see that Nevada's LBs play quite close to the line of scrimmage, which is great for defending the run...and not so much defending the pass. It puts a lot of pressure on the secondary, and in 2008, the secondary didn't respond too well. What about 2009?

Mike Bethea: 12.5 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack
James-Michael Johnson: 11.5 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QB hurry
Brandon Marshall: 8.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2 pass break-ups

If there has been a strength on this defense, then the LBs would probably be it. They are making plays just like they did last year. Again, though, a) Nevada has managed just two sacks, and b) the secondary has been repeatedly roasted.

In all, if there's a bright spot to Nevada's defense, it's that they've racked up 13.5 tackles for loss, mostly against the run. If Derrick Washington isn't running well, and they can stop him in the backfield enough, Missouri will be forced into Passing Downs. In Blaine Gabbert's first true road game as a starter, Missouri wants to avoid Passing Downs at all costs.

Secondary

The good news for Nevada is, their safeties are ball hawks. Jonathon Amaya had four picks in 2008, and Mo Harvey added three from a backup role. The bad news is, as I've already repeatedly mentioned, when they didn't make the big play, they were giving up one. Amaya and #1 CB Antoine Thompson are both seniors, as are Harvey and likely backup CB Cameron Bayne. There is experience here, but pressure will be on sophomore Isaiah Frey and a batch of redshirt freshmen trying to break their way into the rotation. Nevada clearly wants to attack with their front seven, meaning they need skill, smarts and speed from the secondary (but really, who doesn't?). Their smarts will improve with experience, but...speed? They apparently need some.

I was going to put some individual stats here, but...it's nothing good. Nevada has intercepted zero passes and broken up only five (the secondary accounts for only two of them). They're giving up 12.7 yards per pass, which is insanely high. Take away Floyd's two bombs, and the average is 9.3, which is still terrible. How terrible? SMU was worst in the country in this category last year...and they gave up just 9.0 per pass. Bad. REALLY, REALLY bad.

In all, Nevada's only hope is what I mentioned above--stopping the run enough to force Mizzou into Passing Downs and hope for some bad decisions from Gabbert. Having witnessed the first half of the Bowling Green game, I know that that strategy holds at least a small chance of working, but...eesh. That secondary is just terrible.

Special Teams

Brad Langley's a decent punter, but they don't return a dangerous return man (though one might materialize, I guess), and they'll feature a new kicker, who might or might not be good (you never really know in advance). In a game full of interesting matchups--Nevada seemingly having the advantage on the ground, Missouri in the air--things could swing on special teams play, and neither unit has a distinct advantage here.

Punt Returns Rank: 58th
Net Punting Rank: 44th
Kickoff Returns Rank: 33rd
Opponents' Kickoff Returns Rank: 112th

Field Goals: 0-for-1
PATs: 0-for-1

So...Mike Ball (five returns, 32.8 average) is a pretty good kickoff returner. That is at least a bit of a concern since Missouri is only 82nd in the country in Opponents' Kickoff Returns. Other than that? Um, not very good stuff from Nevada here. And yes, Nevada has attempted only one PAT in two games (they went for two on their other two TDs versus Colorado State)...and they missed it. It's been a comedy of errors for Chris Ault's Wolf Pack so far this year.

---

Three Keys to the Game

Circumstances

We discussed this on Saturday's podcast. Looking at statistics, results, recruiting rankings, previous head-to-head matchups, whatever you like--it's pretty clear that Missouri is and has been a better football team than Nevada. But that won't really matter tonight if Missouri is overtaken by circumstance. You've got a young quarterback making his first out-of-state start (and for that matter, you've got a team with almost 30 frosh/sophs on the two-deep playing really far away from home for the first time). You've got altitude. You've got a team that has gone from simply being motivated by revenge against Missouri to being motivated by a desperate need to make something (anything) positive happen. You've got a two-timezone trip west. All of these things are working in Nevada's favor.

