Pack football looks promising

September is one of the best sports months of the year.

Baseball pennant races tighten. College and pro football begins. And another edition of high school sports floods the area from the Greenwave competing on the football field to battling on the golf course.

With the third chapter of the Brian Polian era at Nevada, fans will get a strong feel for the Wolf Pack program as it competes in a winnable division of the Mountain West Conference. And although the team opened the season on Thursday at home against U.C. Davis, the true opener and first indication if this team will be special begins with the Arizona game next Saturday.

Excluding the U.C. Davis game (I counted it as an easy win, for the record), here the five most meaningful games for Nevada this season.

Arizona at Nevada, Sept. 12

The Wolf Pack have played the Wildcats tough in the previous two meetings, losing by a single possession in each loss. The first was in a bowl game while last year’s happened on the Arizona campus.

But Arizona comes to Reno and as fans have witnessed lately, the underdog has usually prevailed in these non-conference clashes. Nevada has upset Pac-12 foes Cal and Washington State recently and looks to add its third upset next weekend.

Although Nevada is unproven at quarterback and with a new offensive line, the defense, believe or not, will carry the team to a win.

Nevada at Texas A&M, Sept. 19

It’s the school’s first-ever game against the SEC and while most expect a bloodbath, I expect a learning lesson that will show how far off Nevada is from becoming a great program.

Look to this as motivation for the players and staff who will open their eyes even more and make them hungry. Bowl berths should be expected every year, but the quality should increase after every season.

UNLV at Nevada, Oct. 3

Polian and his team recovered the cannon last year and look to retain it when the Rebels visit Reno next month. UNLV is one of the worst teams in college football and has been for the last decade, but hiring a high school coach to spark the team could make UNLV relevant in football.

Nevada will be road weary after visiting Texas A&M and Buffalo, which bodes well for UNLV. Expect a tight game that will be decided late in the fourth quarter. But will the cannon stay blue?

Nevada at Fresno State, Nov. 5

Aside from the UNLV game, Nevada faces the easiest part of the schedule in October. Optimistically, the Pack should enter the Fresno State game with a 7-1 record, but no worse than 5-3, as both teams battle for positioning in the West division of the conference.

This has been one of the more competitive rivalries in the conference and this year will be no different. If Nevada can avoid last year’s disaster of not playing all 60 minutes, the score could favor the Wolf Pack this season and give Polian an edge in the standings.

Nevada at San Diego State, Nov. 28

Not only does this game conclude the regular season for the Pack but the West division could be decided on this night, too. Both teams have played each other tough since Nevada joined the MWC with the Aztecs taking last year’s game.

While the Utah State game the week before is significant for the Pack, the SDSU will have more riding as Nevada could be in position to win the division and compete for the conference championship. Nevada doesn’t play Boise State this season but could see the Broncos in December before bowling.

It’s time to enjoy the opening weekend of college football to kick off Labor Day and root for your favorite team this season.

Are you ready?

Thomas Ranson can be contacted at lvnsports@yahoo.com.