Fire Chris Ault Online Petition

A friend of the cause e-mailed us this link this morning...

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/firechrisault/

I'm flabbergasted that we didn't come up with this sometime over the last two years of the existence of this site, but a good idea is a good idea.

Good luck to Chris Klenakis; five years ago I thought you'd be our HC by now.

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UPDATE: 01/16/2010
Apparantly the above link is not working.  I am working on finding out why and also working to make it work.
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UPDATE UPDATE: 01/16
I double checked the link and it has apparantly been removed.  Dern.
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UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: 01/17
The link has been re-affirmed, see above.  Yay!

The Victorians were sick, sick people.

Back by popular demand: Chris Ault's salary.

We've had some e-mails regarding this matter, and a whole lot of people have found our humble website by googl'ing for this information.  So, here's what my comrade could find.

2009: $375,000 (100th of 120 FBS schools)

2008: $368,000 (96th)

2007: $368,092

2006: $360,000 (81st)

Unfortunately, he could find no information prior to his contract re-negotiation.  There are some other goodies, however, in the 2006 contract.

Namely, the University will provide two cars (on loan) for Coach and Mrs. Ault (however it is Ault's responsibility to provide insurance for those cars), reimbursement of travel expenses at the "standard per diem rate" for Mrs. Ault's traveling to road games, up to 12 skybox season tickets for football on request, up to four season tickets for basketball upon request, and a membership to Hidden Valley Golf Club, valued at $7,200.00, upon request.  He is entitled to various bonuses depending upon the achievement of the football team: for winning a conference championship: $15,000; for appearing in an NCAA-sanctioned bowl game: $10,000; for achieving a post-season ranking in the 'Top Twenty Coaches Poll:' $10,000; for earning WAC Coach of the Year honors: $5,000.

He is allowed to earn income from outside sources, provided that it meets with NCAA guidelines and identifies himself as the head coach for the University of Nevada, although he is required to submit full disclosure to the Athletic Department and the president of the University.  In the event that Ault is terminated 'without cause,' Ault is entitled to: "as liquidated damages, an amount equal to the Head Football Coach's guaranteed base annual salary for the remaining term of (the) agreement."  Termination 'with cause' holds no such guidelines.

It's too much to go into greater detail here, so I encourage people to read the contract.

So while his salary still keeps him on the lower end of the spectrum for NCAA FBS coaches, his perks aren't all that outlandish, either.

Tonopah, NV

Oh for f---'s sake...

Breaking news, courtesy of KOLO:

RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada has hired veteran coach Mike Bradeson to lead the Wolf Pack’s secondary, head coach Chris Ault announced today.

This will mark Bradeson’s second tenure in Reno, having coached under Ault from 1986-1991. Bradeson has also worked at Boise State and Cal and he spent the past 15 seasons at UNLV as the longest tenured coach in Rebel history.

“Just like Andy Buh, Mike knows the Nevada way,” Ault said. “With his deep experience, he will give Andy all the support he needs from the secondary. He is a well-rounded defensive backs coach because of his vast experience as a defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator.”

While at UNLV, Bradeson spent 15 years coaching in the secondary, including five seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator. He coached or recruited eight players who went on to the NFL and three players who were named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Bradeson’s last year as defensive coordinator was 2004, which was the last year that UNLV beat Nevada.

That's right - Ault just hired a guy who was so spectacular as defensive coordinator for UNLV that they demoted him nearly six years ago as our new secondaries coach. This would be the same person that coached the secondary that we scored 63 points against this year. But it's okay - he used to coach under Ault from '86-'91 and knows the "Nevada way".

Problem is, so do I, and I don't seem to remember it ever involving pass defense.

Ladies and gentlemen, Wolf Pack football!

Shackled to a Corpse

We now have statements from both AD Groth and Coach Ault.  Ault stays, Wilson (sigh) stays, Buh is in, House is definately out. 

Groth's Statement

Ault's Statement

Groth not only reafirms her backing of Ault, she reinforces it with a diatribe of accolades, concluding by saying that: "...Coach Ault has 100 percent of (her) support and the support of this athletics program going into next year."  So, like Germany with Austria-Hungary in the First World War, we are a program shackled to a corpse.

At least for next season.

