Nevada vs. Hawai'i: All-Time Football Data

This is an interesting one.  Hawai'i marks the first WAC opponent this season who has pretty consistently been in the top half of the conference since Nevada joined in 2000. 

Since that time, Nevada's record vs. Hawai'i is 3-6 (.333); Ault's record vs. Hawai'i is 1-4 (.200); see below for more detail.

Again, the two teams had met four times, and only sporadically, prior to 2000. 

(Ault-coached games are marked with an asterisk.)

December 25, 1920
Nevada: 14 at Hawai'i: 0

December 7, 1946
Nevada: 26 at Hawai'i: 7

December 17, 1948
Nevada: 73 at Hawai'i: 12

November 23, 1968
at Hawai'i: 21 Nevada: 0

November 11, 2000
at Hawai'i: 37 Nevada: 17

September 22, 2001
at Nevada: 28 Hawai'i: 20

October 12, 2002
at Hawai'i: 59 Nevada: 34

November 15, 2003
at Nevada: 24: Hawai'i 14

October 9, 2004*
at Hawai'i: 48 Nevada: 26

November 5, 2005*
at Nevada: 38 Hawai'i: 28

October 7, 2006*
at Hawai'i: 41 Nevada: 34

November 16, 2007*
Hawai'i: 28 at Nevada: 26

October 25, 2008*
at Hawai'i: 38 Nevada: 31

Hawai'i leads the all-time series 7-6.
Scoring: Hawai'i: 353 Nevada: 371 (Nevada +18) all-time
Ault scoring: Hawai'i: 183 Nevada: 155 (Hawai'i +28) since 2004

Final conference standings by year (2000-):
2000-
  Hawai'i: T-6th (3-9) [also lost to UNLV]
  Nevada: 10th (2-10)
2001-
  Hawai'i: T-4th (9-3)
  Nevada: 7th (3-9)
2002-
  Hawai'i: 2nd (10-4)
  Nevada: T-4th (5-7)
2003-
  Hawai'i: T-4th (9-5) [also lost to UNLV]
  Nevada: 5th (6-6)
2004-
  Hawai'i: T-5th (8-5)
  Nevada: T-7th (5-7)
2005-
  Hawai'i: 5th (5-7)
  Nevada: T-1st (9-4)
2006-
  Hawai'i: 2nd (11-3) [also defeated UNLV]
  Nevada: T-3rd (8-5)
2007-
  Hawai'i: 1st (12-1) [also defeated UNLV]
  Nevada: T-4th (6-7)
2008-
  Hawai'i: T-2nd (7-7)
  Nevada: T-2nd (7-6)

Let's give 'em hell on Nevada Day!

Final Thought from Homecoming

Just a quick note about the Idaho game.

This was one of the best times I've ever had at Mackay Stadium, and not because of the nearly non-stop action and the prolific scoring.  From my perspecitve, the fans were amazing.

The camaraderie between spectators seemed unparalleled over all the home games I've attended.  There was a jovial atmosphere, while at the same time the crowd was feverishly into the game.

They were passionate on defense (and vociferous against questionable officiating), but more significantly, this was the first game I can recall where the stands were nearly silent while the team was on offense.  Good job, Pack fans, Saturday was something special.

Let's keep it rolling!

Calico Mountains from SSR 200 at Pershing/Humboldt county line.

Near Mormon Dan Peak (partially visible at far right).

Wolf Pack 2009 Opponents: How They Fared

# 23 Notre Dame (5-2) defeated Boston College (5-3) 20-16 at home.

Colorado State (3-5) lost to San Diego State (3-4) 28-42 at home.  Last win: September 19th vs. Nevada.

Missouri (4-3) lost to #3 Texas (7-0) 7-41 at home.  Last win: September 25th at Nevada.

UNLV (3-5) defeated (yes, you read that right) New Mexico (0-7) (and that's why right there) 34-17 on the road.

Louisiana Tech (3-4) lost to Utah State (2-5) 21-23 on the road.

of course that means...
Utah State (2-5) defeated Louisiana Tech (3-4) 23-21 at home.

Nevada opps. thus far are 3-3 for the week ending October 24th, and a combined 20-24 overall.  OOC opps. are a combined 15-15 overall.

Next up: Hawai'i.  Please return this week for an historical overview of this ancient and storied rivalry.

Idaho at Nevada: Postgame Splatters

An offense who can score 70 points against a 6-1 FBS team, WAC, Big West, or otherwise, pretty much speaks for itself.

On the flip side, giving up 45 speaks volumes, too.

But it's not just the giving up of those points...it's how they were given up:

• 73 yard TD pass.
• 59 yard TD run.
• 73 yard TD pass...again.

Nathan Enderle went 15 of 26 for 342 yards, and Brian Reader went 7 of 7 for 62, giving Idaho 404 total yards passing.  Of that combined 22 for 33, ten were over ten yards; of those, five were over 20 yards; of those three were over 40 yards, and of THOSE two were over 70 yards (16, 16, 13, 17, 14; 28, 28; 42; 73, 73).  Idaho averaged 12.2 yards per pass.

Long story short: the secondary is still getting burned, and burned badly at key times.  The defense started strong: they put pressure on Enderle, sacking him FOUR (4) times in the first fifteen minutes, and simply made Idaho look bad.  Really, really bad.  Then Idaho woke up in plenty of time to start making the game interesting for awhile.  The rush defense, on the other hand, was solid, keeping Idaho to 90 yards on the ground, with 59 of those coming on one play (see above) for a paltry average of 3.6 yards per carry on 25 attempts.

Then there are the penalties.  Always with the penalties.  This area has gotten better, at least compared to the first four games, and WAC refs aren't exactly revered throughout the land for their exemplary eyesight and discretion.  Yet they are, as always, worth noting.

6 penalties for 64 yards: personal foul, 15 yards; false start for 5, two holds for ten and six yards, pass interference for 13 yards, and a 15 yard roughing the kicker. Conversely, Idaho had five penalties for 31 yards.  That is, of course, a far cry from 15 for 169, so I'm not complaing too much.  But there is room for improvement.

On an even brighter note, Nevada was +2 in turnover margin this game, recovering a pick and a fumble while holding onto the ball for the full 33:40 they were in possession.

Misc: Nevada hiked for for 662 yards of total offense...they gave up 494.

Nevada vs. Idaho - A FCA Preview

There are two things you should know about the WAC this year:

1. Fresno State isn't as bad as their record might indicate.
2. Idaho isn't as good as their record might indicate.

Idaho is currently 6-1 and staring at the face of bowl eligibility for the first time in years. Personally, I think it's a great story. Like Pat Forde at ESPN, I'm mildly intrigued by the idea of a late-season WAC showdown getting national exposure:

The Coach (4) of the half-year is:

[...]

C. Robb Akey, Idaho. The Vandals were 3-21 the previous two years. Now they're 6-1, off to their best start since their days as an FCS program and eyeing their first bowl bid since 1998. They're keeping alive the impossible dream: "GameDay" in Boise on Nov. 14 for Idaho-Boise State?

Dash answer, in a close one: C.

