Nevada running back Savion Red looks for room against Oregon State linebackers Semisi Saluni (45) and Dexter Foster (55) in Saturday’s game against the Beavers. Red finished the game with four touchdowns.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
Nevada’s running game blitzed visiting Oregon State, 42-37, on Saturday at Mackay Stadium before 21,000 fans.
With the win, Nevada improves to 3-4 and hosts Fresno State for homecoming with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Nevada trailed 24-14 in the third quarter. Five of the Wolf Pack’s seven games this season have been decided by five or fewer points. Saturday, Nevada produced fewer than 70 yards passing for the first time since Nov. 29, 2014, at UNLV.
Nevada, though, rushed for 353 yards on 49 carries, the team’s most since going for 408 against UNLV almost a decade ago. Running back Savion Red ran for four touchdowns, the Wolf Pack’s first four rushing touchdown game since Cody Fajardo rushed for four on Oct. 29, 2011, at New Mexico State.
Red ran for 137 yards on 23 carries. It was his third 100-yard game of the season. Quarterback Brendon Lewis rushed for a career-high 151 yards on nine carries and had a touchdown run of 67 yards in the second half.
Lewis’ rushing yards were the most recorded by a Nevada quarterback since Cody Fajardo ran for 165 yards on Nov. 22, 2014, against Fresno State, and his 67-yard run was the longest by a Wolf Pack QB since Fajardo’s 68-yard run Nov. 9, 2013, at Colorado State.
Nevada’s defense intercepted the ball four times with cornerback Michael Coats Jr. snagging two of those.
Safety Kitan Crawford had a 52-yard interception that resulted in a touchdown. It was his first interception of the season, and Nevada’s first defensive touchdown of 2024.
Linebacker Drue Watts led the team with a career-high 13 tackles.