Offensive struggles continued to haunt the Nevada football team in their Oct. 7 game against the Colorado State as the Wolf Pack lost to the Rams 17-14, marking the first four loss streak for the team since 2017.
Nevada came out the gate stumbling to start the game. Both teams started with three and outs for their first possessions. After Bentlee Sanders, defensive back, got an interception, quarterback Nate Cox threw an interception that Colorado State defensive back Ayden Hector ran back for a touchdown.
After another pair of short drives across the two teams, Colorado State’s Troy Golden forced a fumble from Devonte Lee that Mukendi Wa- Kalonji ran back for a touchdown. Nevada carried their next drive into the second quarter, finishing the first down 14-0.
The second quarter was more promising than the first for the Wolf Pack. The quarter started with Matthew Killam, kicker, missing a 28-yard field goal after a few plays from Nevada. From there, both the Rams and the Wolf Pack mounted three more short drives. Both teams could not push farther than the other team’s 40-yard line.
Then, starting with 7:01 left in the half, Nevada mounted a six-minute and 43-second drive of 17 plays to get their first touchdown of the game. Tua Taua, running back, punched in the touchdown. The Rams could not do much with the 14 seconds the Wolf Pack left them. Going into the second half, Nevada trailed 14-7.
The Wolf Pack had a quiet start to the second half. The team was not able to garner any sort of offense coming back from halftime, as they were not able to get past their own 33-yard line through the quarter. Although the Rams were able to push down to Nevada’s 38-yard line, the Wolf Pack defense was able to hold them from scoring as well.
The game remained 14-7 heading into the final quarter.
The final 15 minutes of the game were up and down for the Pack. After a set of punts from both teams, the Wolf Pack scored their second rushing touchdown thanks to a pair of Cox passes, a passing interference call in favor of Nevada and Taua rushing into the endzone once again.
The short drive trend continued once more, as after the touchdown, neither team would produce a drive longer than nine plays until the end of the game. Then, with about two minutes left in the game, Colorado State stunned the Wolf Pack defense, getting all the way to the Nevada 31-yard line with three seconds left.
Micheal Boyle, Colorado State kicker, missed his first field goal attempt from 48 yards. However, a roughing the kicker penalty was called on Nevada, and Boyle made the 43-yard field goal with his second chance. Nevada lost as time expired 17-14.
Adding the loss to Colorado State, Nevada moved to 2-3 and has lost four straight games. This is the first time the team lost four or more games in a row since 2017, where the Pack lost five straight games before gaining their first win.
The Wolf Pack’s next game will be on Oct. 15, where the team will go to Honolulu, Hawai’i to take on the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at the Ching Complex.
Derek Raridon can be reached via email at edrewes@sagebrush.unr.edu or via Twitter @EmersonDrewes.
