The Nevada football team (3-7, 0-4) suffered a 38-21 home loss to the Colorado State Rams (6-3, 4-0) on Nov. 2. The Wolf Pack struggled in all three phases, failing to gain any momentum in a game where they allowed 28 unanswered points through the first two and a half quarters.
The Rams received the opening kickoff and started fast, with Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State quarterback, launching a 41-yard strike to Dane Olson, Colorado State wide receiver, to set up the Rams in the red zone. After two short runs, Avery Morrow, Colorado State running back, punched the ball in from seven yards out to give the Rams an early 7-0 lead with 10:40 in the first.
In response, Brendon Lewis, Nevada quarterback, completed a 19-yard pass to Marshaun Brown, Nevada wide receiver, in tight coverage to help the team move near midfield. After he threw an incompletion under pressure on third down, the Pack was forced to punt the ball back to the Rams.
Colorado State’s offense continued to seek out explosive plays on its next drive. Fowler-Nicolosi stepped back on third down and completed a 55-yard deep shot to Caleb Goodie, wide receiver, which was stripped out by Kitan Crawford, Nevada defensive back, but recovered and advanced four yards by Olson. With this momentum, Justin Marshall, Colorado State running back, scored on an eight-yard run to increase the Rams’ lead to 14-0 with 2:20 in the first.
While the Rams took an early lead, neither team was able to muster much offense for the remainder of the half. The Pack defense caught a lucky break after Jordan Ross, a Colorado State wide receiver, dropped a wide-open 66-yard touchdown during this time. The Nevada offense continued to get in its own way, failing to convert on third downs and generating only 44 total yards.
After their third punt of the game, the Rams were set up near midfield. Despite losing two yards on the possession, Jordan Noyes, Colorado State kicker, converted a 60-yard field goal—the longest kick in Mackay Stadium history—to put the Rams up 17-0 with 5:27 left in the half.
In need of any offensive production, Lewis led the Pack on their final possession of the half. Lewis found Cortez Braham Jr., Nevada wide receiver, for two short completions before he took off on runs of 37 and 17 yards, side-stepping defenders to the eight-yard line. Three short runs by Savion Red, Nevada running back, pushed the offense to the two-yard line, but a fourth-down fadeaway pass from Lewis to Jaden Smith, Nevada wide receiver, fell incomplete in the corner of the end zone, leaving the Pack trailing 17-0 at the half.
Nevada opened the second half just as slow as the first. On the first snap, Lewis completed a seven-yard pass to Marcus Bellon, Nevada wide receiver, but the ball was immediately stripped out by Ayden Hector, Colorado State defensive back, with the Rams recovering it at the 31-yard line. However, the Pack’s defense held up, allowing only 10 yards before an incomplete pass on third down. Colorado State then kicked a field goal to lead 20-0 with 11:30 in the third.
On the ensuing kick return, Sean Dollars, Nevada running back, muffed the ball at the one-yard line, allowing Jace Bellah, Colorado State defensive back, to recover it in the end zone for a touchdown. The Rams then converted on the two-point attempt, increasing their lead to 28-0 with 11:27 in the third.
Now down four scores, the Pack’s offense woke up. After two short runs, Lewis found Braham Jr. for a 57-yard completion down to the six-yard line. Lewis then took the direct snap for a touchdown, cutting the Rams’ lead to 28-7 with 7:53 in the third.
A Rams’ punt on their next possession pinned the Pack at their 2-yard line. Dollars broke free for a 15-yard run to give the offense some breathing room, setting up a short completion to Smith before Lewis took off for a 16-yard run to midfield.
A pass interference call on the Rams pushed the Pack to the Colorado State 36-yard line. After a sack set them behind the sticks, the Pack opted to go for it on fourth down, with Lewis finding Braham Jr. for 12 yards to reach the red zone. Lewis then utilized his legs for the remainder of the drive. After three runs, he scored his second rushing touchdown to make it 28-14 with 12:16 left in the game.
Colorado State recovered Nevada’s onside kick attempt and made quick work of the short field. Marshall and Morrow combined for 44 yards on five carries, with Morrow scoring on a 15-yard run to make it 35-14 with 8:42 left in the game.
With the game slipping out of reach, the Pack leaned on Dollars and short completions to Smith and Braham Jr. to move into the red zone. Lewis then found Smith in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard one-handed touchdown catch, making it 35-21 with 4:22 left.
After another unsuccessful onside kick, the Rams ran out the clock, kicking a field goal to make it 38-21, handing the Pack their third consecutive loss.
Jeff Choate, Nevada football head coach, admitted that the team only had themselves to blame for the loss.
“You can’t spot a team 21 points and expect to win a lot of football games,” Choate said. “I didn’t feel like we were outclassed. It was just the mistakes that we made, and they didn’t and they capitalized on the ones that we made.”
The Wolf Pack’s (3-7, 0-4) next challenge will come on the road as they travel to Boise, Idaho to take on the No. 12 Boise State Broncos (7-1, 4-0) at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9.
