The Nevada Wolf Pack (2-4, 1-2) traveled to the Fargodome Oct. 17 to take on North Dakota State University (NDSU) (6-1, 3-1), a new addition to the Mountain West conference this year. With some amount of back and forth, two crucial mistakes led to Nevada’s loss with a final score of 31-17.
The expectations from myself, fans and analytics going into this game were slim. NDSU started their first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) going 5-0, while Nevada had lost to a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team, the division NDSU had graduated out of this year.
Despite my low confidence, Nevada shocked me by taking the first lead and looking like the all-around better team to start the game. This shock was short-lived, but I still don’t think they looked bad for the majority of the game.
Sophomore starting quarterback Carter Jones did not play a single snap after an injury during the previous UTEP game, leaving fifth-year quarterback AJ Bianco to lead the team. After what appeared to be an injury during the first quarter, he still found his footing and limped for the rest of the game, throwing for 190 yards and rushing for 23 including a touchdown.
The first quarter opened with a Nevada three-and-out. From there, the game stayed low action. The first and only attempt at scoring was a missed 54-yard field goal from North Dakota’s senior kicker, Drew Klein, ending the quarter 0-0.
The second quarter opened with a 15-yard touchdown run from the injured Bianco, followed by a successful 2-point conversion to give Nevada an early lead. The next two drives ended with a punt from NDSU and a Nevada field goal after a disappointing out-of-bounds call that prevented a first down.
With an 11-0 lead, my faith was high. For the first, and unfortunately only, time, our odds to win surpassed North Dakota’s. In response to Nevada’s 11 points, NDSU scored two touchdowns on consecutive drives, resulting in a 11-12 lead.
The first touchdown resulted from a 71-yard drive with exclusively runs, and the second came from a series of short plays and a 21-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Nathan Hayes to senior wide receiver Mekhi Collins. Both touchdowns had failed conversions, the first with a failed 2-point attempt and the second with a blocked 1-point attempt.
Nevada’s next drive occurred past the two minute warning, as they made their way down the field in no time thanks to a 39-yard kickoff return from fifth-year running back Ky Woods and a quick 19-yard pass to junior wide receiver Gary Givens III.
This put them in field goal range where sixth-year kicker Joe McFadden would attempt a career-long 57-yarder. McFadden’s kick came up a few yards short, allowing junior NDSU wide receiver Jackson Williams to return the ball 100-yards for a North Dakota kick six. This ended the half 19-11.
The third quarter started hopeful again, with a phenomenal one-handed catch in the end zone from Givens III during Nevada’s first drive. Nevada again attempted a 2-point conversion, but a failed trick play ended in a fumble and a defensive return, giving NDSU the two and bringing their lead to 17-21.
Nevada’s defense still held up, forcing a North Dakota punt on the next drive. With the opportunity to close the gap, Bianco threw his first interception of the game, and the ball returned to NDSU’s offense.
That interception resulted in a field goal from North Dakota, in which Nevada tried to respond but missed a career-long 54-yard McFadden field goal attempt. This ended the third quarter 17-24.
The fourth quarter started with a touchdown from NDSU. After a round of punts from both teams, Nevada had one more shot with 11 minutes to get back in the game. Unfortunately, after a 57-yard drive, Bianco would throw his second interception and the game would end 17-31.
Despite the loss, this game showed us Nevada’s potential to be a successful team. NDSU is not an easy opponent by any means, already being bowl game-eligible a little more than halfway through the season with this win, yet Nevada dominated the early game.
Bianco looked great for the majority of the game, even with this being his first start of the season and getting hurt early on. Before his two interceptions it looked like there would be some competition in the quarterback room, and even with those mistakes, he is a solid replacement in the event Jones can not start again.
To me, some of the game seemed like an offensive trial. There were trick plays and more passing than expected, and for some time it worked. The offense looked strong until they didn’t, which surprised me as in previous games they seemed to pick it up in the second half.
Defense was good throughout the game, but not great, struggling to stop the rush game and allowing for 192 rushing yards. They also allowed two consecutive touchdown drives during Nevada’s lead. For a game with a two-score spread, those points are make-or-break.
In this game, special teams made one of the largest impacts. The missed field goal return and second 2-point conversion were key plays, and it’s unfortunate they were made by NDSU. Nevada’s special teams played well with 108 yards of returns, but were outplayed in a game that ended up relying heavily on their performance.
If Nevada can consistently perform how they did during the beginning of this game, I’m really excited to see what they can accomplish in the future. If they cannot, I’m afraid we have already gotten a preview of what the rest of this season will look like halfway through with a record of 2-4.
Nevada will play next at home on Oct. 24 against the San Jose Spartans. Kick off is at 2 p.m.
