The Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada wide receiver Rishard Matthews had 10 catches for 172 yards and one touchdown Friday. Emerson Marcus/Nevada Sagebrush

The Wolf Pack has no shortage of stars on offense. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, running back Vai Taua and head coach Chris Ault have been grabbing headlines for the Pistol Offense and for breaking numerous program and NCAA records.

Yet, in a team built around its ground game, it was a wide receiver who emerged as the hero.

Junior wideout Rishard Matthews did it all for Nevada on Friday, rushing for a 44-yard touchdown and recording a team-high 10 catches for 171 yards and one touchdown, including the game-tying catch with 13 seconds remaining in regulation.

“I just thought, ‘We’re still in this game,’” Matthews said about his mentality after being down 24-7. “We never gave up and just wanted to give ourselves an opportunity to win the game.”

Matthews, the Wolf Pack’s leading receiver, emerged as the breakout player of the game and continued his successful season.

Before coming to Nevada this year, Matthews attended Bakersfield College in California. Heading into the season, he was expected to give the Wolf Pack a dangerous threat with its passing game.

However, Matthews got off to a slow start to the season, grabbing 16 catches for 407 yards and one touchdown through the first eight games as he learned the offense.

Since then, Matthews has emerged as one of the Wolf Pack’s greatest offensive threats. During the last four games, he’s caught 32 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns.

He showed glimpses of his ability against Idaho on Nov. 6, where he had seven receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s an amazing player,” quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. “Physically, he’s just a specimen. He’s really getting comfortable in our offense now and we’re beginning to be able to utilize him the way we should be able to.”

Despite getting off to a slow start, Matthews has emerged late into the season.

“Like I’ve said all along, we expect big things and we need him to realize how good he can be and I think you saw that (against Boise State),” Nevada head coach Chris Ault said. “I expect him to just take off.”

Since wide receiver Chris Wellington went down with an injury Oct. 2, Matthews has stepped up as the team’s top pass catcher.

He leads the team in receptions (48),  yards (788) and is second on the team in receiving touchdowns (4).

Although it’s Nevada’s run game that gets most of the attention, Matthews is giving fans a reason to notice the Wolf Pack’s passing game.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.

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