Ha!

I was right, it was a long afternoon, only for thoroughly glorious reasons.  I'd like to quickly point out the obvious:

Five fumbles, four lost, were still five fumbles with four lost, and the Rebs were able to get 21 points off of turnovers.  We did pick up one fumble, though, giving us 7 points off of turnovers.

15 penalties for 169 yards is inexcusable, although the officiating did seem a bit shaky.  Kudos to Ault for standing up for his kids on this; watching him fume on the sidelines after the last PF made for good fireworks.  But you just can't blame the other side for the PFs; I remember a quote from Gods and Generals where, at the First Battle of Manassas, one Confederate brigade charged the Union lines after a few young VMI soldiers took it upon themselves - 'Stonewall' Jackson, who was about to earn his nickname, made the comment: "It's good to get your dander up, but it's discipline that wins the day."  I sure hope they can take that to heart.

7/7 on third down, and 0/0 on fourth (with no punts) is a stat for the scrap book.

The defense looked pretty solid much of the time, but they did get burned several times, and there were a disturbing number of pass interference calls.
But with the bad comes the good, as I illustrated in miniature above.  So congrats on the win!  Regardless of how good the Pack may be, or how bad the Rebs may be, or whatever intangible factors may have contributed, beating your rival is always a good thing...bashing them soundly and then slobbering on their insert-oddly-befitting-noun-here is just fantastic.

I'd also like to address three things I read on the RG-J board this morning:

Since 1989 Aults record against UNLV is 15-1. During the time Ault was AD the other 2 coaches record was 0-5.

I think the math is wrong here in the first place.  Starting from 1989 Ault coached 4 years, then two 1994-1995, and now 2004 to present.  So, including this year, he's coached twelve seasons in 20 years.  Now I've tried desperately to find the all-time UNLV record that the RG-J posts every two out of three years, but to no avail, so I'll try to recount the ones I do remember...of those twelve seasons, anyway.

2005-2009 are wins, so there are five; 2004 was a loss; 1995 was a resounding win in possibly the most memorable, if not always for the right reasons; 1994 was a loss (so there are two already).  Those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.  A little more research: 1989, W 45-7; 1990, W 26-14; 1991, W 50-8; 1992 W 14-10.  So he's 10-2 since 1989, and he always has a way of getting his team fired up for the game, with the possible exception of 2004 where it seemed like a lot of players layed down once the score started to become lopsided...much the same thing UNLV did Saturday.  So this really isn't an issue, but it leads, in some convoluted way, into point 2:

While Ault was AD there were THREE other coaches: Jeff Horton, 1993, prior to the "Red Defection," who went 1-0 against UNLV (49-14), Tormey, 2000-2003, of course, who went 0-4, and oddly placed at the end Jeff Tisdale, 1996-1999 who went 4-0 vs. UNLV (1996, 54-17; 1997, 31-14; 1998, 31-20; 1999, 26-12).  With regards to Tisdale, 1996-1998 were vs. his former colleague Horton, 1999 was vs. John Robinson in his first year 'down there;' in a year where Tis won only three games he was still able to clobber UNLV.  So, for the record, since 1989 the three coaches who weren't named Ault went 5-4 vs. UNLV.

Up 42-28 with six minutes to go and Ault calls a trick play to run up the score? Classic! No one has EVER accused Ault of having any class and this is why.

I wish I could remember the exact time left in the game at this point, but I can't; it was not, however, in the last two minutes of the game so I'll stand by the practice of playing to win, plain and simple, and in a rivalry game you just don't let up.  Plus, there was still plenty of clock left for a sixth or seventh fumble to change the dynamic of the game.  As for the other scores?  You hand the ball off, hoping to get a few first downs and run time off the clock, when, lo and behold! their defense totally melts down and your running back is able to scamper in unimpeded.  I'm sorry, but as far as running up the score goes, well, I was pretty sure UNLV was going to let the Pack score somehow while they were taking a knee; and playing the rival, well, 70-28 would have suited me just fine, too.

It was an incredible day for UNR football I enjoyed it more knowing the "negative nerds" were not there with the true fans. Fire Ault. are you crazy.

 I was there, and I know a lot of other people who were also there, their voices hoarse from cheer, who some may lump into the 'negative nerd' category.  And is it terribly positive or constructive to label and judge those who are vociferous in their difference of opinion from your own?  Believe it or not, open discourse is the ultimate goal of this website, I just wish a few more people would take advantage and leave comments...unfortunately we can't have open posting on here, but comments are easy and we do try to reply to them once in a while.

Please, leave comments.

Congrats all around again to the Pack for their stellar win...now on to LaTech, coming off thier big win, who will have ten days off to the Pack's six; now who's big idea was that?