And that's all that's working in Nevada's favor at the moment. Missouri is a solid passing team playing against a god-awful pass defense. Their biggest concerns on defense (secondary) are neutralized by Nevada's biggest concern on offense (passing). Nevada's whole program is on the verge of being turned on by its fanbase. You get the feeling that if Missouri actually starts strong for once, this one will be in the bag by the second quarter. But Missouri isn't a strong-starting team. And they haven't encountered a situation like this before, at least much of the current personnel hasn't. Get past the circumstances of the moment, and Missouri wins the game. Easier said than done.

Passing Downs

I mentioned this above. Nevada wins this game by forcing Blaine Gabbert into making mistakes he hasn't made yet. Those will almost certainly come in Passing Downs. Minimize the number of Passing Downs Gabbert faces, and you minimize the risk of mistakes. That means a) good running, especially early in the game, b) no drops, and c) no penalties. You want the Nevada crowd to get into the game, and the Nevada team to get its confidence back? Face a lot of 3rd-and-9's and see what happens. Again, Missouri is the better overall team here, but this is still a dangerous game because of what Missouri could do to Missouri.

Tackling

Tackle well, shadow Kaepernick, don't give up big gains, and you give your young offense more margin for error. Nevada's big-play potential just hasn't made an appearance yet this year, and they might need Missouri's help in breaking out.

Really, all three of these keys are tied with two themes: brains and fundamentals. Don't lose your heads, don't make silly mistakes, and you probably win this game. Or at least you force Nevada to play really well to win, and they haven't done that since early-November of last year.

Prediction

I'm more nervous about what Missouri is going to do in this game than Nevada. We've seen this situation a thousand times in college football--the underdog home team is desperate for a breakthrough win, and they probably need some help from the favored road team to get it done. But if the favorite does them some favors early, then confidence and momentum can lead the underdog to a win. It annoys me because if Missouri does lose this game, I know we'll see the Tim Griffin's of the world immediately breaking out the "Same Old Missouri" talk, when really a) Missouri has had about one true letdown game (Iowa State 2006) in the last 4+ seasons (I don't count OSU and KU of last year because they were both solid teams, and I don't count New Mexico in 2005 because...well, I'm pretty sure UNM was actually better than Missouri in 2005), and b) every team in the country has had at least one letdown game in that time. Old perceptions die hard, I guess, but if Missouri loses this one, it won't so much be "same old Missouri" as "team that's simply too young not to face some setbacks." At least, that's the situation in my own opinion.

The numbers say Missouri by 5.6 points in this one. Honestly, I don't see that happening. I either see Missouri winning big (17+), or Nevada winning a tight one. But I am made the fool when I go against the stats, so we'll say Missouri wins 34-28 in this one.

Colorado State vs Nevada Wolf Pack Post Game

bhsmarine — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:09:48 -0000

Final - 9.19.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Nevada Wolf Pack	0	0	6	14	20
Colorado St. Rams	14	0	7	14	35

Complete Coverage >

The Colorado State Rams (3-0) finally played a full game and it showed as the Rams won 35-20 over the Nevada Wolf Pack (0-2). The CSU defense created 5 turnovers on the day. CSU is off to a 3-0 for the first time in 15 years.

Grant Stucker accounted for three scores, one via a 35 yard rushing touchdown on a keeper. WR Dion Morton caught a touchdown and threw for another, his second in as many games. John Mosure looked good in his return with 99 yards on 18 carries with 1 touchdown.

The Rams defense was stellar allowing six points, the second string defense gave up the last 14 points in the 4^th quarter. The run defense gave up yards as I expected but created enough turnovers, three fumbles and two interceptions, that Nevada could not sustain any long drive or a comeback. The Rams were ahead 14-0 in the first quarter with only 6:30 off the clock.

Nevada ran well as expected but Colin Kaepernick had a rough day with two interceptions and getting sacked twice. Vai Taua had a decent day with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown.

On defense the Wolf Pack had a hard time containing CSU as they threw a few gadget plays at them as well as some hard nose running by Mosure and Leonard Mason. The Nevada defense let Stucker get out of the pocket for 43 yards on the ground.

This next section is a thumbs up, thumbs down look at the Rams effort. For those of you who don't know who Fum McGraw is click his name for a little history.

Fum Would Be Proud of the Rams defense. FIVE turnovers! That is huge. CSU should be able to beat just about anyone when they force five turnovers in a game. Their hands were active during tackles and they pressured Kaepernick into some bad throws. Here is the Nevada first half drive results; fumble, punt, punt, punt, fumble.

