The Nevada football team squandered a chance to secure its first home win, as penalties and miscues plagued them in a 20-17 loss to the Georgia Southern Eagles on Sept. 7. The defeat dropped the Wolf Pack to a 1-2 record.
The Pack opened the game strong. Patrick Garwo III, Nevada running back, opened with a carry going for seven yards. An offsides penalty against Georgia Southern helped push Nevada forward, and Garwo III followed up with a four-yard rush to set up a third-and-one. Brendon Lewis, Nevada quarterback, kept the drive alive with a 12-yard rush to midfield, followed by a 13-yard carry from Savion Red, Nevada running back.
Despite a holding penalty, Lewis connected with Cortez Braham Jr., Nevada wide receiver, for five yards. Braham Jr. then zipped a 16-yard pass to Jaden Smith, wide receiver, on third-and-14 for a crucial first down. Lewis continued to make plays with his legs and rushed for 12 yards to the 15-yard line. On the following snap, he found Braham Jr. wide open in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown at 9:33 to give Nevada a 7-0 lead.
A kickoff out of bounds set the Eagles’ offense up at their 35-yard line. JC French, Eagles quarterback, quickly connected with LV Bunkley-Shelton, Eagles wide receiver, for a 10-yard reception, which moved the Eagles near midfield. A defensive pass interference call on Chad Brown, Nevada cornerback, advanced the ball to Nevada’s 35-yard line. On the next play, French launched a deep pass to wide receiver Joshua Thompson, who hauled in a 35-yard touchdown catch at 7:30 and tied the game at 7-7.
After two short gains, the Pack’s offense faced a third-and-seven at their 28-yard line. Lewis found Marcus Bellon, wide receiver, for an 11-yard gain and a crucial first down. Lewis then rushed for 10 yards when the pocket broke down and set up Nevada at midfield.
Garwo III added a seven-yard carry to reach the Nevada 44-yard line. On a third-and-three, Lewis connected with a wide-open Braham Jr. for a 10-yard gain, placing the Pack at the 34-yard line. Garwo III added a four-yard carry, and Red followed with a bruising 25-yard run. With a pass interference call on Eagles cornerback Tracy Hill Jr., the ball was placed at the two-yard line. Lewis then rushed in for a touchdown at 1:08, giving Nevada a 14-7 lead.
The Pack had amassed 101 rushing yards by the end of the first quarter.
In response, French connected on a 16-yard pass to Derwin Burgess Jr., Eagles wide receiver, at the 44-yard line followed by a four-yard pass to Josh Dallas. At the Georgia Southern 47-yard line, he found Burgess Jr. again for a nine-yard gain, moving the ball to the Pack’s 44-yard line. French zipped a 16-yard pass to Dalen Cobb, Eagles wide receiver, advancing to the 28-yard line.
After two consecutive incompletions, the Eagles faced a third-and-five. Although they were initially stopped with another incompletion, Charles Brown, Nevada cornerback, was flagged for pass interference, placing the ball at the Pack’s 19-yard line.
Henry Ikahihifo, Nevada defensive end, sacked French for a two-yard loss. Another incomplete pass left the Eagles with a third-and-12. French’s nine-yard pass to Marcus Sanders Jr., Eagles wide receiver, fell short of the first down. The Eagles kicked a field goal, cutting the Pack’s lead to 14-10 with 12:15 remaining in the second quarter.
After what seemed to be a back-and-forth game, both teams cooled off, exchanging punts until Nevada regained possession at their 16-yard line with 6:22 left in the second quarter.
Lewis found Bellon for a 13-yard reception. A face mask penalty on Elhadj Fall, Eagles defensive tackle, added 15 more yards. On the next play, a seven-yard run from Red brought the ball to midfield. However, a holding penalty on Garwo III set the team back ten yards, resulting in a third-and-15. An incomplete pass on third down forced a punt, which gave the Eagles possession at their 20-yard line with 1:51 left in the half.
As the second quarter winded down, the Eagles moved quickly. French completed a 17-yard screen pass to OJ Arnold, Eagles running back, advancing to the Georgia Southern 39-yard line. With just 14 seconds remaining, Nevada was hit with unsportsmanlike conduct and personal foul penalties, granting the Eagles a free 30 yards and placing them at the Nevada 24-yard line.
On the next play, French connected with a wide-open Cobb for a 24-yard touchdown, giving Georgia Southern a 17-14 lead going into halftime.
Both teams struggled to gain momentum out of the break. A shanked punt by Nevada gave Georgia Southern possession at their 45-yard line. French then capitalized with a 15-yard pass to Cobb and an eight-yard screen pass to Arnold, who picked up a first down with a two-yard rush on the next play. However, three consecutive incompletions forced the Eagles to settle for a 48-yard field goal, extending their lead to 20-14 with 9:07 left in the third quarter.
After another series of punts, the Pack regained possession at their 36-yard line. Lewis connected with Braham Jr. for gains of 19 and 32 yards, moving the offense quickly downfield. Following a three-yard carry from Red, two incomplete passes stalled the drive, forcing a 27-yard field goal by Matthew Killam, kicker. The Pack cut the deficit to 20-17 with 2:30 remaining in the third.
Another defensive stand forced a Georgia Southern punt, this time to the Nevada seven-yard line. Red immediately provided some breathing room with a ten-yard gain, advancing to the 17-yard line. Lewis then connected with Bellon for a five-yard completion before scrambling for a 15-yard gain to the 37-yard line.
A personal foul on Cam Williams, Eagles safety, moved the Pack to the Eagles’ 43-yard line. Shortly after, Braham Jr. made timely receptions of 13 and four yards, pushing the Pack to the Eagles’ 36-yard line. As the offense continued to advance, Red broke through for a 25-yard gain. However, while fighting for extra yardage, he lost control of the ball and the Eagles recovered for a touchback from the fumble.
The defense forced another punt from the Eagles, allowing the Pack to take over with 6:16 remaining in the fourth quarter. Lewis started the drive with a 15-yard rush and connected with Braham Jr. for an 11-yard completion, bringing the Pack near midfield.
A four-yard loss on a run by Lewis set up a second-and-14 at their 46-yard line. An incomplete pass on second down made it third-and-14, but Lewis connected with Garwo III for a screen pass that gained 13 yards. On fourth-and-one, the Pack handed the ball to Garwo III, but he was stopped at the line, turning the ball over to the Eagles with 2:38 left in the game.
The Eagles attempted to run out as much clock as possible before pinning the Pack at their four-yard line, with 0:59 left to play. Lewis connected with Smith for a 17-yard completion, moving the Pack to the 24-yard line. He then rushed for seven more yards before finding Smith again for an 18-yard gain, who started a lateral relay, bringing the Pack to their 33-yard line.
With one second remaining, Lewis launched a deep pass that Smith caught for 62 yards, but Smith was tackled five yards short of the end zone, ending the game in a disappointing 20-17 loss for Nevada.
Jeff Choate, head coach of the Nevada football team, said the team played well in various ways, but the penalties, lost yards and the turnovers hurt the team.
“It hurts because we’re not a team that has a huge margin, and those are plays that we cannot make,” Choate said. “Erasing productive plays and putting us behind the sticks made it difficult for our offense to get in rhythm. It’s a disappointing loss because it’s a game that we should win.”
The Wolf Pack’s (1-2) next challenge will be on the road as they travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sept. 14 at 12:30 p.m.
James Wolfgang Perez can be reached via email dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via Twitter @JamesWPerezUNR