For it would seem that not all is as it appears.  Groth wasted no time heaping on the defense (I'll stop short of calling it all 'praise') for Ault and the 2009 Wolf Pack, but it quickly ran to excess (the lady doth protest too much, methinks), starting with a rather trite "He's done a heck of a lot for this institution...."

She began with: "The past couple of weeks, Coach Ault and I have had some good conversations, very good conversations."  Translation: Coach Ault and I have had some serious conversations.

She continued: "The average NCAA attendance when I arrived six years ago was 9,000. Last year, it was 18,000. It’s doubled in the six years he’s been coaching."  Translation: I'm going to sidestep a bit while I try to convince you (and myself) that we are going the right direction.

And on... "Here’s some of the challenges. We have community and fan indifference right now in our football program. We need to fix that, all of us together."  Translation: Transfering the blame off of Ault (and onto THE COMMUNITY!!!) takes the heat off of me, too!

"So how do we move forward? In talking with Coach Ault, I told him he needed to make a change in his defensive staff, and he agreed. It had to be done, and it wasn’t just in the defensive coordinator position."  Translation: I am starting to flex some authority over Ault here...see how serious our talks acutally were.

"One of the things that I told Coach Ault is that he shouldn’t have been put in that position in the Hawaii Bowl. His assistant coaches, it’s their responsibility to make sure that our team is prepared."  Translation: Did I go too far?  Back off!  Back off!

Ault's comments, on the otherhand, had a certain tenacity and fervor to them.  While he admitted early that the buck stops with him, he reinforced the blame of the defensive coaching staff and the community at large.  The overall flavor of his tenor: Ault was trying to sound strong, but now knows that his program is under the microscope...in short, he was on the defensive.

Read both statements, and consider the tenor of what the both of them are saying; let it sink in a little, and I think that nine out of ten of us will come to the same conclusion:

Ault is officially on probation.

Frankly, they wouldn't have had such an elaborate press conference for a routine firing, and they certainly wouldn't have gone through so many pains to appear riteous and even altruistic in their efforts if it meant anything else.  As with any other time a head coach makes a peculiar and potentially shattering move Ault could have run with the punches; he could have released a prepared statement; and there was no real reason for Groth to become so embroiled in the process, let alone to share the spotlight and discuss "...the future of the program."

And blaming the community is a sign of desperation, and a bad tactical move...a classic example of biting the hand that feeds you.  And Groth was quick to point out that attendance averages have doubled in the past six years, followed quickly by her lump of communal blame.  I don't think that anyone denies that community support could be stronger, and at the very least they admit the need to outreach and divine the needs and the desires of the larger community (Ault's tenure aside).  Then again, admiting that need is nothing new, as it seems to come up every year.

For the record, to compare extremes: the population of the greater Reno area and immediate outlying metro area: approx. 677,386; the population of the greater Lincoln, NE metro area: approx. 292,219.  According to Groth, average Mackay Stadium attendance in 2009: 18,000; average Memorial Stadium attendance in 2009: 85,888 (although it is a stone's throw from the 837,925 metro area of Omaha).  Now I'm not comparing the two programs, but a FBS football program for the flagship institution of the state in a metro area of that size should theoretically have little trouble bringing in a capacity crowd for humble little Mackay Stadium. 

For another comparison: Washtenaw County, MI (home of Ann Arbor and, therefore, the University of Michigan) has a total of 322,895; the metro area for Ann Arbor is 341,847; UM averaged 108,983 per game in 2009...and Michigan is struggling with a horrid economy and declining population (and UM went 5-7 overall, and 1-7 in the Big Ten).

There is something off here, but they need to truly evaluate what is off and why before playing the 'blame the community' card.  But play they did, and that is bad protocol and classless on the part of both parties. 

Yet regardless of where the blame has been 'officially' put, some conclusions are obvious: Groth is beginning to dictate terms to Ault; Ault is on the defensive; Ault is on probation...

...Ault is on probation...

...but, for now, the Pack is mired.

The 'House' of Usher

"That being said, the critical change is the attitude and the mentality of the defense. That's the problem."

"It starts in the fronts being tough. There's no question our weakness has been in the secondary, but I think that's due to confusion. I felt we were not a physical defense up front."-Ault

"I'm trying to figure out how it adds up," said House, who coached the defensive front along with ends coach Barry Sacks. "I don't know how he decided it would be me after 15 years of service, 15 years of unwavering loyalty. "

"I always thought I would headquarter here. After yesterday I was wounded." -House

House goes, Sacks stays; Burton was, allegedly, on the chopping block, managing to keep his proverbial head and escape just in time; Wilson is still free and coaching the linebackers (in addition to his duties as Assoc. Head Coach).

