Tag: Nevada

Sep 17, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Gavin Williams (25) runs the ball against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa trounces Nevada in game marred by weather

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Freshman Kaleb Johnson rushed for a career-high 103 yards with two touchdowns to lead Iowa to a 27-0 win over visiting Nevada in a game that extended into Sunday morning at Iowa City, Iowa, because of three weather delays.

The game ended at 1:40 a.m. local time.

The contest was suspended due to lightning at 8:43 p.m., with 10:02 remaining in the third quarter and the Hawkeyes leading 17-0. After being cleared to return to the field, another delay was called at 10:08 p.m. The teams resumed at 11:55 p.m., but after one play, they went into a third weather delay.

The game resumed for good at 12:38 a.m.

The scoring output is a season-high for the Hawkeyes, who beat South Dakota State 7-3 in the season opener and lost 10-7 last week to Iowa State.

After having to punt on their first two possessions, the Hawkeyes scored on a 40-yard run by Johnson, the first touchdown of his career, with 4:36 left in the first quarter.

Iowa’s defense forced Nevada to punt five times in the first half and Cooper DeJean intercepted Wolf Pack quarterback Shane Illingworth in the other possession.

The interception gave Iowa the ball at the Nevada 41. Five plays later, Spencer Petras completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Arland Bruce IV to increase the lead to 14-0 with 23 seconds left in the first quarter.

Petras finished 14-of-26 passing for 175 yards and the score.

Iowa put together an 11-play, 69-yard drive on its next possession that ended with a 43-yard field goal by Drew Stevens.

The Hawkeyes had 197 yards of total offense compared to Nevada’s 64 at halftime. They finished with 337 total yards and Nevada had 151.

After play resumed, Iowa scored the last 10 points on a 33-yard field goal by Stevens with 2:40 left in the third quarter and Johnson’s 55-yard run with 8:22 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Dec 27, 2021; Detroit, MI, USA; Western Michigan Broncos running back Sean Tyler (9) returns a kickoff for a touchdown in the first half against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Western Michigan cruises past Nevada in Quick Lane Bowl

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Kaleb Eleby threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another as Western Michigan rolled past Nevada 52-24 in the Quick Lane Bowl at Detroit on Monday.

Sean Tyler rushed for 146 yards on 14 carries and also had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as the Broncos (8-5) notched their second bowl victory in program history. Jaxson Kincaide, a Nevada transfer, had 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Western Michigan.

The Broncos’ previous bowl victory came in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl against Middle Tennessee.

Devonte Lee rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown Monday for the Wolf Pack (8-5). Nate Cox was limited to 121 passing yards and a touchdown throw.

Interim coach Vai Taua coached the Wolf Pack in place of Jay Norvell, who accepted Colorado State’s head-coaching job after the regular season ended.

Nevada’s No. 1 quarterback, Carson Strong, who threw 36 touchdown passes this season, opted to skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft.

Western Michigan led 31-10 at halftime.

Nevada scored first on Brandon Talton’s 32-yard field goal, set up by Lee’s 34-yard run. The Broncos responded on the next play as Tyler returned Julian Diaz’s kickoff 100 yards for a score.

The Broncos made it 14-3 midway through the opening quarter on Eleby’s 74-yard scoring pass to Corey Crooms, who beat the defense down the left sideline.

Parker Sampson’s 22-yard field goal in the first minute of the second quarter extended Western Michigan’s lead to 14 points.

Lee scored on a 1-yard run, a touchdown set up by his 20-yard run, with 11:15 left in the half. The Broncos answered with Eleby’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Brett Borske.

Kincaide scored on a 7-yard run with 2:01 left in the half.

Tyler’s 70-yard run set up Eleby’s 1-yard touchdown plunge early in the second half. Nevada’s Toa Taua scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter. Kincaide scored on a 7-yard run with 8:57 remaining to put Western Michigan ahead 45-17.

Cox hooked up with Jamaal Bell on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 5:05 left to complete Nevada’s scoring.

