The Nevada football team secured a dominant 49-16 home win against the Eastern Washington Eagles on Sept. 21, closing out their non-conference schedule with a 2-3 record as they enter their bye week.
The Eagles looked to establish their ground game early, with Michael Wortham, Eastern Washington running back, converting short-yardage first downs. They soon transitioned to the air as Kekoa Visperas, Eastern Washington quarterback, found Wortham for an eight-yard completion.
Utilizing a dual-quarterback strategy, Jared Taylor, Eastern Washington quarterback, connected with Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington wide receiver, for a 14-yard gain near midfield.
Despite this, Nevada’s defense held firm. After forcing consecutive incompletions, the Eagles attempted a flea flicker, but Henry Ikahihifo, Nevada defensive end, blew it up in the backfield for a five loss. Forced to punt, the Eagles watched as Marcus Bellon, Nevada wide receiver, returned the ball 18 yards to the 27-yard line.
To start Nevada’s offensive drive, Brendon Lewis, Nevada quarterback, stepped back in the pocket and launched a deep ball to Cortez Braham Jr., Nevada wide receiver, on the first play. The pass would fall incomplete after Cage Schenk, Eastern Washinton cornerback, ran into Braham Jr. resulting in a pass interference penalty, moving the Pack 15 yards forward.
After two short yardage runs, Lewis took the snap and bolted ahead through a hole in the defense for an 11-yard gain. As they caught the defense reeling, Savion Red, Nevada running back, ran through defenders for a 12-yard gain.
This offensive success soon transitioned in the air, as Lewis zipped an eight-yard completion to Jaden Smith, Nevada wide receiver. On the next play, the quarterback would take off for a seven-yard scamper, before connecting with Smith on another eight-yard pass, pushing the Pack’s offense to the Eastern Washington ten-yard line.
Following a short run, Patrick Garwo III, Nevada running back, cruised into the endzone for a nine-yard touchdown run to give the Pack a 7-0 lead with 6:46 in the first.
After an incomplete pass and a short run, the Eagles faced a third-and-seven at their 34-yard line. Taylor dropped back to pass, but Nevada’s defensive line applied heavy pressure, rattling the quarterback and forcing an errant throw. Michael Coats Jr., Nevada cornerback, seized the moment with a timely interception. Following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Nevada, the Pack took over at their 27-yard line.
After consecutive short runs, the Pack faced an early third down, but Garwo III put any doubts to rest by powering through defenders for a 25-yard carry to the Eastern Washington 40-yard line. Capitalizing on this momentum, Lewis connected with Bellon on a short completion before the receiver broke free, sprinting past the defense for a 31-yard gain.
After two more short runs, Lewis hit Bellon in the corner of the end zone on third and goal, resulting in a four-yard touchdown that put the Pack ahead 14-0 with 1:48 left in the first quarter.
Facing an early deficit, Malik Dotson, Eastern Washington running back, energized the offense with back-to-back runs of seven and eight yards. He then broke free for a ten-yard run on a third and six, advancing to Nevada’s side of midfield.
On the next snap, Thomas Witte, Nevada defensive tackle, was flagged for a face mask penalty, moving the Eagles to the Nevada 31-yard line. Taylor then escaped for a seven-yard run before Visperas completed a pass to Noah Cornquist, Eastern Washington wide receiver, who took the ball down to the 15-yard line.
After two short runs, Visperas zipped a pass to Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington wide receiver, for a seven-yard gain to the Nevada two-yard line. However, the Nevada defense stood tall once again, stuffing the Eagles at the one-yard line on three consecutive plays and limiting them to a field goal. The Pack maintained a 14-3 lead with 9:19 left in the second quarter.
In a fast-paced first half, both teams settled in defensively as they traded punts. The Pack took over at their 25-yard line. Lewis connected with Smith for a 14-yard gain, and the quarterback followed up with scrambles of 14 and 11 yards on the next two plays. A face-mask penalty against Eastern Washington added an extra 15 yards, placing the Pack at the 21-yard line.
Garwo III took a handoff for a six-yard gain, setting up Lewis for an eight-yard pass to Braham Jr. Garwo III capped off the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run, marking his second touchdown of the night. With that score, the Pack took a 21-3 lead into halftime.