Fum Would Be Upset at the Rams Kick Coverage. The kick coverage was pretty poor as they allowed 32.4 yards per kick return on the day, Mike Ball had 98 yards on two returns. Ben Deline also kicked one out of bounds for an illegal procedure call. They were lucky the defense was up to the challenge as the Wolf Pack started 5 drives within 60 yards of the goal line.

Fum McGraw Motivating Player of the Game is Grant Stucker. He ran when he needed, was accurate when needed, and most of all kept the offense moving all game. Stucker lead the Rams to 5 of 11 on 3^rd downs which is much better than before. He only went to the air 20 times but had 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions. If Stucker keeps that up the Rams will be winning a few more games this year.

Colorado State Rams vs Nevada Wolf Pack Preview

bhsmarine — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:30 -0000

Next Game

Nevada Wolf Pack
@ Colorado St. Rams

Saturday, Sep 19, 2009, 2:00 PM PDT
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium

Complete Coverage >

The Nevada Wolf Pack (0-1) travel to Fort Collins to play the Colorado State Rams (2-0) in a Western Athletic Conference vs. Mountain West Conference showdown. So far this year the MWC is 2-0 against the WAC. CSU is vying for their first 3-0 start since 1994, which was the first year they were ranked in the top 25. After a bye week Nevada is looking to get back on track to last year's 35 points per game average, Nevada lost 0 - 35 to Notre Dame in week one.

Nevada is led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick who threw for 149 yards and two interceptions in the season opener. Kaepernick has no problems scrambling with 161 rushing attempts last year. The key to the Nevada offense is talented running back Vai Taua who dashed for 114 yards on 18 carries against ND. Look for Nevada to use the run as their means to move the ball. Even in a 35-0 loss they ran the ball more then they passed.

On defense the Wolf Pack must get some pressure on Ram QB Grant Stucker who is still adjusting to Steve Fairchild's offense. Nevada recorded zero sacks or turnovers in their first game allowing Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen to complete 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns. Nevada did manage 7 tackles for a loss.

3^rd down conversions have been the demise of the CSU offense, only three conversions on the season and none last week. When they keep drives moving they have been productive, 7 of 8 in the red zone. Stucker is only 4 for 11 on 3^rd down passes this year with two first downs. He will have to spread the ball out better then last week as well.

I would like to see Stucker tuck it and run a few times, he was used as a running QB last year, but has abandoned that part of his game this year. CSU can't abandon the inside run game, last weeks 4th and 1 sweep against a DII school was a bit embarrassing. RB Leonard Mason did a good job in his first start but wore down, with RB John Mosure planning to play it should boost the running game.

So far the Rams run defense, ranked 9^th nationally, have only allowed 87 yards on 57 attempts, but Taua is easily the most talented back they have faced yet. They will also have to guard against the scrambles of QB Kaepernick. Line Backers Mychal Sisson and Alex Williams will need to have big games due to injuries around the team if the Rams want to slow the Nevada run game.

Starting cornerback Gerard Thomas is doubtful and nickel back DeAngelo Wilkinson will step up in his place, he will have to be physical in the run game. Thomas has been returning punts so look for Dion Morton to take his place there. Also leading tacklers on the defensive line Ty Whittier and Cory Macon are questionable for the game leaving the possibility for some inexperience on the line.

I think this game lies on a healthy John Mosure. If the Rams get him back in uniform at 100% they can control the clock and it will help keep Stucker out of 3^rd and long situations. If not Nevada will win the clock battle and run all day against a depleted defense and force Stucker to the air more than the Rams would like.

Injury News as of 9/17

CSU: Doubtful; Gerard Thomas (knee). Questionable; TJ Borcky (Illness), Josh Gabler (Wrist), Ivory Herd (Thumb), Cory Macon (Hip), Ty Whittier (Stinger), Shelley Smith (Ankle). Probable; John Mosure (Head)

Nevada: None Listed

Nevada at Notre Dame Preview: Don't Turn Your Back On The Wolf Pack

CW — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:00:20 -0000

I was chatting with my dad on the drive home from work earlier in the week and we started talking about the upcoming football season. I was telling him how I can't imagine the Irish going 3-0 because that would make me too happy and the pitfalls were too varied to avoid tripping up once.