–Field Level Media

Nevada quarterback Nate Cox (16) sees some action against Air Force at Mackay Stadium in Reno on Nov. 19, 2021. Ren Nate Cox 01

Nevada to give WMU new look in Quick Lane Bowl

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Nevada won eight games this season, but the team that will play Western Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl at Detroit on Monday might be hard to recognize.

The Wolf Pack’s head coach, Jay Norvell, accepted the head coaching job at Colorado State. Oregon assistant Ken Wilson was named the head coach but he won’t be on the sideline for the bowl game. Interim head coach Vai Taua will run the team.

Furthermore, record-breaking quarterback Carson Strong, who set a Nevada single season mark with 36 touchdown passes, opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.

“It was a really tough decision,” Strong told NevadaSportsNet.com. “I really wanted to play in the bowl game. But with all the craziness that’s been going on, it’s the best decision for me not to play in the bowl game.

“Unfortunately, my last game at Nevada has been played, and that’s kind of a tough pill to swallow,” he added. “As much as I’d like to go out there and win a bowl game with my teammates, it’s just not in the best interest for me, so I’m going to be declaring for the NFL Draft.”

Senior Nate Cox, who threw 20 passes this season, will likely get the nod in his place. The team’s second-leading receiver, tight end Cole Turner (62 receptions, 10 TDs) is also skipping the bowl game to preserve his draft status. Six of the Wolf Pack’s top seven receivers from this season won’t play in the game after leaving the program.

Nevada (8-4) finished fifth in the Mountain West Conference and defeated Colorado State 52-10 in its last game.

“We don’t want our hard work to go to waste,” linebacker Lawson Hall said. “We kind of internalized our motivation. We’re playing for each other, playing for the coaches that are still here and playing for the program in general. We want to show our hard work, and we can’t wait to do that.”

The Wolf Pack have won three of their last four bowl games, including a 38-27 win over Tulane in the Idaho Bowl last season.

The Broncos (7-5) have plenty of offensive punch, led by quarterback Kaleb Eleby, who has completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 3,115 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. Top target Skyy Moore had 91 catches for 1,256 yards and 10 touchdowns.

They also have a 1-2 punch at running back in Sean Tyler (1,004 yards, 9 TDs) and Michigan State transfer La’Darius Jefferson (836 yards, 10 TDs).

Western Michigan defeated Atlantic Coast Conference champion Pittsburgh 44-41 in September.

The upheaval in Nevada’s program has made bowl preparations a little more difficult for the Broncos.

“It forces you to the point where you just have to be ready to play because we really don’t know a ton about what we’re going to get,” coach Tim Lester said. “Are they still going to run the Air Raid? Are they going to run the ball a little bit more? Their defensive coordinator is at Washington State, so are they going to put some unique stuff in? We’re not going to chase ghosts.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2021; Carson, California, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack quarterback Carson Strong (12) throws against the San Diego State Aztecs during the second half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Nevada QB Carson Strong declares for 2022 NFL Draft

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Nevada quarterback Carson Strong is skipping the Quick Lane Bowl to prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft.

The two-time Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year is projected to be a first-round pick with several quarterback-needy teams in the top half of the current draft order.

“It is my hope over the next few months that there’s at least one NFL team that believes in me the same way that Coach [Jay] Norvell, Coach [Matt] Mumme, and the entire Nevada coaching staff did back in 2018,” Strong posted Tuesday night on Twitter, in part.

Strong, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior, is rated as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2022 draft class by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

He completed 70.0 percent of his passes for 4,186 yards with 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 games this season for the Wolf Pack (8-4), who will conclude their campaign on Dec. 27 in Detroit against Western Michigan (7-5).

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2021; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Jay Norvell before the game against the Colorado State Rams at Sonny Lubrick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado State names Nevada’s Jay Norvell head football coach

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Colorado State named Jay Norvell as its head football coach on Monday.

He’ll replace Steve Addazio, who was fired Thursday after two seasons.

Norvell spent the past five seasons as the head coach at Nevada, which he led to four bowl games during that span.