Unfortunately, in order for such an unlikely event to occur, Idaho would have to win this weekend in Mackay Stadium. Sadly, there are some things a Wolf Pack fan simply cannot abide, and losing to the Vandals at home is on that list. The dream must die here.

Fortunately, it just might.

The good news about Idaho's record, at least from an opponent's perspective, is that it's not particularly revealing. Idaho had a rough loss at Washington, beat a mediocre Northern Illinois team a week after the Huskies beat Purdue (NOTE: This means the Vandals are 1-1 against Huskies!), and beat Colorado State in Moscow (NOTE: This means the Vandals are 2-1 against anthropomorphic mammalian mascots!). Granted, they beat Colorado State when we didn't, but we didn't play them in Reno, either. Point being, they've largely played mediocre teams - that they're actually winning against them is rather impressive in the grand scheme of Vandal football, but there's no reason to get too excited.

That said, Idaho does do some things right that should strike some fear in Wolf Pack fans. First off, unlike us, they can pass. Speaking of which, Pat Forde pays attention to us, too:

The Annoyance (32) of the half-year:

A. Teams that only run from the pistol formation and never pass.

B. The inability of so much of the nation to correctly spell the surname of Boise State coach Chris Petersen. Yeah, with an "e."

C. The haphazard (at best) application of the excessive celebration/taunting rule.

Dash answer: B.

Guess who runs the pistol formation but rarely passes these days? Just be thankful our play selection is less annoying than people misspelling Chris Petersen's name. While we're on the subject, guess who's weak against the pass?

*gulp*

To make matters worse, Idaho can also run the ball - they're averaging over 160 yards per game on the ground. Though our run defense is fairly solid - we're only giving up 117 yards per game on the ground - it would be nice if Idaho's offense was a little more one-dimensional so our defense could more easily prepare against it. Worst of all, Idaho actually holds on to the ball, though Nathan Enderle has been known to throw the ball to the other team from time to time.

On the defensive side of the ball, things aren't much more encouraging. Idaho has allowed less than 100 yards rushing per game in most of its games; even Washington only pulled in 121 yards on 3.7 yards per rush. Colorado State did achieve some success on the ground against Idaho, though, averaging 4.3 yards per rush and restricting Idaho to only 2.1 yards per rush, which is encouraging - it shows that Idaho's rushing offense can be stopped and that a quality run game can run against the Vandal defense.

So, how will we do?

We're playing at home on a Saturday, which means we'll actually have a few people show up - this is more than can be said about the Louisiana Tech game. Idaho's offense is fairly potent through the air, so our secondary is going to have some issues there. On the other hand, Idaho's defense looks like it might be moderately susceptible to our run-based attack. Personally, I'm thinking a close, high-scoring game, with a couple of untimely turnovers on our side keeping Idaho in it.

Nevada 35, Idaho 31

We Are Who We Thought We Were!

Lies, damn lies, and statistics... yeah, we've been hitting the Excel sheets a little hard over here. Let's mix it up a bit, shall we?

What have we learned up to this point of the season?

1. We can run the ball but we can't really pass effectively.
2. We can defend the run but we can't defend the pass effectively.

The second point isn't a big surprise - we've had issues defending the pass since UNR first played football in 18-aught-3 against Mormon missionaries and confused Paiutes. I still personally think that we're making some progress on that front, though I'll freely concede that the numbers aren't showing it; just from an eyeball test, it's clear we're certainly more aggressive with pass coverage than we were in the pre-Nigel Burton era, which I think will pay dividends in a couple of seasons. Some of you may disagree with me on that, though, and I respect that.

The first point, however, is a big issue, and one that I'm going to spend a bit of time on today. I completely understand why we're using a run-first offense this year - we have a ton of depth in the running back position, our quarterback is mobile, and our offensive line is pretty decent at run protection. There are, however, a couple of concerns that are tickling the back of my mind this season:

1. Kaepernick is regressing. He's making poor decisions when throwing the football, decisions that he didn't used to make. I'm not sure how much of this is due to our inexperienced receiving corps, but some of this has to lie at his feet.
2. It's very difficult to beat teams you shouldn't with a run-first offense.

Why did Idaho beat Colorado State, and why couldn't we? Why did we get blown out against Notre Dame? Why did we lose against Missouri at home? Part of the problem, of course, was ball control - we weren't. Part of the problem, though, is that, when all you can do effectively is run the ball, it's much harder to find that one match-up that you can use to beat an otherwise superior opponent. When you're passing the ball, you need your quarterback to be a bit better than the rest of the defense, you need your receiver to be a bit better than the secondary, and you need the rest of your offense to be just good enough to not be a liability against the rest of the defense. That's it. You just need two players to be better than the opposition, and the remaining nine to be good enough to keep the game plan from falling apart entirely. Best of all, the offense has the initiative - the defense has to react to what the offense is doing at any given moment. When you're passing the ball, you're forcing the defense to either cover the entire field (Are you throwing short? Long?) or to pressure the quarterback into making a poor decision, which leaves the defense open to screen passes. A reasonably well executed pass attack is like a gun - it equalizes. That's not to say that somebody with no experience with guns can point one at a Special Forces veteran and effectively defend themselves, nor can UNLV go pass-first against Florida's defense, but it does make the odds a bit more even than they would be otherwise.

A run-first, offense, however, is generally much easier to defend. You need your offensive line to be bigger and faster than the opposing defensive line - if it's not, it doesn't matter how good your running backs are. We learned that against Notre Dame. That means you need a minimum of five players to be better than the 3-? players the opposing defense is throwing their way. Oh, you'll also want your running back to be a bit faster than the rest of the defense, so that brings us up to six players. It's much, much harder for a WAC team to find six players that can stand toe-to-toe against a superior non-conference foe, much less find six players that are actually superior. Plus, when you're a run-first offense, it's pretty easy for the defense to figure out where the ball is coming from and where it's going to go.

Usually.

The one exception, of course, is the infamous triple-option. It works by spreading the field out the only way a run-first offense can - horizontally. A well-run triple option can force the defense to spread out and cover the entire width of the football field by using misdirection and variable runner assignment. Do you cover one of the two running backs? Do you cover the quarterback? What if the quarterback, in a rare moment of pique, actually throws the ball? Even with a triple-option, though, you still need at least three players that are faster than the opposing defense (both running backs and the quarterback), an offensive line that's good enough to hold the play long enough for it to develop, and commitment to the triple-option at the program level so you're not just running the same three plays over and over again (student body left, student body right, up the middle).

The good news, at least for us, is that the talent differential between us and the rest of the WAC is generally favorable, especially when it comes to offense vs. defense. Defense is notoriously difficult to recruit for anyway, and our recruiting on offense puts us in the top third of the conference. Consequently, the only teams we'll have serious issues running against will be Boise State and possibly Fresno State - Idaho won't defeat us with superior defense, that much I'm certain of. So, expect plenty more multiple 100+ yard rushers and plenty of points from our offense while our defense gives up roughly 30 points a game. The bad news, unfortunately, is that we're going to have a hell of a time beating anybody we shouldn't if we can't find some way to keep superior defenses off-balance, which means either executing a well-tuned triple option (it's harder than it looks) and/or figuring out how to pass the ball.