"Who do you start with again?"

"Nevada, at Michigan and Michigan State."

There was a pause from my dad, who was always a big Penn State/Big Ten fan before I started attending Notre Dame.

"You're not worried about losing to Nevada, are you?"

I couldn't express to him how much I was concerned about losing to Nevada. Or how a 14.5 point line seems a bit too high (at least half a point too high, Vegas is certainly not being generous, so they're just taking advantage of Irish fans who would trust this team to cover that.) Or how poorly Notre Dame played last year against a horrid San Diego State team that would get its skull crushed in by the Wolf Pack. Or for as well as Notre Dame played against Hawaii (a team that Nevada lost to last year, for what is worth), they still put together a pretty miserable November, and yes, as excited as I am for this season, this is not an easy notch in the ol' win column (not that such a thing exists for the Irish at this point).

Let us go over the two biggest reasons for my concern. The first is a 6' 6" genetically-engineered, football-playing gazelle who lines up at quarterback in the pistol formation. Junior Colin Kaepernick, reigning WAC Offensive Player of the Year and Chicago Cubs draft pick, burst onto the national scene his freshman season during a Sunday night game against the Broncos of Boise State. Despite it being his first collegiate start, Kaepernick went blow for blow with Ian Johnson and company, finally falling in the fourth overtime 69-67 in one of the most ridiculously enjoyable games you could ever watch. Kaepernick has not slowed down since that opening performance where he tossed three touchdowns (to no interceptions) and ran for two more, and he - depending on the health of Jake Locker and the situation at Southern Cal - will most likely be the best quarterback the Irish face all season.

Kaepernick is scary anecdotally and mathematically. Just do some cruising on YouTube - I will do it for you, here and here and here - and then put your nerdz cap on and take a gander at this:

Colin Kaepernick was far and away the most effective rushing quarterback in 2008. Combined with a strong backfield mate in Vai Taua (17th among RBs in POE) and the best play-fake this writer has ever seen, Kaepernick has some dangerous weapons at his disposal in 2009. If Nevada can find a decent receiver to replace the steady Marko Mitchell, the Wolf Pack could be scary.

Isn't that nice? Speaking of Vai Taua, he rushed for 1,521 yards last year, and he has pretty steep competition for best back on the team from Luke Lippincott. Lippincott was the WAC leading rusher in 2007 with 1,420 yards and 18 total touchdowns before missing the majority of last season with a knee injury. If the Irish frontline isn't ready for a steady dose of Kaepernick left, Taua right and Lippincott up the middle, it's going to be a long day in South Bend for Tenuta's boys. Notre Dame gets to see the option every year with the Midshipmen, but Chris Ault's read option is a slightly different beast.

On the other side of the ball, Nevada brings back the only double-digit sack tandem in the nation in Dontay Moch (11.5) and Kevin Basped (10). The Nevada coaching staff plans on rotating in a lot of guys to keep their studs fresh, but we know who the best two are because they've got the sweet nickname:

That and the give-and-take the Bash Brothers, the duo's self-appointed nickname, give each other during games.

"If one of us gets a sack, we'll go, 'Hey, it's your turn now,'" Moch said. "We do compete a little, because I want that top notch at the end of the year."

Granted, you get a lot of sack opportunities when the other team is throwing on your every play (more on that in just a moment), but Moch and Basped took advantage of those opportunities. Anchoring the defensive backfield and causing problems for Jimmy if he decides to bust out the sex cannon instead of throwing it to open receivers is Jonathon Amaya, who was the leading tackler for the Wolf Pack last year in addition to collecting four picks and six pass break-ups.

