On Monday, Oct. 28, Jeff Choate, Nevada football head coach, held a press conference to address the team’s pressing challenges, including the return of quarterback Brendon Lewis, ongoing injury issues, the need for emotional control and the urgency of improving their winless record in conference play as they prepare for a crucial matchup against Colorado State.
Lewis to Return Against Colorado State:
Lewis’ absence was significant in the Pack’s loss to Hawaii. After Savion Red, Nevada running back, was injured on the team’s second possession, the ground game struggled without its two leading rushers. This left Chubba Purdy and AJ Bianco, Nevada quarterbacks, to carry the offense, resulting in 38 dropbacks—a season-high pass attempts for the Pack.
“When you have a guy that’s been your starter for as long as Brendon has, there’s going to be some things that are missed,” Choate said. “I was proud of AJ and Chubba for how they competed, and I think they gave us a chance to win.”
As Lewis aims to start against Colorado State, the Pack’s offense hopes to regain its rhythm despite a string of injuries.
Injuries and Coaching Adjustments:
Injuries and adjustments continued challenging the Pack, disrupting offensive consistency and straining Nevada’s run game. With key position players sidelined, the offense struggled to sustain drives, limiting time of possession and piling pressure onto the defense. Nevada’s offense also went 2-5 on fourth-down attempts, putting the defense in difficult field positions throughout the game.
“I don’t want to get up here and say ‘Oh gosh woe is me’,” Choate said. “You know, we got all these problems. Nobody cares about our problems, and most people are happy we have them. So we gotta figure out a way to have guys carry the flag, plus the pieces in, modify our scheme, whatever it takes so that we can go and put up a good product on the field and be competitive against Colorado State on Saturday.”
With the Pack facing an 0-3 hole in conference play, these adjustments must come quickly as they prepare for the Rams.
Emotional Control:
Penalties have been a significant hurdle for Nevada, a trend that was clear against Hawaii. The team racked up 12 penalties for 105 yards, limiting their production on the field. The emotional responses from players during frustrating moments have been particularly concerning, leading to costly mistakes that put the team in poor positions.
“I’ve never seen this before in my life,” Choate said. “The emotional responses that our guys have in times where they’re frustrated, is flat-out disturbing. We need to have a conversation about your ability to control your emotions. Obviously, it hurts the team, but as I told the guys, that’s not a good look for Nevada, and that’s an awful look for you as an individual.”
Choate also acknowledged the ongoing challenge of addressing these issues.
“I don’t know what we’re going to be able to do to fully fix this right now,” he added. “This is going to be moving into the offseason, something that we reassess how we’re providing discipline and structure to these guys on a day-to-day basis.”
As the Pack prepares for a must-win game against Colorado State, they cannot afford to beat themselves with penalties as they search for their first conference win.
Lookout for Remainder of the Season:
The Wolf Pack’s winless record in conference play puts them in a difficult position for any postseason aspirations. The urgency of this situation is clear to Choate, as every game is crucial for determining their playoff chances.
“I’m looking at it this week. I’ve got to get these guys going mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared to go play really hard and then we’re going to have to do the same thing next week,” Choate said. “I’m always looking around the corner. I’m always trying to figure out how to build our offseason the right way. What are the holes in our roster that we’ve got to address? I’m thinking about that. But at the moment, all I gotta think about is this: let’s go watch the practice tape, let’s have conversations about the game plan, and let’s go have a really good practice on Tuesday. I’m not one that is going to throw a whole season away.”
With limited opportunities left in the season, the Pack must capitalize on each game to keep their postseason hopes alive and lay a foundation for future success.
James Wolfgang Perez can be reached via email dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via X @JamesWPerezUNR