Coming out of halftime, the Pack’s offense continued to roll. Lewis delivered a ten-yard completion to Smith before finding Bellon for a 20-yard catch and run to midfield. Red followed up with a ten-yard carry to the 39-yard line. However, a nine-yard sack of Lewis set the offense back, leaving them facing a third and 15.
On that play, Lewis dropped back and connected with Bellon, but a face-mask penalty on Josiah Timoteo, Nevada offensive lineman, pushed the Pack back another 15 yards, creating a third and 30 situation. In a surprising turn, Red evaded defenders on a rush attempt, gaining 30 yards and securing a first down at Eastern Washington’s 29-yard line.
Riding that momentum, Red then rushed for a 27-yard gain to the two-yard line, setting up Garwo III to punch the ball into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game. The Wolf Pack expanded their lead to 28-3 with 9:43 left in the third quarter.
In an attempt to jumpstart their offense, the Eagles fed Dotson the football, and the running back gained 11 and 12 yards on his first two carries. Dotson accumulated a total of 14 yards on his next three carries to advance to the Nevada 44-yard line.
However, an abrupt incomplete pass halted their momentum, and minimal gains on second and third down forced a fourth and seven situation at the 35-yard line. In desperate need of a score, the Eagles chose to go for it on fourth down, but Visperas attempted to find an open receiver, and with everyone covered, the pass fell incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs.
The momentum continued to roll for the Pack as Lewis connected with Bellon for an eight-yard grab, and Sean Dollars, Nevada running back, surged forward for an 11-yard carry. Lewis then completed a 13-yard pass to Smith, and after a series of short-yardage runs, he launched a pass into the back corner of the end zone. Smith leaped to snag a 24-yard reception for a touchdown, extending the Pack’s lead to 35-3 with just 0:43 left in the third quarter.
To start the fourth quarter, the Eagles still showed signs of life down by 32 points. Taylor scampered ahead for gains of seven and 27 yards, moving the offense to the Nevada 38-yard line. Two more runs of 19 and five yards from the mobile quarterback brought the Eagles to the two-yard line, where Dotson sneaked into the end zone for a touchdown. However, the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the Pack’s lead at 35-9 with 12:43 remaining.
After allowing their first touchdown of the game, the Pack’s offense responded quickly. Lewis floated a 20-yard pass to Bellon before he was tackled at midfield. He then completed a 19-yard pass to Braham Jr., and Red sidestepped the entire defense on his way to a 31-yard touchdown run. The Pack extended their lead to 42-9 with 9:46 remaining.
With time winding down, the Eagles took advantage of the Pack’s defense being caught off guard. Visperas completed a 19-yard pass to Chism III, and on a trick play, Wortham threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Cronquist. The touchdown cut the Pack’s lead to 42-16 with 8:24 left to play.
On the final drive, AJ Bianco, Nevada quarterback, checked into the game. Caleb Ramseur, Nevada running back, seized the opportunity, breaking free from defenders for a 33-yard run. Bianco then advanced the ball downfield with an 11-yard completion to Marshaun Brown, Nevada wide receiver, followed by a ten-yard completion to Ashton Hayes, Nevada running back, setting up the Pack at the nine-yard line. After three short-yardage runs, Red scored on a three-yard touchdown run, closing out a 49-16 win for the Wolf Pack.
The 49 points scored were the most in a single game for the Pack since a 52-10 win against the Colorado State Rams on Nov. 27, 2021.
Jeff Choate, Nevada’s head coach, said after the game the team knew the running game would be explosive if they were able to create space and separation.
“We knew we were going to have an advantage if we got in space with these guys,” Choate said. “I actually thought we should have run through a couple more. That’s their job, if there is one guy there, you make him miss and you make him pay. Patrick Garwo III is going to be the guy who runs them over and makes them pay, everyone else should try to make them miss and go score and that’s what they did.”
The Wolf Pack will get a chance to rest during their bye week before kicking off Mountain West Conference play against the San Jose State Spartans on Oct. 5 at 4:30 p.m. in San Jose, Calif.
James Wolfgang Perez can be reached via email dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via Twitter @JamesWPerezUNR