Holding everything together is middle linebacker Mike Bethea, who will share traffic control duties on defense with Amaya. Bethea is a junior college transfer that played outside linebacker last year but has moved inside with the departure of Joshua Mauga, who was just waived by the Jets. We keep hearing about the massive experience on the offensive line, so this will be a great early test for the Young/Duncan combination. It is important that the Irish protect Jimmy, because good Lord almighty, the Nevada pass defense is atrocious. Matt went over how bad the Wolf Pack was against the pass last year earlier in the week, but I think it is really worth looking at again, because these numbers are not great:

Pass Attempts Against Per Game- 38.9 (5th most in the nation)

Pass Completions Against Per Game- 20.8 (18th most in the nation)

Completion % Against- 53.56 (24th BEST in the nation)

Yards Per Completion- 14.95 (Worst in the nation)

Yards Per Attempt- 8.01 (12th worst in the nation)

Passing TDs Against- 31 (7th worst in the nation)

Passing Yards Per Game Against- 311.62 (Worst in the nation)

Plays defended per game- 67.9 (68th most in the nation)

% of plays defended that are rushing- 42.7% (2nd lowest in the nation)

% of plays defended that are passing- 57.3% (2nd highest in the nation)

Pass Eff. Defense- 134.74 (85th in the nation)

% of Attempts Picked Off- 3.16% (59th in the nation)

% of Opponents Dropbacks that ended in a sack- 6.81% (42nd in the nation)

While I know there may be some segments of the fanbase who won't consider this game a success unless we rush thirty-plus times, I think the basic game plan should revolve around getting Jimmy some protection and then running Golden and Michael past Nevada's defensive backs and throwing to them. If you want to mix in some screens, or the occasional power I or maybe some nice tosses to Kyle Rudolph, fine, but I think Weis should just go with the BYU 2005 gameplan until the Wolf Pack proves they can stop the passing attack.

On defense, the Irish are going to have to focus on corralling young Mr. Kaepernick, the first elite-type mobile quarterback they've faced in a couple years. Minter's defense had no idea how to cope with a quarterback that could run and throw, and the Tenuta/Brown combination hasn't really been tested yet. If I had to predict, I would think that all the speed and athleticism would cause this Irish defense to match up well, but we're not going to know until the play-actioning and mad-cap quarterback scrambles/sprints-to-the-endzone start.

When you look at the results from the Wolf Pack's games last season, you can see why Notre Dame is a pretty healthy two touchdown favorite, but if the Irish stall coming out of the gate (which happened quite frequently last season), it wouldn't be surprising to see them get into a quick hole, because while they have their issues, the Wolf Pack can straight-up score. I just keep seeing a hectic Kaepernick touchdown run, followed by a pick six on the ensuing drive and a stunned Notre Dame Stadium crowd staring at a 14-0 hole and a "We can do this!" Nevada sideline. This Irish team has the talent to play with anyone, but the opening game against the Wolf Pack will be a very solid first test to see if they have the execution.

I hate doing keys to the game, because they're always just variations on the same half dozen things, but if Jimmy just keeps his cool and takes what the Nevada secondary is giving him(because unless things drastically changed, it should be like Christmas morning downfield), I think the Irish stroll into Ann Arbor 1-0. This is going to be a fun shootout and a great first game for Charlie Weis' 2009 make-or-break season, but in no way is it a gimme.

Boise State 2009 opponent preview: Nevada

Kevan Lee — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:39:11 -0000

Projected Record: 7-5 overall, 5-3 conference
At-a-glance: Nevada is a darkhorse for being a BCS buster this season. Really? Are we talking about the same Nevada? A spotty defense, suspect special teams, and the crushing reality of being Nevada will sink the Wolf Pack. Until Nevada proves consistent as a team, there's no reason to pick them anywhere else than the middle tier of the WAC.

We've come to the opponent preview where I finally stop belittling fellow WAC teams. Or do I?

Common sense would have me shaking in my Marty Tadman jersey at this year's rendition of the Pack. Kaepernick, Moch, Basped? Oh my! But then again, weren't all those guys on the team last year? Wasn't the Boise State - Nevada game two pick-sixes away from a yawner? Aren't I humanly incapable of showing respect for another conference team?

Yes to all those questions. And no to Nevada knocking the Broncos off their WAC pedestal this season.