Wolf Pack football! Feel the excitement!

Nevada vs. Idaho - All Time Football Data

Nevada also leads in all-time points scored 608-429 (+179).

This proved to be a remarkably easy task.  As it turns out, to the best of my research, Nevada and Idaho have only met four times other than the eighteen mentioned in the previous post.  If I have missed any games here, please let me know and I will promptly correct this article.

The series began in 1924, when Idaho was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference (in which competition included Cal, Oregon, the university currently known as Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Stanford, USC, Montana, and UCLA) and was continued only sporadically until 1940.  This is concurrent with their conference affiliations at a time when the NCAA was restructuring.

"Prior to July 1996, UI competed in the Big Sky Conference for 33 years; it was a charter member in 1963. The Big Sky has been a Division I-AA conference since I-AA's formation in 1978, but from 1963-77, the conference was a "college division" (later Division II) for football. Although a charter member of the Big Sky, Idaho maintained its "university division" (Division I) status, with its additional football scholarships, by playing a non-conference schedule of Division I teams. Idaho moved down to the new I-AA division in 1978 as the Big Sky moved up from Division II." see Main Article

I won't cover the same material twice, so asto the games (14-4) from 1979 to present, please refer to CA vs. Idaho.

November 27, 1924
@ Idaho: 23 Nevada: 0

November 22, 1935
@ Idaho: 26 Nevada: 6

October 24, 1936
@ Nevada: 7 Idaho: 6

November 16, 1940
@ Idaho: 6 Nevada: 0

This series would be discontinued for the next thirty-nine seasons, until it was to be resumed in the autumn of 1979...once again AT Idaho.

CA vs. Idaho

In honor of homecoming and this ancient, storied rivalry we give you the following:

Ault is 14-4 in his career vs. Idaho, including one playoff game.  This series, as far as we're concerned here, began in 1979 when the Wolf Pack joined forces with the Big Sky conference.

November 3, 1979
Nevada-Reno: 38 at Idaho 26

November 22, 1980
@ Nevada-Reno: 38 Idaho: 7

October 21, 1981
Nevada-Reno: 23 @ Idaho: 14

November 20, 1982
@ Nevada-Reno: 25 Idaho: 16

November 12, 1983
Nevada-Reno: 43 @ Idaho: 24

October 6, 1984
@ Nevada-Reno: 27 Idaho: 17

September 28, 1985
@ Idaho: 25 Nevada-Reno: 21

October 18, 1986
@ Nevada-Reno: 17 Idaho: 13

November 29, 1986 (Playoffs)
@ Nevada-Reno: 27 Idaho: 7

October 17, 1987
@ Idaho: 38 Nevada-Reno: 28

November 5, 1988
Idaho: 32 @ Nevada-Reno: 31

October 28, 1989
@ Idaho: 42 Nevada-Reno: 22

September 29, 1990
@ Nevada-Reno: 31 Idaho: 28

October 5, 1991
Nevada-Reno: 31 @ Idaho: 23

October 8, 2005
@ Nevada: 62 Idaho: 14

November 4, 2006
Nevada: 45 @ Idaho: 7

October 27, 2007
@ Nevada: 37 Idaho: 21

October 4, 2008
Nevada: 49 @ Idaho: 14

The Golden, er, SILVER Age of Wolf Pack Football

Again, there will be plenty to say in the next week about all kinds of things.  In the meantime here's a glimpse into what was University of Nevada football at a time when all of Europe was agog with the springtime of youth.

'Tis true that, prior to Ault the First ascending to the throne of Nevadadom, there were few but precious years of any real gridiron glory.

The first year was 1898 (also the year of my grandmother's birth, FWIW), when F. F. Ellis went 4-1 for the school's first winning record in three years of football.

Oct 15, 1898 Stewart Indian School (Carson City, NV) W 34 - 6
Oct 25, 1898 Santa Clara L 6 - 12
Oct 27, 1898 at Pacific W 35 - 0
Oct 29, 1898 Belmont Academy (???) W 24 - 0
Nov 26, 1898 Stanford University JV W 22 - 0

1900, under James Hopper, was another.  As a new century was about to dawn, The Nevada State University Sagebrushers earned thier first win over a major opponent.

Nov 17, 1900 at Stanford W 6 - 0

1903: Al Steckle leads NSU to victory over Cal.

CALIFORNIA'S PROUD COLORS LOWERED BY THE DOUGHTY ELEVEN FROM SAGEBRUSHDOM

"Out of the eighty students of the N.S.U. have been selected eleven young men who were moulded into shape by Dr. Steckle, the best football coach who ever came to the Coast. He made of them the peers of the flower of the California universities."

1904: Not really spectacular, but since it is Utah State week, 1904 was the first meeting between the schools.  In the final Nevada game for Bruce Shorts, USU limped home after a 24-5 drubbing.

1919: R. E. Courtright takes over and goes 8-1 in his first season.  This is far and away the best single-season record to that date, and included two games in which Nevada scored triple digit points.

Sep 27, 1919 at California Freshmen L 7 - 13
Oct 4, 1919 Nevada-Reno Alumni W 32 - 0
Oct 10, 1919 Stewart Indian School W 54 - 0
Oct 15, 1919 Pacific W 132 - 0
Oct 18, 1919 Mare Island Navy W 102 - 0
Nov 1, 1919 California Freshmen W 13 - 12
Nov 8, 1919 at UC Davis W 13 - 0
Nov 15, 1919 St. Mary's (CA) T 0 - 0
Nov 20, 1919 Santa Clara W 41 - 7
Nov 27, 1919 vs UC Davis W 56 - 0

I'm sure there are some other 'early' years glories I'm missing here...but 1928 sure wasn't one of them.

Sep 29, 1928 at San Francisco L 0 - 12
Oct 6, 1928 vs Utah L 7 - 32
Oct 13, 1928 at Santa Clara L 6 - 19
Oct 20, 1928 Pacific L 6 - 7
Oct 27, 1928 St. Mary's (CA) L 0 - 22
Nov 3, 1928 at UC Davis L 0 - 6
Nov 10, 1928 vs Fresno State T 12 - 12
Nov 17, 1928 at California L 0 - 60

Nor was 1934, where the team managed to score 15 points on the season...over two games.  That's right: they were shut out seven times that year.

Oops...now I'm being negative.  In 1935 Nevada was only shut out once!

Well, long story short, the '20s and '30s weren't good for football on the high desert of Northern Nevada, although we did seem to have a thing for tieing BYU.  1940 saw marked improvement under Jim Aiken (4-4-1...guess who? BYU!), with a little help from a guy named Marion Motley, although things really started rolling starting in 1943.

Sep 19, 1943 Tonopah AAB W 34 - 0
Sep 25, 1943 Reno AAB W 28 - 0
Oct 3, 1943 at San Francisco L 0 - 6
Oct 10, 1943 Tonopah AAB W 25 - 0
Oct 16, 1943 at Utah W 27 - 19
Oct 24, 1943 Salt Lake City AFB T 0 - 0

Then 1944...