“From the outset, the interest in our coaching position was significant, but one name and resume stood above the rest from the very beginning — Jay Norvell,” athletic director Joe Parker said in a news release. “When you combine his wealth of coaching experience as an assistant at programs like Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as five years as a successful head coach in the Mountain West, the choice was clear.”

Norvell, 58, played defensive back at Iowa (1983-86), then launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Hawkeyes. His career path also took him to the Indianapolis Colts, the Oakland Raiders, UCLA and Arizona State before he landed his first job as a head coach with Nevada in 2017.

“I am humbled, thankful, but most importantly excited to begin this process of building Colorado State into the championship contender we all know it can be,” Norvell said. “My family and I are ecstatic and cannot wait to get to Fort Collins to get started.”

Norvell leaves Nevada with a 33-26 record — 30-17 in the past four seasons.

Addazio, 62, compiled a record of 4-12 in Fort Collins. The Rams played just four games in the COVID-19-affected 2020 season.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2021; Carson, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs tight end Daniel Bellinger (88) runs the ball against Nevada Wolf Pack defensive back JoJuan Clairborne (8) during the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Late field goal lifts No. 22 San Diego State over Nevada

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Matt Araiza kicked a 35-yard field goal with 1:21 left Saturday night to lift No. 22 San Diego State to a 23-21 win over Nevada in Carson, Calif.

The result allowed the Aztecs (9-1, 5-1 Mountain West) to take sole possession of first place in the conference’s West Division. They will play for the conference title if they can win their final two games, at UNLV and against Boise State.

San Diego State drove 53 yards in 12 plays to set up Araiza’s third field goal of the night. The key plays were Lucas Johnson passes of 19 yards to Elijah Kothe and 17 yards to TJ Sullivan that made Araiza’s kick a relative chip shot.

The Wolfpack (7-3, 4-2) had a final drive to win it, but Carson Strong’s fourth-and-2 throw for Melquan Stovall from their 49 was broken up by Patrick McMorris at the Aztecs’ 40 with 42 seconds left.

Strong completed 34 of 48 passes for 350 yards and all three Nevada touchdowns, including a 54-yard catch-and-run to Romeo Doubs with 9:57 remaining in the game to give the Wolfpack a one-point edge.

Johnson hit on 21 of 34 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown, while Greg Bell rushed 16 times for 104 yards for San Diego State. It outrushed Nevada 186-8.

San Diego State initiated scoring with 3:42 left in the first quarter when Johnson flipped a 2-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Bellinger, capping a 12-play, 99-yard drive that ate more than 5 1/2 minutes off the clock.

Nevada wasted little time tying the score. Strong got his arm cranking on an 85-yard march that ended on the first play of the second quarter when he connected with Tory Horton on a 28-yard scoring strike.

The Aztecs grinded out another drive that lasted more than five minutes, regaining a 10-7 edge when Araiza converted a 48-yard field goal at the 9:35 mark. Araiza had a chance to put them ahead by six points on the half’s final play, but he came up short on a 55-yard attempt.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2021; San Jose, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs kicker Matt Araiza (2) gestures after a made field goal during the second quarter against the San Jose State Spartans at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Nevada aiming for fourth straight win over No. 22 San Diego State

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If No. 22 San Diego State wins the Mountain West Conference football championship, the argument can be made that the league’s Most Valuable Player is a punter/kicker.

But Matt Araiza isn’t just any kicker, as he’s made abundantly clear while making the difference in multiple wins this year. Araiza and the Aztecs try to take control of the MWC’s West Division on Saturday night when they host Nevada in Carson, Calif.

Araiza’s footprints were literally all over last week’s 17-10 win at Hawaii. He averaged 49.6 yards on five punts, including a 79-yarder that soared over not one but two return men, and downed two punts inside the 20.

For good measure, he tacked on a 39-yard field goal with 7:41 left in the game that gave San Diego State (8-1, 4-1 MWC) a two-score lead, and boomed one kickoff so far that it struck an upright. That meant it traveled 75 yards in the air.

Little wonder that the Aztecs enjoyed an 8-yard advantage in average starting field position, no small thing when one considers how ordinary their offense has been most of the year.