We should know more a little later today, but for now, with what the RG-J has provided so far, something is awfully fishy here.

Awfully fishy.

Nevada Wolf Pack 2009 Opponent Records

Now that the BCS cop-out that was the Fiesta Bowl is over, play has officially ended for all WAC teams.  We therefore bring you the final season-end Wolf Pack opponent tally.

Notre Dame:
     6-6 overall, no conference affiliation.
Defeated:
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (35-0)
     Michigan State 6-7, 4-4 Big Ten (33-30)
     @ Purdue 5-7, 4-4 Big Ten (24-21)
     Washington 5-7, 4-5 PAC 10 (37-30)
     Boston College 8-5, 5-3 ACC (20-16)
     Washington State 1-11, 0-9 PAC 10 (40-14)
Defeated by:
     @ Michigan 5-7, 1-7 Big Ten (38-34)
     USC 9-4, 5-4 PAC 10 (34-27)
     Navy 10-4 (23-21)
     @ Pitt 10-3, 5-2 Big East (27-22)
     UConn 8-5, 3-4 Big East (33-30 OT)
     @ Stanford 8-5, 6-3 PAC 10(45-38)
PF: 361 PA: 311 (dif. +50)

Colorado State (End of the season, and their last win was STILL at home vs. Nevada!!!):
     3-9, 0-8 MWC
Defeated:
     @ Colorado 3-9, 2-6 Big XII (23-17)
     Weber State 7-5, 6-2 Big Sky (24-23)
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (35-20)
Defeated by:
     @ BYU 11-2, 7-1 MWC (42-23)
     @ Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (31-29)
     Utah 10-3, 6-2 MWC (24-17)
     @ TCU 12-1, 8-0 MWC (44-6)
     SDSU 4-8, 2-6 MWC (42-28)
     Air Force 8-5, 5-3 MWC (34-16)
     @ Nevada Southern 5-7, 3-5 MWC (35-16)
     @ UNM 1-11, 1-7 MWC (29-27)
     Wyoming 7-6, 4-4 MWC (17-16)
PF: 260 PA: 358 (dif. -98)

Missouri:
     8-5, 4-4 Big XII
Defeated:
     Illinois 3-9, 2-6 Big Ten (37-9)
     Bowling Green 7-6, 6-2 MAC (27-20)
     Furman 6-5, 5-3 Southern Conference (52-12)
     @ NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (31-21)
     @ Colorado 3-9, 2-6 Big XII (36-17)
     @ Kansas State 6-6, 4-4 Big XII (38-12)
     Iowa State 7-6, 3-5 Big XII (34-24)
     Kansas 5-7, 1-7 Big XII (41-39)
Defeated by:
     Nebraska 10-4, 6-2 Big XII (27-12)
     @ Okla. St. 9-4, 6-2 Big XII (33-17)
     Texas 13-0, 8-0 Big XII (41-7)
     Baylor!!! 4-8, 1-7 Big XII (40-32)
     Navy 10-4 (35-13)
PF: 377 PA: 330 (dif. +47)

Nevada Southern:
     5-7, 3-5 MWC
Defeated:
     Sac. State 5-6, 4-4 Big Sky (38-3)
     Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC (34-33)
     @ UNM 1-11, 1-7 MWC (34-17)
     CSU 3-9, 0-8 MWC (35-16)
     SDSU 4-8, 2-6 MWC (28-24)
Defeated by:
     Oregon State 8-5, 6-3 PAC 10 (23-21)
     @ Wyoming 7-6, 4-4 MWC (30-27)
     @ NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (63-28)
     BYU 11-2, 7-1 MWC (59-21)
     Utah 10-3, 6-2 MWC (35-15)
     @ TCU 12-1, 8-0 MWC (41-0)
     @ Air Force 8-5, 5-3 MWC (45-17)
PF: 298 PA: 389 (dif. -91)