Sep 24, 1944 Tonopah AAB W 20 - 0
Sep 30, 1944 Alameda Coast Guard L 0 - 35
Oct 7, 1944 vs Northern Arizona (neutral location) W 25 - 6
Oct 14, 1944 at Tonopah AAB L 6 - 7
Oct 21, 1944 at Utah State W 13 - 7
Oct 28, 1944 vs Utah L 14 - 19 Nov 5, 1944 at Edmonton AAB W 12 - 0
Nov 11, 1944 Fleet City USNTDC L 2 - 19

...and 1945; what would happen when the University began playing more bona fide colleges and fewer teams put together in the heart of the Great Basin from men in the Army Air Corps who were desperate for human interaction?

Sep 22, 1945 Pocatello Marine Base W 65 - 0
Sep 28, 1945 St. Mary's (CA) L 0 - 39
Sep 29, 1945 at Utah W 33 - 14
Oct 14, 1945 Santa Barbara MAB W 19 - 12
Oct 20, 1945 at Tulsa L 0 - 40
Oct 27, 1945 at California L 6 - 19
Nov 3, 1945 vs Fresno State W 7 - 4
Nov 11, 1945 vs San Diego State W 44 - 6
Nov 18, 1945 Great Bend AAB W 26 - 13
Nov 25, 1945 Las Vegas AAB W 40 - 0

Then came 1946, and with victory in Europe and the Pacific, the genesis of the so-called 'Powerhouse Years' flowered; just add Dick Trachok & Stan Heath and eliminate those AAB games...

Sep 29, 1946 at San Francisco L 14 - 26
Oct 5, 1946 Santa Clara W 33 - 7
Oct 12, 1946 vs Arizona State W 74 - 2
Oct 19, 1946 at San Diego State W 26 - 0
Oct 27, 1946 at St. Mary's (CA) L 12 - 13
Nov 2, 1946 vs Montana State W 38 - 14
Nov 9, 1946 California-Santa Barbara W 48 - 13
Nov 22, 1946 Loyola Marymount University W 53 - 0
Dec 7, 1946 at Hawaii W 26 - 7

...with a loss at St. Mary's whose season went a little something like this:

Sep 28, 1946 Washington W 24 - 20
Oct 5, 1946 Alameda NAS W 73 - 0
Oct 12, 1946 California L 13 - 20
Oct 19, 1946 Fordham W 33 - 2
Oct 27, 1946 vs Nevada W 13 - 12
Nov 1, 1946 UCLA L 20 - 46
Nov 16, 1946 at Santa Clara W 28 - 19
Nov 30, 1946 at San Francisco W 6 - 0
Jan 1, 1947 Georgia Tech L 19 - 41

But in 1947 Joe Sheetketski took Nevada to another level.  Along with runningback Trachok and quarterback Heath (who, incidentally, came in fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year), Nevada would play on New Year's Day for the first time in its 51-year history.  Say 'Hey' (bad joke) for the Salad Bowl!

Sep 20, 1947 vs Northern Arizona W 50 - 0
Sep 28, 1947 at San Francisco L 13 - 37
Oct 4, 1947 at Oregon W 13 - 6
Oct 11, 1947 Portland W 51 - 6
Oct 18, 1947 at St. Mary's (CA) W 39 - 14
Oct 25, 1947 vs Tulsa W 21 - 13
Nov 2, 1947 at St. Louis University W 27 - 21
Nov 8, 1947 Detroit Mercy L 6 - 38
Nov 15, 1947 vs Montana State W 55 - 0
Nov 29, 1947 vs Arizona State W 33 - 13
Jan 1, 1948 at North Texas W 13 - 6

But they weren't finished writing history just yet as their successes were carried on into 1948, culminating with a bid to the Harbor Bowl.

Sep 24, 1948 at San Jose State W 39 - 0
Oct 3, 1948 at San Francisco W 26 - 7
Oct 9, 1948 vs North Texas W 48 - 7
Oct 17, 1948 at St. Mary's (CA) W 48 - 20
Oct 23, 1948 at Tulsa W 65 - 14
Oct 30, 1948 Oklahoma City W 79 - 13
Nov 7, 1948 at Santa Clara L 0 - 14
Nov 11, 1948 at Fresno State W 53 - 7
Nov 25, 1948 at Wichita State W 42 - 12
Dec 17, 1948 at Hawaii W 73 - 12
Jan 1, 1949 vs Villanova L 7 - 27

By the start of the 1949 season Trachok and Heath had gone on with life.  Sheetketski would go on to lead Nevada football for another two seasons, although the lustre was fading and soon Wolf Pack football would meet with Depression-era success.  The Silver Age was over.  But while the world was transitioning from the horrors of World War 2 into the jubilation of the early Baby Boom, all of Nevada was treated to something special as world-class athletes transformed a small, almost backwoods land grant institution into a true national player in inter-collegiate football for two years of glory.

CA vs. USU

(Edited Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, 3:18PM)

In honor of this ancient and storied rivalry, we give you the following:

Ault is 8-0 in his career versus Utah State.  This series started in 1992 with the ascent into the Big West & 1-A ball and has offered some remarkably good games.

November 14th, 1992
@ Nevada: 48 USU: 47

November 12th, 1994
@ Nevada: 56 USU: 28

November 4th, 1995
Nevada: 30 @ USU: 25

November 19th 2005
Nevada: 30 @ USU: 24

November 11th, 2006
@ Nevada: 42 USU: 0

October 20th, 2007
Nevada: 31 @ USU: 28
(4 OT loss @ Boise St. 10/14/2009, FYI)

October 18th, 2008 (Homecoming)
@ Nevada: 44 USU: 17

October 17th, 2009
Nevada: 35 @ USU: 32

Courtesy of Fanbase.

25 Years on Record

For the resource of anybody on either side of the Ault fenceline, here's a basic record of every single one of the 200-94-1 (through 10/11/2009), plus the previous 1975 season under Jerry Scattini for a quick reference.  I can find no record anywhere of just why Scattini left the program, but his time at Nevada represented his entire coaching career and his 3-8 final season capped an exact .500 all-time record (37-36-1).  As you will see, of those three wins, only one was in his division (D II at the time), the other two being vs. D III and NAIA schools.

I intended to have analysis included in this, but the completion of this mighty tome proved to be a formidable task.  More will come later.

A parenthetical postscript printed in RED indicates an opponent from a LOWER NCAA division but does not discriminate as to conference (e.g. vs Grambling State W 49 - 13 (D 1-AA) while competing in the WAC).

A conference printed in GOLD indicates an opponent from a HIGHER NCAA division and its conference affiliation at the time, if applicable (e.g. vs UNLV W 50 - 8 (Big West) while competing in the Big Sky).

Division or conference printed in PLAIN indicates an opponent from the same NCAA division regardless of conference (e.g. vs Stephen F. Austin State L 7 - 9 (Southland Conference) while competing in the Big Sky).

A parenthetical postscript Printed in GREEN indicate an opponent from the NAIA but does not discriminate as to conference (e.g. Simon Fraser L 10 - 17 (NAIA…and they’re Canadian!) while playing as an NCAA Division II independent).