“Matt again hit a punt 79 yards,” said San Diego State coach Brady Hoke. “I thought our special teams was pretty good.”

Operative word being “again.” Araiza has drilled 15 punts at least 60 yards this year and is averaging 51.9 yards per boot, nearly a yard more than the NCAA single-season record set by Texas A&M’s Braden Mann in 2018.

Araiza’s thunderous left leg is a prime reason why the Aztecs’ defense has been so stout. Opponents are frequently forced to play long fields against a good unit and simply can’t go 80 yards or more with consistency. San Diego State ranks in the top 10 nationally in several different categories, including sixth in rushing defense at 91.2 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack (7-2, 4-1) are aiming for their fourth straight win over the Aztecs, one that would all but clinch a spot in the MWC title game. They are coming off a 27-24 win last week over San Jose State, courtesy of Brandon Talton’s 45-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.

Nevada owns the conference’s top scoring offense at 36.4 points per game, but its defense may have made the difference last week. The Wolfpack got touchdowns from linebacker Daiyan Henley and defensive back Berdale Robins, marking the second straight game that the defense has scored twice.

“The offense was struggling in the first half and the defense just said, ‘We got you, we got you and we’re going to be fine,’” Nevada coach Jay Norvell said to the Reno Gazette Journal. “I don’t know that our team would have done that last year. This showed a lot of character, a lot of class.”

The Wolfpack have forced 18 turnovers, 10th most in FBS. But their identity remains one of a passing team, thanks to quarterback Carson Strong. He’s fourth in the country with 3,197 passing yards and is ranked 10th nationally in completion percentage at 70.5.

Despite Nevada’s recent success in head-to-head matchups, the Aztecs lead the all-time series 7-6.

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Berkeley, California, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack quarterback Carson Strong (12) on the sidelines awaiting his turn to take the field against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

K-State defense preparing for Nevada star QB Carson Strong

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Two teams with identical 2-0 records will square off Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, Kan., but they’ll be coming into the game with different mindsets.

Nevada is riding high after defeating California out of the Pac-12 on the road, then dominating Idaho State in its home opener. Kansas State, meanwhile, has defeated Stanford on a neutral field before surviving FCS opponent Southern Illinois.

Wildcats sixth-year senior quarterback Skylar Thompson left the game in the first quarter after suffering a non-contact knee injury. Thompson missed most of the 2020 campaign after suffering a separated shoulder in the third game of the season against Texas Tech.

“It’s tough,” head coach Chris Klieman said during the Big 12 football coaches teleconference Monday. “What he went through last year, when he went down, we all gasped, like, ‘Oh no, not again.’”

Klieman was encouraged that the injury may not be season-ending based on an MRI, the results of which he would not share. But his staff must now prepare sophomore Will Howard to step into the starting role. Howard stepped in as a true freshman during the Texas Tech game last year and struggled. Klieman is confident that he will respond.

“He learned so much last year,” Klieman said. “He wasn’t probably as ready as he wanted to be. But he had a full offseason. I know that he’s excited about the opportunity.”

Kansas State already relied on a solid running game and a stout defense, so those areas will have to come through again. Their running game is led by Deuce Vaughn, who has 244 yards and four touchdowns through two games. The Wildcats held the high-powered SIU offense to 276 yards.

Nevada quarterback Carson Strong threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns in the 22-17 victory over California. Strong threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns, completing 34 of 43 passes, against Idaho State.

“We like smart, accurate, passionate quarterbacks, and Carson has those qualities,” Nevada coach Jay Norvell said. “We’ve got quality receivers and really good backs. And we’ve got a veteran offensive line.”

Norvell knows that K-State will present a challenge, even without Thompson.

“It’s always tough,” he said. “You hate to see injuries. It’s hard for any team to lose its starter. But I don’t think it’s going to change what they do offensively. They’ll continue to stress the things they like to do, and we’re going to have to prepare for them.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter (10) is tackled by Nevada Wolf Pack cornerback Isaiah Essissima (2) and defensive back JoJuan Claiborne (8) during the second quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Nevada rallies for 22-17 win over Cal

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Carson Strong passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns, and the visiting Nevada Wolf Pack surprised the California Golden Bears 22-17 in the non-conference opener for both teams.