LaTech:
     4-8, 3-5 WAC
Defeated:
     Nicholls State 3-8, 2-5 Southland Conference (48-13)
     Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC (27-6)
     NMSU 3-10, 1-7 WAC (45-7)
     SJSU 2-10, 1-7 WAC (55-20)
Defeated by:
     @ Auburn 8-5, 3-5 SEC (37-13)
     @ Navy 10-4 (32-14)
     @ NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (37-14)
     @ Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (23-21)
     @ Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (35-34)
     Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC (45-35)
     @ LSU 9-4, 5-3 SEC (24-16)
     @ Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (30-28)
PF: 350 PA: 309 (dif. +41)

Utah State:
     4-8, 3-5 WAC
Defeated:
     Southern Utah 5-6, 2-2 Great West Conference (53-34)
     LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (23-21)
     SJSU 2-10, 1-7 WAC (24-9)
     @ Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (52-49)
Defeated by:
     @ Utah 10-3, 6-2 MWC (35-17)
     @ Texas A&M 6-7, 3-5 Big XII (38-30)
     @ BYU 11-2, 7-1 MWC (35-17)
     @ NMSU 3-10, 1-7 WAC (20-17)
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (35-32)
     @ Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (31-27)
     @ Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC(49-36)
     Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC(52-21)
PF: 349 PA: 408 (dif. -59)

Idaho:
     8-5, 4-4 WAC
Defeated:
     @ NMSU 3-10, 1-7 WAC (21-6)
     SDSU 4-8, 2-6 MWC (34-20)
     @ NIU 7-6, 5-3 MAC (34-31)
     CSU 3-9, 0-8 MWC (31-29)
     @ SJSU 2-10, 1-7 WAC (29-25)
     Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 (35-23)
     LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (35-34)
     Bowling Green St. 7-6, 6-2 MAC (43-42)
Defeated by:
     Washington 5-7, 4-5 PAC 10 (42-23)
     @ NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (70-45)
     Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (31-21)
     @ Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC(63-25)
     Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (52-49)
PF: 425 PA: 468 (dif. -43)

Hawai'i:
     6-7, 3-5 WAC
Defeated:
     Central Ark. 5-7, 2-5 Southland Conference (25-20)
     @ Washington State 1-11, 0-9 PAC 10 (38-20)
     Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (49-36)
     NMSU 3-10, 1-7 WAC (49-36)
     @ SJSU 2-10, 1-8 WAC (17-10 OT)
     Navy 10-4 (24-17)
Defeated by:
     @ Nevada Southern 5-7, 3-5 MWC (34-33)
     @ LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (27-6)
     Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (42-17)
     @ Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (35-23)
     Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC (54-9)
     @ NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (31-21)
     Wisconsin 10-3, 5-3 Big Ten (51-10)
PF: 321 PA: 413 (dif. -92)

SJSU:
     2-10, 1-8 WAC
Defeated:
     Cal Poly SLO 4-7, 1-3 Great West Conference (19-9)
     NMSU 3-10, 1-8 WAC (13-10)
Defeated by:
     @ USC 9-4, 5-4 PAC 10 (56-3)
     Utah 10-3, 6-2 MWC (24-14)
     @ Stanford 8-5, 6-3 PAC 10 (42-17)
     Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (29-25)
     @ Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (41-21)
     @ Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC (45-7)
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (62-7)
     @ Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (24-9)
     Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC (17-10 OT)
     @ LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (55-20)
PF: 165 PA: 414 (dif. -249!!!)

Fresno State:
     8-5, 6-2 WAC
Defeated:
     UC Davis 6-5, 3-1 Great West Conference (51-0)
     @ Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC (42-17)
     SJSU 2-10, 1-8 WAC (41-21)
     @ NMSU 3-10, 1-8 WAC (34-3)
     Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (31-27)
     @ Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (31-21)
     LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (30-28)
     @ Illinois 3-9, 2-6 Big Ten (53-52)
Defeated by:
     @ Wisconsin 10-3, 5-3 Big Ten (34-31 OT)
     Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC (51-34)
     @ Cincy 12-1, 7-0 Big East (28-20)
     @ NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (52-14)
     Wyoming 7-6, 4-4 MWC (35-28 OT)
PF:  440 PA: 369 (dif. +71)

NMSU:
     3-10, 1-8 WAC
Defeated:
     Prairie View A&M 9-1, 7-0 SWAC (21-18)
     @ UNM 1-11, 1-7 MWC (20-17)
     Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (20-17)
Defeated by:
     Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (21-6)
     UTEP 4-8, 3-5 CUSA (38-12)
     @ SDSU 4-8, 2-6 MWC (34-17)
     @ LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (45-7)
     Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (34-3)
     @ Ohio State 11-2, 7-1 Big Ten (45-0)
     @ Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC (24-6)
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (63-20)
     @ SJSU 2-10, 1-8 WAC (13-10)
     @ Boise St. 14-0, 8-0 WAC (42-7)
PF: 149 PA: 411 (dif. -262)