Asterisk after the season heading indicates dual positions of coach and athletic director.

Info for the earliest opponents on this list can be difficult to come by, and so some of the conference postscripts are divined from information readily available, but not authenticated. Those opponents whose specific conference affiliations were unconfirmable were merely indicated with their NCAA division (e.g. 1975 Sacramento State). NCAA divisions, however, should be accurate. If any inaccuracies are to be found, please help us maintain accuracy by leaving suggestions or specific information in under “Comments.”

Primary Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Sky_Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_West_Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Athletic_Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Wolf_Pack_football
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Pacific_Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCAA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_II
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Star_Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Athletic_Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartland_Conference
http://www.fanbase.com/Nevada-Wolf-Pack-Football

1975 Schedule (3-8) D II (Ind.)
Jerry Scattini
at Portland State L 0 - 37 (D II)
vs Willamette W 36 - 14 (D III)
vs Sacramento State L 16 - 36 (D II)
Simon Fraser L 10 - 17 (NAIA…and they’re Canadian!)
vs Cal Poly W 16 - 8 (CCAA)
at Chico State L 3 - 6 (D II)
at California State-East Bay W 17 - 10 (NAIA)
vs Idaho State L 3 - 28 (Big Sky)
vs Boise State L 6 - 49 (Big Sky)
at Santa Clara L 7 - 35 (WCC)
vs UNLV L 7 - 45 (D II Ind.)

1976 Schedule (8-3)
Chris Ault
California State-East Bay W 30 - 13 (NAIA)
at Willamette W 39 - 6 (D III)
at Idaho State L 22 - 27 (Big Sky)
at Montana Tech W 57 - 7 (NAIA)
Santa Clara W 56 - 39 (WCC)
Simon Fraser W 44 - 13 (NAIA)
at Boise State L 8 - 26 (Big Sky)
Chico State W 43 - 14 (D II)
vs Sacramento State W 42 - 27 (D II)
vs Portland State W 35 - 22 (D II)
at UNLV L 33 - 49 (D II Ind.)

1977 Schedule (8-3)
Westminster College (UT) W 54 - 8 (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)
vs Idaho State W 35 - 0 (Big Sky)
California State-Northridge L 19 - 22 (CCAA)
at San Francisco State W 47 - 7 (D II)
at Cal Poly W 48 - 29 (CCAA)
vs Boise State W 28 - 10 (Big Sky)
at Santa Clara W 33 - 14 (WCC)
vs Sacramento State W 75 - 0 (D II)
vs Montana-Western W 49 - 0 (NAIA)
at UC Davis L 21 - 37 (CCAA)
vs UNLV L 12 - 27 (D II Ind.)

1978 Schedule (11-1-0) D 1-AA (Ind.)
vs Stephen F. Austin State W 32 - 0 (D II)
at UNLV W 23 - 14 (D 1 Ind.)
vs UC Davis W 12 - 7 (D II)
San Francisco State W 37 - 14 (D II)
vs Western Washington W 66 - 0 (D II)
at California State-Fullerton W 37 - 14 (Big West)
Santa Clara W 38 - 6 (WCC)
at Sacramento State W 39 - 15 (D II)
California State-East Bay W 21 - 0 (NAIA)
vs South Dakota W 50 - 7 (D II)
at Idaho State W 37 - 0 (Big Sky)
vs Massachusetts (neutral location) L 21 - 44 Playoffs

1979 Schedule (8-4-0) Big Sky
vs Idaho State W 24 - 6 (Big Sky)
vs UNLV L 21 - 26 (D 1 Ind.)
at UC Davis W 28 - 21 (D II)
Simon Fraser W 35 - 10 (NAIA)
vs Montana State L 10 - 12 (Big Sky)
vs Weber State W 22 - 3 (Big Sky)
at Montana W 27 - 20 (Big Sky)
at Idaho W 38 - 26 (Big Sky)
vs Boise State L 27 - 28 (Big Sky)
vs Missouri Southern W 32 - 6 (D II)
at Northern Arizona W 31 - 7 (Big Sky)
vs Eastern Kentucky (neutral location) L 30 - 33 Playoffs

1980 Schedule (6-4-1)
vs Southern W 20 - 0 (SWAC)
vs UC Davis T 13 - 13 (D II)
at Montana State W 24 - 12 (Big Sky)
at Weber State L 0 - 10 (Big Sky)
vs Northern Arizona W 21 - 0 (Big Sky)
California State-Northridge W 31 - 3 (D II)
California State-Fullerton L 16 - 17 (Big West)
vs Idaho State L 26 - 30 (Big Sky)
at Boise State L 3 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Montana W 10 - 7 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho W 38 - 7 (Big Sky)

1981 Schedule (7-4-0)
vs North Dakota L 11 - 17 (D II)
vs Cal Poly W 33 - 3 (D II)
at Idaho State L 7 - 23 (1981 1-AA Natl. Champs) (Big Sky)
vs Central Arkansas W 63 - 13 (NAIA)
at Northern Arizona W 34 - 17 (Big Sky)
vs Weber State W 28 - 14 (Big Sky)
at Idaho W 23 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Boise State L 3 - 13 (Big Sky)
at Montana L 26 - 33 (Big Sky)
vs Montana State W 46 - 13 (Big Sky)
at California State-Fullerton W 36 - 34 (Big West)

1982 Schedule (6-5-0)
vs Texas A&M-Kingsville L 34 - 42 (Lonestar Conference, 1979 1-AA Nat’l Champs)
at Boise State L 13 - 20 (Big Sky)
at Montana State L 10 - 17 (Big Sky)
vs Montana L 27 - 28 (Big Sky)
vs Northern Arizona W 24 - 12 (Big Sky)
vs Fresno State W 40 - 26 (Big West)
at California State-Fullerton W 17 - 7 (Big West)
vs Northern Iowa W 37 - 0 (Mid-Continent Conference [Summit League])
at Weber State L 43 - 46 (Big Sky)
at Idaho State W 24 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho W 25 - 16 (Big Sky)

1983 Schedule (9-5-0)
at UNLV L 18 - 28 (Big West)
at Fresno State L 22 - 24 (Big West)
vs Boise State W 38 - 20 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho State W 37 - 16 (Big Sky)
California State-Fullerton L 6 - 14 (Big West)
at Montana W 38 - 0 (Big Sky)
vs Weber State W 41 - 3 (Big Sky)
at Northern Arizona L 38 - 41 (Big Sky)
Pacific W 34 - 24 (Big West)
at Idaho W 43 - 24 (Big Sky)
vs Montana State W 33 - 3 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho State (neutral location) W 27 - 20 Playoffs
vs North Texas W 20 - 17 Quarterfinals
at Southern Illinois L 7 - 23 Semifinals

1984 Schedule (7-4-0)
at Pacific L 7 - 12 (Big West)
vs Texas A&M-Kingsville W 61 - 35 (Lonestar Conference, 1985 1-AA Nat’l Champs.)
at Boise State L 12 - 37 (Big Sky)
vs Northern Arizona W 37 - 20 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho W 27 - 17 (Big Sky)
at Montana State L 41 - 44 (Big Sky)
California State-Fullerton L 14 - 36 (Big West)
at Weber State W 35 - 21 (Big Sky)
vs Eastern Washington W 35 - 21 (D-II)
vs Montana W 31 - 28 (Big Sky)
at Idaho State W 29 - 27 (Big Sky)

