Nevada Appeal
The Nevada Wolf Pack is finally playing as a team.
“That’s the first complementary football we’ve had in a while,” Nevada coach Ken Wilson said after a 34-24 victory over New Mexico on Saturday at Mackay Stadium.
“It was complementary football,” said Wilson, whose Wolf Pack (2-6, 2-2) has won two games in a row and is ranked No. 9 in this week’s Nevada Appeal Mountain West football rankings.
“That’s what good football teams start to do. The defense did it last week (in a 6-0 win at San Diego State) and the offense did it tonight.”
The Wolf Pack offense held the ball for over 35 minutes and scored points on four field goals, two offensive touchdowns and one defensive touchdown.
Kicker Brandon Talton scored 14 points on four field goals and two extra points. Quarterback Brendon Lewis added a two-point conversion run.
Wide receiver Jamaal Bell filled in at running back and produced a team-high 76 yards on 11 carries. “We play as a team,” Bell said. “We just stuck together.”
Bell, who also leads the team with 29 catches, has now run with the ball 20 times this year for 110 yards.
“I’ve been trying to play running back since I got to Reno,” Bell said with a smile. “I did it in high school and I still have the skill set. I feel we should do it more often.”
The Pack also won with backup quarterback A.J. Bianco filling in for Brendon Lewis, who twisted an ankle on the first drive of the second half.
“A.J. made some nice throws and we just went with that,” said Wilson, who added that Lewis was able to go back in the game.
Richard Toney turned his first career interception into a touchdown with a 43-yard return.
“It’s really fun winning,” Toney said.
The win snapped an eight-game home losing streak for Nevada. “To finally come out and win at home, you can’t ask for more,” Toney said.
The Wolf Pack, which ended a 16-game losing streak the week before at San Diego State, now has a chance to stretch its winning streak to three this Saturday against No. 12 Hawaii (2-7, 0-4).
Hawaii was blown out at home this past weekend, 35-0, by No. 6 San Jose State. Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who transferred from Hawaii before last season, celebrated his return to Hawaii by passing for 251 yards and two touchdowns.
San Jose State outgained Hawaii, 468-198, and converted 11-of-16 third downs into first downs. The Spartans sacked Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager (17-of-29, 132 yards) four times.
No. 3 UNLV (6-2, 3-1) suffered a heartbreaking 31-24 loss at No. 2 Fresno State.
UNLV wide receiver Senika McKie, who transferred to UNLV before last season from Division II Erskine College, dropped an easy catch in the end zone with under a minute to play.
Fresno’s Levelle Bailey then intercepted UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava with eight seconds left on the very next play to secure the Bulldogs’ win.
UNLV led 17-7 at halftime and finished with more total yards than Fresno State (424-312).
The game was in the hands of the quarterbacks most of the night. UNLV’s Maiava was 21-of-35 for 268 yards and two touchdowns while Fresno’s Mikey Keene was 27-of-41 for 256 yards and four touchdowns. Both quarterbacks were intercepted twice.
“This one stings,” said UNLV coach Barry Odom, who hugged McKie on the field after the game. “You come up short in that fashion, it’s hard.”
The Rebels turned the ball over four times.
“We’ve got good toughness,” Odom said. “We’ve got resolve. But it’s gut-wrenching to lose when we had opportunities.”
No. 1 Air Force (8-0, 5-0) beat No. 7 Colorado State (3-5, 1-3), 30-13, in a snowstorm in Fort Collins, Colo. The game, though, was tied 13-13 at halftime.
“Our defense fought really hard,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “We just couldn’t respond offensively.”
Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was 28-of-45 for 297 yards and a touchdown. He connected eight times for 128 yards and a touchdown with wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons.
Colorado State outgained Air Force, 339-293, but Air Force found a way to control the ball for just under 36 minutes.
“Our defense was really dialed in,” Norvell said.
Colorado State was issued a 15-yard penalty early in the third quarter with the game still tied 13-13 because fans at the Rams’ Canvas Stadium were throwing snowballs at the Air Force bench.
The penalty, called after the first play of the second half, gave Air Force a first down at its own 49-yard line. It helped pave the way for a 1-yard touchdown run by Air Force quarterback Zac Larrier, capping off a 10-play, 75-yard drive.
No. 4 Boise State (4-4, 3-1) rolled over No. 5 Wyoming (5-3, 3-2), 32-7, at Boise. The Broncos’ defense held Wyoming to eight first downs and 112 total yards. Wyoming had the football for just 21:29.
Boise State used two quarterbacks in the victory. Maddux Madsen was 12-of-15 for 147 yards and a touchdown while Taylen Green was 3-of-6 for 69 yards and a score.
“I saw an offense that was able to play in rhythm,” Boise State head coach Andy Avalos said.
Boise wide receiver Eric McAlister caught seven passes for 160 yards and a 49-yard touchdown from Green to open the scoring. Broncos running back George Holani played for the first time since Sept. 2 against Washington and had 75 yards on 20 carries. Holani was pressed into heavy duty after a second-quarter injury to running back Ashton Jeanty (six carries, 53 yards).
“We just got our butts kicked,” Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said. “Unbelievably disappointing loss. We haven’t had that kind of effort in quite some time. I need to take responsibility for that. For some reason that team (Wyoming) was not ready to play.”
Colorado State is at Wyoming on Friday while Boise State will play at Fresno State on Saturday in two key Mountain West matchups this weekend.
Boise State and Fresno State have met in four of the 10 Mountain West championship games, with Boise State winning in 2014 and 2017 and Fresno State winning in 2018 and 2022.
The Nevada Appeal Mountain West football rankings for the week of Oct. 30:
1. AIR FORCE (8-0, 5-0). Last week: Air Force 30, Colorado State 13. This week: Army at Air Force, Saturday.
2. FRESNO STATE (7-1, 3-1). Last week: Fresno State 31, UNLV 24. This week: Boise State at Fresno State, Saturday.
3. UNLV (6-2, 3-1). Last week: Fresno State 31, UNLV 24. This week: UNLV at New Mexico, Saturday.
4. BOISE STATE (4-4, 3-1). Last week: Boise State 32, Wyoming 7. This week: Boise State at Fresno State, Saturday.
5. WYOMING (5-3, 2-2). Last week: Boise State 32, Wyoming 7. This week: Colorado State at Wyoming, Friday.
6. SAN JOSE STATE (4-5, 3-2). Last week: San Jose State 35, Hawaii 0. This week: Bye.
7. COLORADO STATE (3-5, 1-3). Last week: Air Force 30, Colorado State 13. This week: Colorado State at Wyoming, Friday.
8. UTAH STATE (3-5, 1-3). Last week: Bye. This week: Utah State at San Diego State, Saturday.
9. NEVADA (2-6, 2-2). Last week: Nevada 34, New Mexico 24. This week: Hawaii at Nevada, Saturday.
10. SAN DIEGO STATE (3-5, 1-3). Last week: Bye. This week: Utah State at San Diego State, Saturday.
11. NEW MEXICO (3-5, 1-3). Last week: Nevada 34, New Mexico 24. This week: UNLV at New Mexico, Saturday.
12. HAWAII (2-7, 0-4). Last week: San Jose State 35, Hawaii 0. This week: Hawaii at Nevada, Saturday.