Wolf Pack comes up short against Red Raiders

BY DARRELL MOODY

Appeal Sports Writer

RENO " Quarterback Colin Kaepernick summed up the feelings of the entire Nevada football team.

"We let one get away from us," Kaepernick said. "We got in the red zone too many times and didn't put the ball in the end zone. I consider myself a veteran player. I have to take care of the ball. I let this team down."

Nevada got inside the Texas Tech 20 five different times, but turned the ball over twice and settled for field goals three other times which was a key in the 35-19 loss before a crowd of 24,453 at Mackay Stadium Saturday night.

This was a double loss for the Wolf Pack, who lost star running back Luke Lippincott for the season with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament. Nevada will appeal to get him another season of eligibility.

It was a game Nevada dominated in most of the statistical categories against the 7th-ranked Red Raiders. The Pack had the edge in rushing yards (224-124), total yards (488-421) and time of possession (35:54-23:13), but those missed opportunities and a botched onside kick came back to haunt them.

The game started with a huge missed opportunity.

Texas Tech went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 30, but Red Raiders quarterback Graham Harrell was stopped for no gain.

Nevada needed just five plays to get on the board, but it wasn't the touchdown it wanted or expected. Instead, it was a 27-yard field goal by Brett Jaekle, which gave Nevada a 3-0 lead.

The second red-zone failure came early in the second quarter when Nevada, trailing 7-3 after an 86-yard punt return by Eric Morris, enjoyed great field position at its own 44 following a 14-yard punt by Jonathan LaCour.

Nevada mixed the run and pass well. Lippincott had runs of 12 and 6 yards, the latter giving Nevada a first down at the Texas Tech 10.

Disaster struck on second down when Kaepernick was sacked by Bront Bird for a 10-yard loss, moving the ball back to the 14. Nevada got five yards back on the next play, but again had to settle for a 26-yarder by Jaekle and a 7-6 deficit instead of a 14-7 lead.

"That (sack) was a big play, but it was early and there was still plenty of time," Nevada head coach Chris Ault said.

The Red Raiders showed their quick-strike ability on the ensuing series, driving 68 yards in barely over two minutes for a score, as Shannon Woods capped the drive with a 1-yard run to make it 14-6. The key play in the march was a 50-yard completion from Harrell (19-for-46, 297 yards) to Michael Crabtree (7 catches, 158 yards) for a first down at the 1.

The pass to Crabtree was the only time Nevada's defense truly broke down in the first half.

"The defense played excellent for three quarters," Ault said. "We had some major breakdowns in the fourth quarter. We did a good job of pressuring Harrell in the first half."

The third failure inside the red zone came on Nevada's next drive, which started in promising fashion with a 40-yard run by Kaepernick (17 carries, 92 yards; 264 yards passing) for a first down at the Tech 31. Kaepernick threw for nine yards to Marko Mitchell at the 22, and then ran for eight more to the 14.

Nevada tried a middle screen, and Kaepernick's pass was tipped by Brandon Williams and intercepted by Richard Jones at the Texas Tech 20.

Tech had an opportunity to extend its lead after blocking a Brad Langley punt and taking over at the Nevada 24 with 1:35 left before the half. However, Mo Harvey blocked Danny Carona's 28-yard field goal attempt, and Mike Evans returned it 38 yards to the Nevada 42.

The Pack got the ball to the Red Raiders' 26, and Jaekle kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired to make it 14-9.

Nevada started the second half with a bang, and was in good position to take the lead.

Four straight double-digit gains "a 10-yard run by Vai Taua, a 12-yard run by Kaepernick, a 12-yard run by Brandon Fragger and a 13-yard completion to Mitchell " gave Nevada a first down at the Tech 10.

Fragger carried twice for seven yards, and then Kaepernick appeared to score on a 3-yard run, though he did lose the ball. On review, the officials ruled a touchback, giving the Red Raiders a first down at its own 20.

"I thought I was in and getting up (when the ball came out)," Kaepernick said. "Apparently it was a different story on the field."

Texas Tech, which gambled and lost on its first drive of the game, gambled again on fourth-and-1 from its own 28. Aaron Crawford was stopped for no gain by Brandon Marshall and Kevin Grimes.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach second-guessed himself.

"I thought I gambled stupid," he said. "I thought it was just dumb. Being in Reno, I guess I got the (gambling) bug. I was stuck in a hotel that didn't have any clocks and they were pumping oxygen in there. I thought it was my lucky day when we won the game."

Nevada's offense wasted the defense's nice stand.

Kaepernick, who gave Tech fits with his running, rushed for 13 yards down to the 16. Kaepernick was thrown for a 2-yard loss and then threw an incomplete pass. The Pack settled for yet another field goal and a 14-12 deficit with 6:40 left in the third quarter.

Nevada tried an onside kick, yeah you heard right, and Daniel Charbonnet covered the ball at the Nevada 39.

Ault defended the decision.

"They were 15 yards downfield," Ault said. "All we had to do was kick the ball 10 yards. We kicked it 8 1/2."

The Red Raiders made Nevada pay when Morris scored on a 13-yard run to cap the six-play drive. Carona's kick made it 21-12.

Nevada never got any closer, although Kaepernick and Mitchell did hook up on a 49-yard scoring play to make it 28-19. Ault elected to go for a PAT instead of a two-point conversion.

"I feel better about this team after tonight than I did after last week," Ault said. "Tech is a great team and deserves their ranking."

- Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or (775) 881-1281