1985 Schedule (11-2-0)
California State-Northridge W 56 - 12 (D II)
at California State-Fullerton W 30 - 3 (Big West)
vs Boise State W 37 - 10 (Big Sky)
at Idaho L 21 - 25 (Big Sky)
at Montana W 38 - 23 (Big Sky)
vs Eastern Washington W 31 - 25 (D II)
vs Weber State W 47 - 12 (Big Sky)
at Northern Arizona W 36 - 10 (Big Sky)
vs Montana State W 61 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs UNLV W 48 - 7 (Big West)
vs Idaho State W 42 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Arkansas State W 24 - 23 Playoffs
at Furman L 12 - 35 Quarterfinals

1986 Schedule (14-1-0) *
California State-Fullerton W 49 - 3 (Big West)
vs Sam Houston State W 35 - 7 (D 1-AA Ind.)
vs Montana W 51 - 17 (Big Sky)
at Montana State W 61 - 10 (Big Sky)
at Weber State W 38 - 24 (Big Sky)
vs Stephen F. Austin State W 34 - 27 (D II)
vs Idaho W 17 - 13 (Big Sky)
vs Eastern Washington W 56 - 22 (D-II)
at Idaho State W 44 - 14 (Big Sky)
at Boise State W 21 - 16 (Big Sky)
vs Northern Arizona W 27 - 17 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho W 27 - 7 Playoffs
vs Tennessee State W 33 - 6 Quarterfinals
vs Georgia Southern L 38 - 48 Semifinals

1987 Schedule (5-6-0)*
at Eastern Washington W 40 - 26 (Big Sky)
vs UC Davis W 34 - 17 (D II)
at Montana L 29 - 41 (Big Sky)
at UNLV L 19 - 24 (Big West)
vs Montana State W 31 - 13 (Big Sky)
at Idaho L 28 - 38 (Big Sky)
vs Stephen F. Austin State L 7 - 9 (Southland Conference)
vs Idaho State W 40 - 19 (Big Sky)
vs Boise State L 31 - 36 (Big Sky)
vs Weber State L 15 - 38 (Big Sky)
at Northern Arizona W 40 - 39 (Big Sky)

1988 Schedule (7-4-0)*
vs Northwestern State W 35 - 26 (Southland Conference)
at UC Davis W 28 - 16 (D II)
vs Murray State W 28 - 18 (Ohio Valley Conference)
vs Montana W 27 - 3 (Big Sky)
vs Northern Arizona W 31 - 28 (Big Sky)
at Weber State L 31 - 37 (Big Sky)
at Montana State L 14 - 17 (Big Sky)
at Boise State L 28 - 40 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho L 31 - 32 (Big Sky)
vs Eastern Washington W 30 - 12 (Big Sky)
at Idaho State W 50 - 13 (Big Sky)

1989 Schedule (7-4-0)*
vs Southern Illinois W 41 - 3 (Missouri Valley Foot-Ball Conference)
at Eastern Washington L 7 - 33 (Big Sky)
vs UC Davis L 17 - 24 (D II)
vs Idaho State W 39 - 10 (Big Sky)
vs Montana State W 27 - 24 (Big Sky)
at Montana L 22 - 40 (Big Sky)
vs Weber State W 47 - 15 (Big Sky)
at Idaho L 22 - 42 (Big Sky)
vs Boise State W 30 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs UNLV W 45 - 7 (Big West)
at Northern Arizona W 52 - 45 (Big Sky)

1990 Schedule (13-2-0)*
vs Northern Arizona W 55 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Sacramento State W 41 - 7 (Big Sky)
at Montana State W 20 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho W 31 - 28 (Big Sky)
at Idaho State W 17 - 10 (Big Sky)
vs Eastern Washington W 40 - 17 (Big Sky)
at UNLV W 26 - 14 (Big West)
at Weber State W 28 - 7 (Big Sky)
vs Montana W 34 - 27 (Big Sky)
at Boise State L 14 - 30 (Big Sky)
vs Western Illinois W 50 - 16 (Missouri Valley Foot-Ball Conference)
vs Louisiana - Monroe W 27 - 14 Playoffs
vs Furman W 42 - 35 Quarterfinals
vs Boise State W 59 - 52 Semifinals
at Georgia Southern L 13 - 36 Champ. Game

1991 Schedule (12-1-0)*
vs UNLV W 50 - 8 (Big West)
vs Northwestern State W 45 - 14 (Southland Conference)
vs North Texas W 72 - 0 (Southland Conference)
vs Montana State W 54 - 12 (Big Sky)
at Idaho W 31 - 23 (Big Sky)
vs Idaho State W 41 - 20 (Big Sky)
at Eastern Washington W 51 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Boise State W 17 - 14 (Big Sky)
vs Weber State W 55 - 49 (Big Sky)
at Montana W 35 - 28 (Big Sky)
at Northern Arizona W 45 - 16 (Big Sky)
vs McNeese State W 22 - 16 Playoffs
vs Youngstown State L 28 - 30 Quarterfinals

1992 Schedule (7-5-0) D 1-A*
at Wyoming L 6 - 25 (WAC)
Pacific W 20 - 14 (Big West)
vs McNeese State W 31 - 21 (D 1-AA)
at Tulane L 17 - 34 (Ind.)
at California State-Fullerton W 19 - 0 (Big West)
at UNLV W 14 - 10 (Big West)
vs New Mexico State W 35 - 21 (Big West)
vs Weber State L 21 - 23 (D 1-AA)
at San Jose State L 35 - 39 (Big West)
vs Utah State W 48 - 47 (Big West)
vs Texas Southern W 38 - 14 (D 1-AA)
vs Bowling Green State (neutral location) L 34 - 35 (MAC)

1994 Schedule (9-2-0)*
vs Northern Arizona W 30 - 27 (D 1-AA)
vs Arkansas State W 18 - 0 (Big West)
at Boise State L 27 - 37 (D 1-AA)
vs Louisiana - Monroe W 34 - 22 (Ind.)
at Northern Illinois W 35 - 31 (Big West)
Pacific W 38 - 26 (Big West)
vs New Mexico State W 45 - 24 (Big West)
at San Jose State W 42 - 10 (Big West)
at Fresno State W 62 - 35 (WAC)
vs Utah State W 56 - 28 (Big West)
at UNLV L 27 - 32 (Big West)

1995 Schedule (9-3-0)*
vs Louisiana Lafayette W 38 - 14 (Big West)
at New Mexico State W 45 - 24 (Big West)
vs Toledo L 35 - 49 (MAC)
at San Diego State L 27 - 30 (WAC)
vs North Texas W 56 - 24 (Big West)
vs Louisiana - Monroe W 59 - 35 (Ind.)
at Louisiana Tech W 49 - 45 (Big West)
vs UNLV W 55 - 32 (Big West)
at Utah State W 30 - 25 (Big West)
at Pacific W 45 - 29 (Big West)
vs San Jose State W 45 - 28 (Big West)
vs Toledo (neutral location) L 37 - 40 (MAC)

