Nevada has produced its share of offensive stars, including NCAA career receiving leader Trevor Insley, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Nate Burleson and Colorado Crush quarterback John Dutton.
This year its defense has shown up, at least for one week.
The Wolf Pack won in-state bragging rights in a 22-14 win over UNLV on Saturday, holding the Rebels to 263 yards of offense. UNLV quarterback Shane Steichen was showing vast improvement in a new wide-open attack until Nevada held him to 7-of-25 passing for 58 yards. He did have a 70-yard scoring run.
“It was two-thirds we didn’t execute and one-third what they did,” UNLV coach Mike Sanford said Tuesday during the MWC coaches teleconference.
Nevada will go for its own share of the Mountain West title Saturday at Colorado State.
“It’s not an easy game for Colorado State,” Sanford said.
Nevada made major improvements since its opener, a 55-21 loss to Washington State.
“From what we’ve seen on film, it’s a defense that will throw everything in the book at us,” CSU wide receiver Dustin Osborn said.
“We have to be ready for everything.”
Ault-erior motives
Nevada coach Chris Ault is in his third stint as the Wolf Pack coach, taking the reins from 1976-92, 1994-95 and again in 2004.
He does his share of coach- speak, such as calling 0-2 CSU “comparable to Washington State,” but can be frank. When his punter, Justin Bergendahl, averaged 52.8 yards against UNLV, Ault was asked if he outkicked his coverage.
“He didn’t outkick the coverage; the coverage was just slow,” Ault said.
Nevada’s reward for winning the in-state rivalry against UNLV is the Fremont Cannon, which gets painted in the colors of the winning team. It had been red for five years as UNLV has owned the state.
Nevada is turning the trophy over to its paint shop for a professional job instead of letting the players have the fun.
“We don’t want to give these guys anything but crayons,” Ault said.
Footnotes
Ault and CSU coach Sonny Lubick have been on opposing sidelines before. Nevada was in the I-AA Big Sky Conference, and Lubick coached Montana State from 1978-81. … First-year Nevada co-defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter is a 1985 Air Force graduate and former AFA assistant. … CSU first-year women’s basketball coach Jen Warden and her husband, Larry, will be “celebrity” handlers when Cam the Ram takes the field Saturday. … The 4 p.m. game will air on Fox Sports in the Denver and northern Colorado areas. It will be available on ESPN Game Plan in other areas.
