Chance to rise above .500 in clear sight
Nevada will complete its three game stint against the WAC’s bottom feeders when it plays the seventh place New Mexico State Aggies in Las Cruces, N.M., Friday night.New Mexico State is 4-5 overall and 1-3 in WAC play and has been struggling all season.
Earlier this month, the Aggies were blown out 58-0 by the same Boise State team that Nevada took to the brink in a four overtime loss, and just last week they were lit up by WAC-leader Hawaii 50-13.
But New Mexico State has the sixth-best passing offense in the country led by veteran quarterback Chase Holbrook and has shown an ability to put up big numbers against weaker defensive teams such as Idaho.
If Nevada wants to keep its bowl chances alive, here’s what it has to do.
Don’t give up big plays
Other than Hawaii, New Mexico State is the most air-oriented WAC team.
Holbrook has already thrown for 2,451 yards and 18 touchdowns this season and would have been the premier WAC quarterback if Hawaii’s Colt Brennan hadn’t stayed for his senior season.
In Holbrook, the Aggies have a top quarterback who can deliver the ball deep with precision and Nevada has shown a tendency to give up big plays.
Against Boise State, Nevada gave up five touchdown passes of 20 yards or more, and Holbrook is a better quarterback than Boise State’s Taylor Tharp.
Nevada cornerback Jonathon Amaya will likely be out again, meaning redshirt freshman Kenny Viser and seniors Devon Walker and Paul Pratt will have to come up big.
Walker got two pass interference calls last week and Viser got one.
That can’t happen again if Nevada wants to break the .500 mark.
Special teams, special teams, special teams
Nevada’s special teams unit improved last week against Idaho, but there are still plenty of problems to deal with.
For starters, Brett Jaekle needs to come out and wipe last week’s game off the books.
Jaekle missed a 26-yard field goal and an extra point against Idaho, and while it didn’t make a difference in that game, it will against a much better New Mexico State team.
Nevada’s usually stellar kick returner Dwayne Sanders also lost a fumble that let Idaho get back in the game.
New Mexico State’s average of 15.7 yards per punt return is 10th best in the nation and punt returner Chris Williams will again test some shaky Nevada special teams coverage that has already given up two return touchdowns this season.
Resurgent Kaepernick
While his play hasn’t been terrible, Colin Kaepernick certainly hasn’t played to his potential over the last two weeks.
He needs to play like the Kaepernick fans saw in the high-scoring losses to Fresno State and Boise State when he threw for a combined 627 yards and seven touchdowns.
This game presents a chance for him to get back on track.
New Mexico State’s pass defense is ranked 106th in the nation and was recently torched by Hawaii’s Colt Brennan for 425 yards and six touchdowns.
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