Boise State:
     14-0, 8-0 WAC
Defeated:
     Oregon 10-3, 8-1 PAC 10 (19-8)
     Miami (OH) 1-11, 1-7 MAC (48-0)
     @ Fresno State 8-5, 6-2 WAC (51-34)
     @ Bowling Green St. 7-6, 6-2 MAC (49-14)
     UC Davis 6-5, 3-1 Great West Conference (34-16)
     @ Tulsa 5-7, 3-5 CUSA (28-21)
     @ Hawai'i 6-7, 3-5 WAC (54-9)
     SJSU 2-10, 1-9 WAC (45-7)
     @ LaTech 4-8, 3-5 WAC (45-35)
     Idaho 8-5, 4-4 WAC (63-25)
     @ Utah State 4-8, 3-5 WAC (52-21)
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (44-33)
     NMSU 3-10, 1-8 WAC (42-7)
     TCU 12-1, 8-0 MWC (17-10)
Defeated by:
     (drifting tumbleweed & chirping crickets)
PF: 591 PA: 240 (dif. +351)

SMU:
     8-5, 6-2 CUSA
Defeated:
     Stephen F. Austin 10-3, 6-1 Southland Conference (31-23)
     @ UAB 5-7, 4-4 CUSA (35-33)
     East Carolina 9-5, 7-1 CUSA (28-21)
     @ Tulsa 5-7, 3-5 CUSA (27-13)
     Rice 2-10, 2-6 CUSA (31-28)
     UTEP 4-8, 3-5 CUSA (35-31)
     Tulane 3-9, 1-7 CUSA (26-21)
     NEVADA 8-5, 7-1 WAC (45-10)
Defeated by:
     @ Washington State (30-27 OT)
     @ TCU 12-1, 8-0 MWC (39-14)
     Navy 10-4 (38-35 OT)
     Houston 10-4, 6-2 CUSA (38-15)
     @ Marshall 7-6, 4-4 CUSA (34-31)
PF: 380 PA:  359 (dif. +21)

Overall:
     Highest PF: 1. Boise St, 591; 2. Fresno State, 440; Idaho, 425
     Lowest PA: 1. Boise St, 240; 2. Notre Dame, 311 3. Missouri, 330

     Lowest PF: 13. 149, NMSU; 12. 165, SJSU; 11. 260 Colorado State
     Highest PA: 13. 468, Idaho; 12. 414, SJSU; 11. 413, Hawai'i

Wow, that took a long time, I hope I don't have to do that again for...another year!

Buh in, House out, Wilson still at large

This just in (four hours ago): the Wolf Pack defense (allegedly) loses another coach, although this time under more triste circumstances.

Dan Hinxman blogged this afternoon regarding the termination of Jim House, defensive tackles coach.  An unusual move, to be sure, for about the only bright spot on an otherwise dismal squad.  While no information is yet offered, we should know at or around 11:AM Thursday (01/07) morning.

House has/had served under four different Wolf Pack head coaches, including all three Ault regimes, between 1990-2001, then 2007-2009 (Ault [1990-1992], Horton [1993], Ault-squared [1994-1995], Tisdel [1996-1999], Tormey [2000-2001], and Ault-cubed [2007-]).

A bright spot on the dark side of the ball, though, is the hiring of new DC Andy Buh, returning to his alma mater after polishing up his resume at, well, Nevada, then Fresno State, San Diego State, California and, most recently, Stanford.

I was excited to see Burton come along, and I think he would have made great strides had he stayed on an extra three years or so.  That said, the Nevada defense wasn't exactly showing much more than baby steps, even after year two.  Buh is a solid hire with strong ties to our program and, so long as he doesn't get ruined by the regime, should be able to do good things.  He has spent three years at Stanford as linebackers coach and assistant DC, and while the results of the defensive platoon weren't exactly flashy (it is the PAC 10, after all), I expect good things to come.