The Wolf Pack held California to three points over the final three quarters.

Strong, the reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, connected with Romeo Doubs on a 43-yard touchdown in the second quarter and with Elijah Cooks from 16 yards out for the go-ahead score in the third period.

Nevada beat Cal for the third time in four all-time meetings.

Brandon Talton added 44-, 35- and 49-yard field goals for the Wolf Pack, who trailed 14-0 after Cal’s first two possessions before tightening the defensive screws on the Pacific-12 Conference team.

Seeking its first win over Nevada since 1996, Cal used a powerful running game to dominate the first period and build a 14-0 lead.

The Golden Bears scored at the end of 63- and 72-yard drives. Damien Moore plunged in from 1 yard out to open the scoring in the game’s 10th minute before Chase Garbers connected with Nikko Remigio for a 2-yard touchdown with three seconds left in the period.

But Cal’s only scoring after that came on a 24-yard field goal by Dario Longhetto with 12:59 remaining in the game, setting the stage for Nevada’s comeback.

The Golden Bears got possession of the ball twice after Longhetto’s field goal, but Isaiah Essissima intercepted a Garbers pass with 4:29 to go and Cal failed to get a first down after taking over one final time at its own 20 with 1:55 to go.

Strong finished 22-for-39 with one interception. Tory Horton was the club’s big receiver, gaining 94 yards on his three catches.

Garbers went 25-for-38 for 177 yards with one interception for Cal, which got away from a successful running game after one quarter, finishing with 11 more pass attempts (38) than runs (27).

Moore led all rushers in the game with 79 yards on 15 carries.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2020; Boise, Idaho, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack quarterback Carson Strong (12) throws a pass during the first half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl versus the Tulane Green Wave at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Heisman hopeful Carson Strong leads Nevada against Cal

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The Carson Strong Heisman Watch kicks off Saturday night when Nevada visits California in a nonconference season opener at Berkeley, Calif.

Strong, the reigning Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year, enters his junior year riding the hype of having already been named to several publications’ Maxwell Award watch lists.

He threw for 2,858 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, his first year as the Wolf Pack’s full-time starter, putting himself on the 2021 Heisman map with a 271-yard, five-touchdown finale against Tulane in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.

Strong, who missed his senior season at Will C. Wood High in Vacaville, Calif., because of a knee injury, prompting local schools like Cal to focus their recruiting elsewhere, is focused on team goals rather than individual glory.

“Winning is the only thing that matters,” said Strong, his team coming off a 7-2 season. “At the end of the day, you have to go out there and win. That’s the only thing I’m worried about. I just want to go out there and win a championship for Nevada and play in a New Year’s Six bowl.”

He could be facing one of his toughest assignments of the season right off the bat against a Cal defense that figures to be tough against the pass.

The Golden Bears are strong both on the defensive perimeter with outside linebackers Cameron Goode and Kuony Deng and in the secondary with safety Elijah Hicks and cornerback Josh Drayden.

Cal allowed just 197.8 passing yards per game during its abbreviated 1-3 campaign last year, limiting Stanford’s Davis Mills and Oregon’s Tyler Shough to one touchdown apiece in the last two games.

Cal will counter Strong with an awards candidate of its own. Senior Chase Garbers is a veteran of 23 college starts, during which the Golden Bears have gone 14-9. The 14 wins as a starter are tops among all returning Pac-12 quarterbacks.

The 225-pounder also is a capable runner as well as a passer, having accumulated 718 rushing yards in his career, just 213 shy of Joe Kapp’s all-time school record among quarterbacks.

Cal offers good depth in its running game, with Christopher Brooks, who ran for 914 yards in 2019, and Damien Moore, who rolled up 121 yards against Stanford last season, splitting opportunities.

Bears coach Justin Wilcox offered no apologies for winding up with Garbers rather than Strong as his starting quarterback.

“Things happen in recruiting,” he said. “(Strong) has had a heck of a career. We know he’s going to be a great challenge for our defense.”

–Field Level Media