Blogging via phone - expect several typos. New content at the bottom of the post.
8:00 - 14-14, 7:41 remaining in the 2nd. UNLV looking alarmingly lively. Nevada's offense looks okay, which is more than can be said of our error-riddled defense right now.
8:03 - Did I say the offense was looking okay? I was lying. Kaep just tossed it straight to a redshirt. Sadly, a malicious space alien didn't immediately kill the defender.
8:05 - Three and out... or was it? There's a flag... and it goes our way! Miracles never cease. We even held on to the punt and everything.
8:09 - One... two... three... first down!
8:11 - Touchdown! Looks like we finally remembered they had no run defense. About damn time.
8:13 - My compatriot just suggested that our defense should just injure UNLV's quarterbacks, with the idea that, at some point, they'd run out and we'd just suffer 45 yards in penalties. It sounds great until you remember that we kind of need Kaep to not get injured in retribution.
8:16 - Fumble! That does indeed make up for the boneheaded off-sides penalty just 15 seconds earlier.
8:22 - Thanks, Windows Mobile, for crashing. So... touchdown for us, followed by a noxiously long Rebel kick return, followed by Clayton(?) fumbling the ball and one of their running backs picking it up 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage. I'm going to have a heart attack.
8:25 - Lots of UNLV injuries. That's encouraging. Sooner or later, our depth will have to kick in.
8:27 - Nevada interception! And... halftime! Okay, this game is ugly with a capital UNLV. Tons of turnovers on both sides, missed tackles, and poor play all the way around. Thank goodness this game is getting broadcast on an obscure regional network so nobody of importance will see this. Good grief.
Kaep is looking good, which is certainly encouraging, and our offense is moving the ball fairly well when it remembers to hold on to the danged thing. Defense and special teams, meanwhile, have regressed to last year's form. That's not encouraging.
If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say our team believed the hype, believed that their talent was good enough to beat UNLV without playing a down, and just tried to sleepwalk through the game. We'll see if Ault can wake them from their stupor.
The good news? This is the one and only game that he consistently cares about.
8:34 - Wow... "The Mtn" actually sold a product placement on their broadcast laptop. I sure hope "Simple Mac" get their money's worth.
8:38 - Good news, everyone! New Mexico still can't play football.
8:49 - Well, that answers that. Six seconds in and already a holding penalty on our special teams.
8:53 - Kaep to... who's 82? Who cares? That was a fantastic throw!
8:55 - Hold! On! To! The! Damn! Ball!
9:00 - Nobody listens to me. We just fumbled mere yards from the end zone. The good news! We're playing UNLV, which makes at least as many mistakes as we do. Example? Personal foul immediately after gaining possession.
9:03 - Defense held and we got good field position after the punt. You know what's even better field position? Not fumbling the ball on the 8 yard line.
9:09 - They're flashing the usual assortment of stats that make us look great on paper. Turnovers not mentioned. UNLV players still dropping like flies, though, which ismorbidly encouraging.
9:11 - Compatriot: "A completion for negative yardage is still a completion. It's not an interception." Ugh.
9:13 - Field goal good. Nevada 31, UNLV 14, 2:42 remaining in the 3rd. Kaep looks like he's singlehandedly trying to take over the game, for better or worse. Offensive line looking offensive, which is extremely surprising. We've got to protect him more consistently than that.
9:16 - Okay, now that was completely unnecessary. I'm glad we're pressuring Clayton, butwould it kill us to cover an open receiver! Or tackle him before the 10 yard line? Just throwing that out there.
9:18 - Looked wide left, thought I saw a ref wave it off, but it's apparently 31-17 now. Whatever. I'm just glad we're playing UNLV - if we were playing a real team, we'd be getting laughed out of the building.
9:21 - Taua reminds us that UNLV still has no run defense, runs for 72 yards for a touchdown. Nevada 38, UNLV 17.
9:22 - And then we kick the ball out of bounds and give it to UNLV on the 40. It's like last year all over again. Why have all three phases of the team work simultaneously when we can just make the offense do all the work, right?
9:31 - Nice reverse, UNLV. Next time you try it, don't hug our defensive line.
9:33 - UNLV field goal, 38-20. UNLV is trying desperately to keep the casinos in business by covering the spread.
9:35 - Oh good, UNLV's placekicker is terrible too. How refreshing.
9:42 - Touchdown with a side of unsportsmanlike conduct on UNLV. Muffed the PAT, though. 44-20. Looks like we might cover the spread after all.
9:45 - We should've just kicked it out of bounds. Good God.
9:48 - At least we're pressuring the quarterback. UNLV's getting tired. Of course, we're still not covering receivers, so it doesn't really matter, now does it?
9:53 - Wait, that was pass interference on us? I'm sorry, did his jersey interfere with the play or something?
9:54 - Touchdown UNLV. Gamblers everywhere hope we spend the remaining 4:35 of the game wisely and run up the score.
9:58 - Kaep is out, Lantrip is in. Not encouraging if you put money on Nevada. Thankfully, I didn't - Nevada's pkay is like the weather here. You just never know which team will show up.
10:00 - Huh! Lantrip completion, 4th and 1... and yes, we went for it. Got it, too! Looks like Ault's still awake.
10:03 - Less than a minute left, but we're close. Will we cover?
10:05 - Nope. It's over. Retrospective tomorrow.