Wins in 2008:	7
Pythagorean Wins in 2008:	7.3
Translation:	Nevada was pretty much only seven-wins good
Returning starters:	Offense: 7, Defense:7
Strength of Schedule:	94
Recruiting ranking 2005-2009:	106, 82, 105, 109, 108 (nat'l ranking from Scout.com)
WAC recruiting ranking 2005-2009:	7, 3, 7, 6, 7

Five Questions

Is the Wolf Pack the new archenemy of Boise State?

It is beginning to look that way. Certainly, they have been more competitive in recent years than Idaho or Fresno State, although the Vandals will always hold a special place (meant reverentially and retardedly) in the hearts of Bronco fans. Hawaii was fun for awhile. SJSU is fun for about a week every year. But Nevada has really taken the mantle of most loathsome team on the conference calendar.

Certainly, they are the ones most likely to give the Broncos a run for their money. Speaking of running, anyone else think Colin Kaepernick looks like a robot ostrich?

Why should I think that Nevada's secondary is going to be any different this year?

Well last year, the Pack was private-Methodist-school-intramurals terrible at defending the pass, to the tune of No. 120 (dead last) in the NCAA and 320 yards per game.

Enter ... nobody.

Chris Ault promises that defense will be a priority starting now. Yes, he's been coaching 24 years. But when you witness an apocalypse like Nevada's pass D in 2008, you're liable to try a bunch of things you previously thought were pointless. Nevada has the players to put pressure on the quarterbacks, so if they can find a handful of players who can stay in the general vicinity of wide receivers, you'd have to think they can improve on last year's result. If not, expect Ault to break with tradition again and start recruiting defensive players.

Since passing isn't Kaepernick's specialty, what's stopping the Wolf Pack from running the ball on every down?

Nothing really. They have the reigning WAC leading rusher in Vai Taua. They have the former reigning WAC leading rusher in Luke Lippincott. They have three linemen returning from last year's 290 yards-per-game offense. By the looks of things, this Nevada team could win half of its WAC games without even putting the ball in the air. They are basically a service academy, minus America respecting them.

Another reason to keep it on the ground is the loss of leading receivers Marko Mitchell and Mike McCoy. The wide receivers for UNR are rather green. Junior Chris Wellington is the most well-known holdover, and he managed 632 and six TDs last season. Kaepernick can make plays happen with his feet, but someone is going to have to be able to catch the long bombs and close range missiles he fires willy-nilly on the move. That is, if Ault even bothers calling a passing play.

Boise State's been amped about the Oregon game since January. Is the same true for UNR and Notre Dame?

Since I don't live in Reno (thank GOODNESS), I can't say for sure, but I've heard that Pack fans have extremely high hopes for this Notre Dame showdown. Are Nevada fans expecting a win? Many of them are. At the very least, they are expecting Kaepernick to really make an impression on the national television audience and Tom Hammond. It's not a make-or-break game for Nevada, but if they get past Notre Dame, they'll be getting a lot of attention in the coming weeks.

What is the Achille's heel of Nevada?

Well besides pass defense, WR depth, and the innate ability to lose at least one game they should win, the Wolf Pack are not very good on special teams. Phil Steele ranked Nevada No. 112, 99, 71, 99, and 94 over the past five years, and with the Wolf Pack losing kicker Brett Jaekle, special teams could be another adventure in 2009. Especially if the Pack recruited this kid:

Schedule around the Boise State game

11/14 Fresno State
11/21 @ NMSU
11/27 @ Boise State
End of Season

By the Numbers

190 - difference between Nevada's average rush yards and that of their opponents
7-0 - Nevada's record when holding teams under 35 points
0-6 - Nevada's record when teams score more than 35 points

I've had a lot of fun with this preview, but now it's time to get serious. My feelings about the Nevada Wolf Pack are probably a lot more tempered than those that you would find a lot of other places. People are gushing over Nevada's skill players, and with good reason. The Wolf Pack is a good team with a playmaking quarterback and strong running backs who will succeed behind a talented offensive line. Plus, their defense has a smattering of studs, and they are coached by a Hall of Famer.

On top of all this, the prospect of facing the Wolf Pack on the football field frightens me a little. Even after witnessing the Broncos completely shut down the UNR offense for three quarters last season, I don't look forward to a more experienced Kaepernick and a well-oiled machine of an offense rolling into Boise in November.

