Nevada looking for leadership

RENO - Nevada's football team may see what kind of leadership it has this week.

Nevada is 0-2 after being blown out 52-21 by Arizona State last Saturday night, and the mood of the players seemed a bit solemn before Monday's workout as they prepared for Saturday's home opener against Colorado State, 2-0.

"We're a little down," running back Robert Hubbard said. "It's up to the captains and seniors to bring the team back up. We're the WAC champions and we return a lot of players."

"To be honest, the guys do seem down," wide receiver Caleb Spencer. "We're back. We're back at home, and we need to stay positive."

That has to be tough right now, especially when you consider the way Nevada has played in its first two games, especially Saturday's fiasco where neither the offense or defense played well.

Quarterback Jeff Rowe hopes playing at home in the comfortable confines of Mackay Stadium will help the Pack play to their capabilities. Nevada was 5-1 at home last year, losing only its season-opener to Washington State.

"It's hard (to tune out Saturday's loss), especially when it's Monday and still fresh in your mind. You have to. We still have a long season ahead of us, and we have a good chance to win a lot of games."

Especially if Rowe can regain his form of 2005 when he threw for more than 2,900 yards and 21 scores. He has completed 35 of 63 passes for 346 yards and two scores, including 17 of 29 for 163 yards with two costly interceptions and a touchdown against Arizona State.

Those aren't exactly the passing numbers you would expect from Rowe in two games. Based on last year, you might expect double the yardage and double the touchdowns.

"He didn't play well; up to our standards for him," Nevada coach Chris Ault said. "He misread some things that he normally doesn't do. I think Jeff stepped out of character.

"At times he moved the team very well and threw the ball well. We expect big things from him mentally and physically. We didn't play well on both sides of the ball. We got outplayed. We did not find a way to respond."

Rowe did have two interceptions, but only one was his fault.

Marko Mitchell dropped a pass, and it bounced right into the hands of an ASU defender, and the Sun Devils turned it into a touchdown. The second one was all Rowe. Facing a safety blitz, Rowe unloaded the ball to the right side of the field. Ryan McFoy ran it back 30 yards for a score and a 31-7 lead.

One common thread in the two losses has been slow starts, especially on the first two or three drives of the game, and Rowe said it's been tough to be in catch-up mode all the time. Nevada has been outscored 45-20 combined in the opening two games.

FRUSTRATION SHOWING

Three fights, two within seconds of each other during special teams drills occurred on Monday, as Pack players demonstrated some emotion and frustration stemming from an 0-2 start.

The first involved walk-on Cameron Bayne and cornerback Devon Walker. The two wrestled on the ground for a few seconds with Walker refusing to let go of Bayne's facemask.

The second involved senior running back Kyle Eklund and Mark Berry, a defensive back. The two played beyond the whistle, and each threw a couple of punches though it appeared that Berry got the best of the scuffle.

One assistant coach yelled at the combatants to "quit wasting my time," but it was noted that he had a smile on his face when he said it. Another coach was wearing an ear-to-ear smile the whole time the battle was taking place.

FRAGGER IMPRESSIVE

True freshman Brandon Fragger made his debut on Saturday, carrying seven times for 24 yards.

"He looked very good," said running backs coach Jim Mastro. "We wanted to get his feet wet. He hits it up in there pretty good."

With senior Kyle Eklund getting just one carry for four yards and Luke Lippincott seven for 10 yards, it's possible Fragger could move up in the depth chart to the No. 2 spot behind Hubbard with another good performance in practice this week.

ENDING THE SKID?

Colorado State is coming off a 14-10 win over Colorado, handing Dan Hawkins, former Boise State coach, his second straight defeat.

The Rams are 8-0 all-time against Nevada, five of the wins coming in Fort Collins, and three at Mackay Stadium.

"They are a very good football team," Ault said. "They are coming in undefeated. This is a great challenge for us. We've got to play our best."

•Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281