Pack looks to bounce back against ‘Dogs
Nevada has been so unlucky in 2008 that some might wonder who is better at catching breaks: the Wolf Pack or Charlie Brown?
The recipe for Nevada’s mistake-prone season includes a few untimely fumbles, an inability to succeed in the clutch and an ugly second-half defense.
But with all its blunders, Nevada may actually have a chance to turn its season around this week as it heads to Fresno State to battle the perennial Western Athletic Conference powerhouse.
Nevada’s ESPN Network debut Friday will be won on a number of strengths and weaknesses that standout like a sore thumb on the statistic sheet.
Run away Wolf Pack
Nevada’s offense actually matches up well against the Bulldogs.
Fresno State is ranked 106 in the nation in rush yards allowed per game (208 yards/game), while Nevada is ranked No. 2 in rush yards per game (306 yards/game).
Fresno State’s poor rush defense was burned last week when Louisiana Tech running back Daniel Porter ran for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Fresno State was outrushed 208 to 63 in its 38-35 loss.
Look for the Wolf Pack to exploit this with a heavy dosage of hand offs to running back Vai Taua along with Courtney Randall, who has seen increased playing time in the previous two games. Randall carried the ball 16 times against Hawaii and Utah State. He averaged four carries per game in the first six games of the season.
Pass D, Pass D, Pass D
Fresno State’s offense is centered on its rush attack, but Nevada’s poor secondary remains too easy to exploit.
The Bulldogs rushing trio of Ryan Mathews, Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding have combined for 1,638 yards on the ground this season. Fresno State also rushed for 307 yards last season against Nevada.
But Nevada’s rush defense is in excellent company this season, ranked No. 3 in the nation in least amount of rush yards allowed per game (69.5). The top-five list of best rush defenses includes Texas Christian University (39.9 rush yards/game), Alabama (65.6), Nevada, Texas (73.2) and the University of Southern California (84.1).
Nevada’s biggest obstacle may come against receiver Seyi Ajirotutu, who leads the Bulldog receiving corps with 583 yards.
Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater’s favorite target gained 137 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns Saturday against Louisiana Tech.
Ajirotutu has accumulated 386 more yards than any other Bulldog receiver.
The job of stopping the tough wide out will fall on junior college transfers Mike Evans and Antoine Thompson, who have each looked less than stellar this season.
Nevada is still ranked dead last in the nation in pass defense. Don’t think Fresno State coach Pat Hill doesn’t know that.
The Bulldogs used a heavy rush attack against Nevada last year because the Wolf Pack had one of the worst rush defenses in the nation. Nevada allowed 176 rush yards per game, which is 107 yards per game more than it has allowed in 2008. This season, Fresno State will do what every Nevada opponent has done this season and center its offensive attack on its pass game.
Nevada opponents have passed 316 times, compared to 243 rush attempts.
Emerson Marcus can be reached at emarcus@nevadasagebrush.com
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