To be sure, Nevada is gunning for the Broncos. And if I were writing a preview of the Nevada-Boise State game right now, I would be significantly more respectful and fearful.

But Nevada from a season-long perspective scares me a lot less than Nevada from a game-by-game perspective.

The perfect storm of offensive prowess and defensive okayness could come together for Nevada on any given week, but it won't come together for them on every given week. The pass defense is too bad to be consistent, even if they are improved over last year's simply horrendous unit. The special teams are capable of causing multiple losses on the year. Defenses will copy Boise State's blueprint for success against the Pistol, and the teams with good enough athletes will be able to shut that machine down.

Nevada could very well give the Broncos a run for their money in the de facto WAC championship in late November. However, I'd be surprised if the WAC championship hadn't already been decided.

Nevada is scary in small doses, but until they prove that they can string together a season of consistency, domination, and solid play on both sides of the ball, they are still Nevada - old, undependable, 7-5 Nevada.

Perfect Situation
Nevada turns into 2009's BCS buster by sweeping Notre Dame and Mizzou in nonconference, steamrolling the WAC on their way to a BCS bowl, and making life a living hell for Bronco fans

Reality
Nevada plays tough against Notre Dame and Missouri, loses both, drops one or two conference games before the BSU showdown, loses that one, goes to the New Mexico Bowl

Final Record
7-5 overall, 5-3 conference

Previous previews of 2009 opponents: Oregon. Miami (Ohio). Bowling Green. UC Davis. Tulsa. San Jose State. Utah State. Fresno State. NMSU. Hawaii. LaTech. Last one (appropriately): Idaho.

SB Nation - Vai Taua

WAC All-Decade Team: Dinwiddie, Moore, or Brennan: How will you vote?

WAC All-Decade Quarterback: Dinwiddie, Moore, Carr or Brennan?

The Chase Holbrook mindscrub is nearly complete

WAC All-Decade Running Back: What do you do with LaDainian Tomlinson?

a.k.a. The One Where You Vote For Ian Johnson

WAC All-Decade Wide Receivers: Do any Broncos make the cut?

WAC All-Decade Offensive Line: If you had to choose between Daryn Colledge and Ryan Clady ...

Fat guys have their day in the sun

WAC All-Decade Defensive Backs: If Quintin Mikell doesn't make this, I am not responsible for what happens to Karl Benson

Is this where I vote for Marty Tadman?

Your turn

Game balls for Boise State versus Nevada

Readers' choice award for player of the game

Gameplan of the game

Best impersonation of the Berlin Wall

Biggest casualty of the game

Best Bronco defender in a supporting role

You're doing it wrong, oh wait, never mind award

Play of the game

Technical awards

Boise State beats Nevada 44-33, wins WAC championship and stays undefeated

Doug Martin saves the Bronco offense, saves the Bronco season?

Colin Kaepernick reduced to Vai Taua middleman and generally bad QB by Boise State defense

Austin Pettis proved his value by standing on the bench in street clothes

Same with Daron Mackey

Anyone catch Boise State's defensive strategy?

All Dan Paul does is catch touchdowns

Kirby Moore makes the most of his second chance

Titus Young starts things off right

Aaron Tevis came up big in the second half

Other observations

Who was Boise State's player of the game versus Nevada?

Doug Martin

Kellen Moore

Aaron Tevis

Dan Paul

UNLV Gets Smoked by Instate Rival Nevada

Mizzou-Nevada: Beyond the Box Score

Mizzou(31)

Nevada(21)

Reactions

Three Positives

Three Negatives

Three Keys Revisited

Summary

Nevada: Beyond the Box Score Preview

Offense

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Offensive Line

---

Defense

Defensive Line

Linebackers

Secondary

Special Teams

---

Three Keys to the Game

Prediction

Nevada Preview

Colorado State vs Nevada Wolf Pack Post Game

Colorado State Rams vs Nevada Wolf Pack Preview

Next Game

Nevada at Notre Dame Preview: Don't Turn Your Back On The Wolf Pack

Boise State 2009 opponent preview: Nevada

Five Questions

Schedule around the Boise State game

By the Numbers

Mizzou
(31)

Nevada
(21)