Nevada defense keeping it simple

RENO " When a team suffers an injury at quarterback, teams tend to 'dummy down' the playbook a bit to make things easier for the replacement.

Nevada coach Chris Ault said Monday that the Pack has 'dummied down' its defensive playbook to make it easier on the unit which has been inconsistent across the board this season.

The Pack took some baby steps last week in its 44-17 win over Utah State, registering five sacks and 8 1/2 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Save for a long TD pass late in the game which irked Ault, it might go down as one of the best efforts of the season.

"The defensive front was good, particularly Kevin Basped," said Ault, whose team is preparing to face Hawaii Saturday night in Honolulu. "Of course, five sacks always helps you. Dontay (Moch) did a nice job of coming off the edge. He did a nice job playing the run. When teams tried to run outside, he was making things happen and running people down."

Basped and Moch have been quiet this year before the Utah State win. Nevada has been having trouble pressuring opposing teams with just four down linemen, and that's a big reason why the Wolf Pack has had trouble stopping good passing teams like Texas Tech, New Mexico State and Missouri.

"We're trying to prove that we're not just the front seven (when you talk about our defense)," Moch said. "Our back four can make plays."

Ault admitted that the secondary played better than it has, but he also said that Utah State's offense doesn't have the explosiveness of a Fresno State, Boise State, Missouri, Texas Tech or New Mexico State.

"They still have a long ways to go," Ault said. "They were a little better last game. Michael Evans played his best game last week. Antoine (Thompson) played OK until that last TD. I was not pleased."

One of the positive things about Nevada's defense is that it is building depth, especially at linebacker. Depth is something Ault has stressed about since rejoining the Pack for the third time.

The Pack used eight linebackers against Utah State, as redshirt Brandon Marshall and junior Mike Bethea alternated at one spot, while redshirt freshman James Michael Johnson and senior Jerome Johnson alternated at another. Jared Silva-Purcell gave Josh Mauga a breather in the final quarter and picked off his first pass and returned it for a touchdown.

"Brandon and Mike are very close talent-wise, " said Ken Wilson, who coaches Nevada's linebackers. "One plays the run better and one plays the pass better. It's a good competition. James Michael is a very athletic player, and he's picking things up fast. Jerome just got the cast off (broken hand) which he's had for a few weeks. That slowed him down.

"We've been using some different packages, and get guys in there especially when we play a passing team. Joe Easter is very fast and Adam Liranzo used to be a defensive back."

Both Easter and Liranzo have been playing in passing situations.

In Hawaii, Nevada will face a team similar to Utah State in the sense that the Warriors boast a running quarterback in Inoke Funaki. A week ago, Nevada faced the shifty Diondre Borel.

"They are trying to run a little more," Wilson said. "They are still doing the run and shoot. When he rolls out, you have to respect the run more than you did with Colt (Brennan). It adds another dimension.

"They lost their quarterback, all their receivers and three offensive linemen. It takes time to come together. They have been playing better offensively."