2004 Schedule (5-7-0)
at Louisiana Tech L 21 - 38 (WAC)
vs Sacramento State W 59 - 7 (D 1-AA)
vs Buffalo W 38 - 13 (MAC)
at San Diego State L 10 - 27 (MWC)
at UNLV L 13 - 48 (MWC)
at Hawaii L 26 - 48 (WAC)
vs Rice W 35 - 10 (WAC)
vs Tulsa W (2OT) 54 - 48 (WAC)
vs San Jose State W 42 - 24 (WAC)
at Southern Methodist L 20 - 38 (WAC)
at Fresno State L 17 - 54 (WAC)
vs Boise State L 21 - 58 (WAC)

2005 Schedule (9-3-0)
vs Washington State L 21 - 55 (PAC 10)
vs UNLV W 22 - 14 (MWC)
at Colorado State L 21 - 42 (MWC)
at San Jose State W 30 - 23 (WAC)
vs Idaho W 62 - 14 (WAC)
vs Louisiana Tech W 37 - 27 (WAC)
at Boise State L 14 - 49 (WAC)
vs Hawaii W 38 - 28 (WAC)
at New Mexico State W 48 - 24 (WAC)
at Utah State W 30 - 24 (WAC)
vs Fresno State W 38 - 35 (WAC)
vs Central Florida (neutral location) W (2OT) 49 - 48 (C-USA)

2006 Schedule (8-5-0)
at Fresno State L 19 - 28 (WAC)
at Arizona State L 21 - 52 (PAC 10)
vs Colorado State W 28 - 10 (MWC)
vs Northwestern W 31 - 21 (Big 10)
at UNLV W 31 - 3 (WAC)
at Hawaii L 34 - 41 (WAC)
vs San Jose State W 23 - 7 (WAC)
vs New Mexico State W 48 - 21 (WAC)
at Idaho W 45 - 7 (WAC)
vs Utah State W 42 - 0 (WAC)
at Louisiana Tech W 42 - 0 (WAC)
vs Boise State L 7 - 38 (WAC)
vs Miami L 20 - 21(ACC)

2007 Schedule (6-7-0)
at Nebraska L 10 - 52 (Big XII)
at Northwestern L 31 - 36 (Big 10)
vs Nicholls State W 52 - 17 (D 1-AA)
vs UNLV W 27 - 20 (MWC)
vs Fresno State L 41 - 49 (WAC)
at Boise State L (4OT) 67 - 69 (WAC)
at Utah State W 31 - 28 (WAC)
vs Idaho W 37 - 21 (WAC)
at New Mexico State W 40 - 38 (WAC)
vs Hawaii L 26 - 28 (WAC)
at San Jose State L 24 - 27 (WAC)
vs Louisiana Tech W 49 - 10 (WAC)
vs New Mexico (neutral location) L 0 - 23 (MWC)

2008 Schedule (7-6-0)
vs Grambling State W 49 - 13 (D 1-AA)
vs Texas Tech L 19 - 35 (Big XII)
at Missouri L 17 - 69 (Big XII)
at UNLV W 49 - 27 (MWC)
at Idaho W 49 - 14 (WAC)
vs New Mexico State L 45 - 48 (WAC)
vs Utah State W 44 - 17 (WAC)
at Hawaii L 31 - 38 (WAC)
at Fresno State W 41 - 28 (WAC)
vs San Jose State W 41 - 17 (WAC)
vs Boise State L 34 - 41 (WAC)
at Louisiana Tech W 35 - 31 (WAC)
vs Maryland (neutral location) L 35 - 42 (ACC)

2009 Schedule (2-3-0)
at Notre Dame L 0 - 35 (Ind.)
at Colorado State L 20 - 35 (MWC)
vs Missouri L 21 - 31 (Big XII)
vs UNLV W 63 - 28 (MWC)
vs Louisiana Tech W 37 - 14 (WAC)

Hizzah and Congratulations

Congrats to coach Ault for #200, that was a good win over a solid WAC team. 

And thanks to the team not only for earning it, but also for the ovation they gave him on the field after the game.  My grim, puckered face cracked a nice smile as I watched and nodded approvingly.

It's a shame more people weren't there to see it.

Friday games are an inconvenience, no doubt, and the RG-J doesn't have the attendance posted yet (missed the announcement at the game), but a beautiful autumn evening in Reno providing the backdrop for game 1 in WAC play should have pulled more into the stadium even without the potential milestone.  But throw that into the equation and it, except for the student section which gave a pretty good showing, becomes reminiscent of 1961 and the 23,154 who attended the last Yankees game of the season to watch Maris hit #61.

Shoulda been better.

Well, at least I had a lot of fun at the game, and it looked like the players did, too.  And what did I tell you about that Wimberly kid?  As sure-footed as a mountain goat, and as sure handed as some...sorta...good...receiver guy.

Yeah.

Benchmark in Tuscarora, NV

Here's a comment left a couple of posts ago on our board:

Coach Ault's secret to winning has always been the heart and character of the "Nevada Player."  Where did that go?  When I see the reactions of tacklers, showboating after giving up first downs.  Receivers faking injury after dropping passes or talking trash instead of getting back to the line, it's clear where improvment's needed.  Hey Coach, do you want to improve?  Fire # 4. -Anon.

I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to reply to this one as it hits a nerve with me as well.

The heart & character of the "Nevada Player."  The same concept that coined words like Nevadatude and phrases like it's the name on the FRONT of the jersey that matters.  I've argued things like this even with a number of my closest friends...even at least one contrubutor to this board!  It's nice when I know who a given player is, and it's easy to single out certain numbers.  It's even nice to know the name of the gent who just made that incredible, leaping catch on a screen pass and boogied in 22 yards for the score.  But for me first things come first, and that is that the beloved Wolf Pack made that incredible score; then it's a matter of fact that it was the effort of the entire team that made that score possible.  That's how I see it, and that's how Ault has always professed: not the gain of the individual, but the gain of the team, the school, and the community represented by the school.  Call me olde fashioned, but that's an idea I respect.

Conversely, I deplore showboating, excessive celebrating, and, well, most forms of tom foolery on the field.  Your team comes from behind with 35 seconds left in the 4th?  You've earned the right to bounce a little bit, then hurry back! there's still the PAT forthcoming.  But to turn to the stands and 'show your guns' for making a tackle, a more-or-less routine task for which you are receiving a free education...well, that's your job; you do it, you head back to the trenches, and you do it again.  You're not a pro, yet, but you are getting that free education at the expense of taxpayers and fans, so stop acting like that tackle was your single destiny in life and realize that you are getting something that millions of people around the world only dream about while, at the same time, getting to do what you love.

This is one of the things that has really irked me for the past five-and-a-half seasons.  Granted nobody's stealing phone cards from the DC anymore, nor are they grabbing a .38 and attempting to get that free education at the hands of Wells Fargo.  But I am deeply and sorely dissapointed each and every time I see the ten second party for doing their 'jobs.'  I thought I'd see players benched for such infantile displays, but no, it seems to be accepted as just part of the game now, a sign of changing times, I guess.

