Nevada’s reasons for a No. 1 rush offense
Nevada running back Vai Taua ran for 125 yards against San Jose State Saturday in the Wolf Pack's 41-17 win. Nevada has the best rush offense in the nation (325 yards per game).
It’s no secret.
Nevada has the best running game in the nation.
The Wolf Pack has put up blow-your-mind type rushing numbers.
Nevada is averaging 325 rush yards per game (No. 1) and has scored 35 rushing touchdowns (No. 2) this season. Sophomores Vai Taua (1,284) and Colin Kaepernick (1,017) have each topped the 1,000-yard mark this season. Nevada has also broken two school rushing records this season (rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a season).
Nevada is no stranger to running the ball well. Last season, the Wolf Pack averaged 214 rush yards per game and scored 25 touchdowns. But the Wolf Pack is putting itself in an elite class this season, and it still has two games left on the schedule. So where is this extra production coming from?
THE UNION
It all starts up front. Nevada’s offensive line, dubbed “The Union”by Nevada’s head coach Chris Ault, has paved the way for ball carriers.
“The Union was something that was started by coach Ault in the late ‘80s,”offensive line coach Chris Klenakis said. “What it refers to is the blue-collared guys just doing the hard work: labor.”
The foreman of the Wolf Pack’s Union is senior center (offensive lineman) Dominic Green.
“Three years ago, Adam Kiefer (former offensive lineman at Nevada) told me this was going to be my O-line,”Green said. “I knew going into this year they were going to look up to me.”
Aside from Green, seniors Greg Hall, Brad Askew and Josh Catapano, juniors Kenny Ackerman and Alonzo Durham and sophomores Mike Gallett and John Bender have started for “The Union”this year.
Durham, who has started all 10 games, said being the best in the nation in running the ball is a great feeling.
“It’s surreal almost, knowing we’re No. 1 in the nation,”he said. “It definitely boosts confidence knowing you’re really good running the ball.”
Gallett, who has also started all 10 games, said pancaking an opponent gives him a rush.
“I personally like to get off the initial smash feeling you get when you hit someone,”Gallett said. “After you feel them giving a bit it’s nice to topple down on top of them.”
Durham, who starts at weak tackle, along with Gallett, who starts at strong tackle, make up one of the most formidable bookend combos in the Western Athletic Conference.
THE COACH
Fans may not know much about offensive line coach Chris Klenakis, but it’s excusable — he coaches games from the coaches’ booth.
Klenakis, in his 15th year at Nevada, may not be seen or heard much during the game, but Green said his voice is as powerful as there is at Nevada.
“He’s a fired-up individual and we feed off of him,”Green said. “A lot of guys from different positions come and listen to him speak before the game. He brings emotion, intensity and that drive to want to win.”
Green said Klenakis’ attitude coupled with a group of aggressive lineman results in fruitful production.
“Coach K demands perfection,”Green said. “He demands a work ethic that’s second-to-none. You put that together with some guys that just want to play and beat up on people and you have a good combination.”
THE UNSUNG HEROES
In any prolific running offense, the ball carriers are always the first to get recognized. Then, the offensive line gradually starts to get credit, but the buck stops here. Tight ends rarely get acknowledged for their run blocking skills, but Wolf Pack tight ends coach Cameron Norcross said his group deserves as much praise as any.
“They are part of The Union,”he said. “Our tight ends are very important to our blocking scheme. With the zone-read option that we run now, we ask those guys to block like receivers and get off the line of scrimmage like offensive lineman.”
Norcross, who has coached at Nevada for seven years, said the tight ends know their roles on the team and play them well.
Sophomore Virgil Green has caught 13 of the 15 passes caught by Nevada tight ends this year, while juniors Talaiasi Puloka Jr. and Talaiasi Puloka Jr. have each caught one.
“(Bohr and Puloka Jr.) are like extra O-lineman, but (Virgil Green) is like an extra receiver for us,”he said. “Kevin and junior have handled it very well. They get the satisfaction of us being the No. 1-rush offense in the country.”
Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick runs the zone-read play with running back Courtney Randall Oct. 18 against Utah State.
THE PLAY
A key to Nevada’s successful running game is the zone-read play.
In the zone-read, Kaepernick takes the snap, holds the ball out and decides whether to hand it off to Taua or keep it himself. Kaepernick’s decision depends on how the defensive end plays. If the end crashes down on Taua, Kaepernick will keep the ball and run it to the outside. If the end stays home and plays Kaepernick, Taua will take the handoff and run it up the middle.
“I think for the defense, it’s kind of, you have to pick your poison,”Kaepernick said. “You’re either going to let me take the ball or you’re going to let Vai take the ball and I think we’ve both shown we can do some damage with that.”
Taua said the play comes down to how his quarterback holds the ball.
“If he’s going to keep it, he holds the ball pretty strong so I know he’s going to pull it,”Taua said. “But if he’s going to give it, he holds it pretty lightly so I can just take it.”
San Jose State head coach Dick Tomey summed up Nevada’s zone-read play best.
“A lot of people run the zone-read play so you prepare for it all year, but Nevada runs it better.”
Juan López can be reached at jlopez@nevadasagebrush.com.
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