Special teams still a problem
Nevada escapes with win after missed extra point
Nevada’s special teams almost lost last weekend’s game, but fortunately for the Wolf Pack, New Mexico State’s special teams unit was even worse.
Brett Jaekle’s missed extra point with just one minute remaining left the score at 40-38 and gave New Mexico State a very good shot at the win.
Luckily, Paul Young’s 44-yard field goal attempt with two seconds remaining sprayed wide left and Nevada escaped with the win.
Jaekle’s missed extra point wasn’t the only special teams error.
In the third quarter, Nevada was called for punt interference for not giving the punt returner enough room to catch the ball.
The ball was caught on the 50-yard line and the 15-yard penalty moved New Mexico State to Nevada’s 35, setting up an easy touchdown.
Another glaring error was a 10-yard punt by Zachary Whited in the third quarter. The ball went straight up in the air and helped New Mexico State to an eventual touchdown.
Despite these continuing problems, Nevada coach Chris Ault said he’s seeing improvement.
“I thought our kick coverage and return was very good,” Ault said. “We’ve had two good weeks of much improved special teams and we just got to continue improving.”
Risk Taker
Despite having a young quarterback at the helm of his offense, Ault has not shied away from going for it on 4th down this season.
Nevada is 12-16 in 4th down conversions this season for a 75 percent completion rate, while its opponents are just 7-13 against it for 54 percent.
Ault decided to go for it twice last weekend against New Mexico State, and both decisions led to very different outcomes.
In the second quarter, Nevada converted a risky 4th-and-13 from its own 36-yard line and went on to score a touchdown.
But when Nevada went for it on a 4th-and-3 in the fourth quarter, Kaepernick’s pass to Mike McCoy fell incomplete and New Mexico State scored a touchdown two plays later to take its first lead of the game.
Slight of Hand
Colin Kaepernick is fast developing a knack for the play action pass.
His technique of tucking the ball next to his hip after a fake hand off frequently confused New Mexico State’s defenders and even the ESPN2 cameramen.
The cameramen repeatedly were caught following running back Luke Lippincott, who didn’t have the ball.
Staying Focused
Nevada senior offensive lineman Charles Manu started Friday and played well, buying time for Colin Kaepernick in the pocket and opening holes for Luke Lippincott to run through.
Manu’s brother, Saili Manu is charged with coercion and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an Oct. 28 fight at a Halloween party that left three dead. He is being held on $500,000 bail.
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