I should say that at least a part of that, I think, is on the hands of the NCAA, though.  I remember watching Tis' teams get flagged for excessive celebrating for high fiving after a touchdown that brought the game to within two scores.  Again, call me olde fashioned, but nowadays even college players can get away with those ten second parties shy of actually dancing a little jig on the 'N.'

But regardless of what officials are willing to call in the 21st century, I think I'd have a lot more respect for a 6-6 Ault team if I saw a 'showboater' benched, at least for a while.

Which brings me to something on the opposite side of the spectrum: Mike Ball.  He represents everything Ault said of the "Nevada Player" when he came back in 2004, and is obviously a hard working kid who is relishing the opportunity to play 'FBS' football & everything that goes with it.  When he takes the field on the return team he's always the first one down field, roaring and ready to go, and trying to get the fans into the game.  It never seems to matter the score, there he is, getting the fans behind the Pack.  If the rest of the team had that same swagger...look out!

As for #4, well, maybe I haven't watched him as closely.  I haven't seen the cockiness from him, but what I have noticed is that he is a fairly sure-handed receiver who has earned my faith in his ability to catch the ball, hold onto the ball, and then gain yards after the catch; moreso, might I add, than I have with any Wolf Pack receiver in the better part of a decade.  I have kept watching the Pack tout talented receivers with dubious production; guys who drop passes at the letters with no coverage!  Whatever happens through the conference schedule, expect Wimberly to be a major player.

Kids are going to let their emotions get the better of them from time to time, that's just a fact (not 15 penalties worth, mind you, but a fact none the less).  But I wish I'd see a more of the "Mike Ball Challenge" out there and fewer free tickets to the gun show.

Best of luck vs. LaTech...I'm hoping for #200, too bad it couldn't have come this past weekend, that would have been pure cosmic poetry.

Images from the Silver State Part IV

Oh, what did I do before the digital age finally caught up with me?  I used an Argus C-4, that's what.

And that thing got around like a record, baby...ooey ooey.

It's nice to know that while most technology was going into staring down Nikolai Bulganin and providing the U.S. with the finest entertainment available enough was being directed into the commercial sector to eventually provide a young Renoite with one of his first serious cameras not involving bellows.

I have this camera!

And, surviving the Cold War and Y2K, this little camera would go on to produce the first picture of the post.  Considering how some of the other pictures from the same trip came out, this one, from a moving vehicle on a dirt road, is down right resplendent.  It is of the Toquima Mountains, specifially, Alta Toquima, from Monitor Valley...almost exactly the geographic center of the state.

Monitor valley gets its name for a small hill at the base of the Toquima Mountains (not the Monitor Range on the other side of the valley, mind you) shaped like the U.S.S. Monitor.  Unfortunately the Film Gnomes ate my picture (from a moving vehicle) of this hill, so you'll have to use your imagination.

This thing didn't sink right away!

This is a spectacular and very remote are of the state accessable only via the Old Belmont Road...there is nary a speck of pavement for almost sixty miles!

Back to the 21st century for the next one.  Welcome to Mountain City!

Does this mean that Sarah Palin can breathe easier?  Does this mean the Grammar

Gnomes are going the way of Mike Sanford?

In a break with tradition, I'm including a third, 'bonus' photo.  This one is from Cortez, across Cortez Canyon, at the foot of Mt. Tenabo in the Cortez Mountains, looking at the northernmost extremity of the Toiyabe Range.  Cortez!  I mean...Olé!

Let the WAC play BEGIN!

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?

Zombie Ault Shows Signs of Life!

We just won in overwhelming fashion, 63-28, against our chief rival. We broke numerous school records and sniffed at a number of NCAA records in the process of securing victory. We racked up 773 yards of total offense, with over 559 yards on the ground. We held UNLV to under 300 yards passing and only 70 yards on the ground. In short, we dominated them.

So, what are we going to do now? Stop posting for another year or two? Go back to our day jobs and actually get some work done? Spend some time with the family while we sing hymns in Ault's favor?

Hardly.

Before we dig into Ault and the rest of the team, though, let's celebrate what happened on Saturday. Our fourth down conversion rate was 0/0 - in other words, we never had a fourth down to convert. Our third down conversion rate was 7/7. We had 32 first downs - if you do the math, we had 25 first downs that never even reached third down, much less fourth. We averaged over 10 yards per carry and over 11 yards per catch. Three players picked up over 100 yards rushing for our team. Mike Ball, our third-string running back until Saturday, scored five touchdowns, a rushing scoring performance we haven't seen since a certain infamous third-string running back from Tonopah. Our special teams blocked a punt for the first time since 2002. Our defense even picked up a fumble.

Unfortunately, it's when we start digging into fumbles that the spell ends. Yes, our defense picked up a fumble - UNLV, meanwhile, picked up four of them. Our team also picked up 15 penalties for 169 yards, many of which for personal fouls and pass interference. The personal fouls make some sense; the Nevada-UNLV game is, of course, an emotionally charged game, something which Ault has never had any troubles getting the team up for. The pass interference calls, on the other hand, are far more worrying. In short, our secondary was still getting burned and our offense was still turnover-prone. UNLV just couldn't capitalize.

Don't kid yourself. That final score was not a sign that we're that good. It was a sign that UNLV was that bad.

If you're a UNLV fan reading this blog, smiling to yourself at our past Ault-induced misfortunes, you should be really worried. Your team gave up out there. There's really no other way to put it, and I'm not the only one that noticed. Take Ed Graney from the LVRJ:

On Saturday, in the fifth game of his fifth season, Sanford was a head coach who lost his team in the fourth quarter. The Rebels flat out gave up, and when that happens 52 games after a coach assumes control of things, it can't be talked away as merely 60 bad minutes.

That's absolutely true. Trust me, Nevada isn't good enough to score 28 points in a quarter against a team that actually tries. Heck, until we played, UNLV, we hadn't scored 28 points in a single game all season, much less kept anyone under 30. Consequently, please take this suggestion in the spirit in which it's intended when I tell you that UNLV needs to sign Mike Sanford to a lifetime contract extension right now!

Now, if you're a Nevada fan, here's a shot of cold, hard truth: There aren't many teams in the WAC that we can beat while racking up over 150 yards in penalties and handing the ball over four times. Idaho is good. Not great, mind you, but good enough to beat the same CSU team that we lost to a couple of weeks ago. The only team we might be able to beat playing like that would be Hawaii - if their game against Louisiana Tech last Wednesday was any indication, their run defense is nearly as bad as UNLV's. Our problems still haven't been fixed - we still hand the ball to the other team far too often and our secondary is still very much a work in progress. The good news is that Kapernick actually looked comfortable in the pocket, our offensive line was dominating, and we have some incredible depth in the running game. Question remains, though, is that because we were playing UNLV, or is it because our team is actually getting better?

We'll find out against Louisiana Tech. Here's hoping somebody on offense figures out how to hold on to the ball between now and Friday.