Stanford Schedule/Results for the 2009 Season:
(PA reinforced in parenthesis)

8-5, 6-3 PAC 10, T-2nd
at Washington State (1-11, 0-9 PAC 10, 10th)
W 39 - 13 Sep 5, 2009 (13)

at Wake Forest (5-7, 3-5 ACC)
L 17 - 24 Sep 12, 2009 (24)

vs San Jose State (2-10, 1-7 WAC, T-7th [last place])
W 42 - 17 Sep 19, 2009 (17)

vs Washington (5-7, 4-5 PAC 10, 7th)
W 34 - 14 Sep 26, 2009 (14)

vs UCLA (7-6, 3-6 PAC 10, 8th)
W 24 - 16 Oct 3, 2009 (16)

at Oregon State (8-5, 6-3 PAC 10, T-2nd)
L 28 - 38 Oct 10, 2009 (38)

at Arizona (8-5, 6-3 PAC 10, T-2nd)
L 38 - 43 Oct 17, 2009 (43)

vs Arizona State (4-8, 2-7 PAC 10, 9th)
W 33 - 14 Oct 24, 2009 (14)

vs Oregon (10-3, 8-1 PAC 10, 1st)
W 51 - 42 Nov 7, 2009 (42)

at USC (9-4, 5-4 PAC 10, T-5th)
W 55 - 21 Nov 14, 2009 (21)

vs California (8-5, 5-4 PAC 10 T-5th)
L 28 - 34 Nov 21, 2009 (34)

vs Notre Dame (6-6, Ind.)
W 45 - 38 Nov 28, 2009 (38)

vs Oklahoma (8-5, 5-3 Big XII)
L 27 - 31 Dec 31, 2009 (31)

While all this is going on, Ken Wilson is running around somewhere.  Maybe the anonymous tipster got the coaches names mixed up?  My fingers are crossed.

Introducing: All-New Fire Chris Ault WEBMAIL!

That's right, we've finally added e-mail capability.  Yay!

Our collective e-mail is...

webkaiser@firechrisault.com

This may be a blessing or a curse, but at the very least it will help us to become even more interactive and that's a good thing, I think.  We will try to respond, except to death threats, as long as we can remember to check yet another e-mail account.

As seen here.

No, Virginia, there is no Santa Clause

Ault...refused to blame the loss on anything but poor football...

"They out-played us. They out-coached us. They did an excellent job."

The Pack also flat out gave up.

Neither the team, the staff, nor Ault himself (least of all), showed any tenacity in this game.  As is now famous in all of Wolf Packdom, on November 2, 1991 the Ault and the Wolf Pack lead the fans on the wild ride what would become the greatest comeback in NCAA history...midway through the third quarter.  In Hawai'i on Thursday it was clear that nobody believed, nobody cared, nobody was willing to try...after just the first drive of the second half.

Eventually Nevada found itself poised to score, and facing 4th down on the SMU 4 yard line the Pack elected to kick for 3 rather than attempt one last push.  This does not show the grit and/or tenacity of a champion or champions: this was desperation; desperation to save any kind of face, however small it may be.

And the buck stops with Ault.

This proves that Ault-cubed is not in the right place at the right time; he does not have the proper instrument at exactly the right point in history; and the Wolf Pack does not have the leader for the 21st century.  They gave up the game early, never finding the heart or the swagger to do anything about it, and when they finally had an opportunity to show some mettle they responded by 'backing out as gentlemen,' taking the easy road.

Throughout the season a number of us in fandom almost started to believe again through the 8-0 run that was the middle of the season.  There were some hiccups, but by and large it began to appear that the Pack was getting its proverbial 'stuff' together; that Nevada had yet a chance to make some real noise.  Now we know that, like a school-yard bully, the Pack was able to pick on and pound the smaller and weaker of the playground mercilessly (it was also nice of the Pat Hill Choke Train to arrive right on schedule this season...that helped, too), but can't keep up with the 6th graders at all.  This time they ran into the bathroom and hid until the bell rang.

Ault is a much older man now: this may not have been where he was ten, fifteen, twenty years ago, but it is where he is now.

Ault sees himself as...

but really he's more of a...

except in big games where he turns into...

The Almost End-Game...whatever, does anyone have any scotch?

I'm just taking a moment to say that I am so blind with agony that I have very little to say that wouldn't be littered with language that would shame the devil.

This game is a joke.

SMU is NOT GOOD!  C-USA is mediocre at best, and the Western Division was about as good at football as Grandma's beef gravy.  They're not Nevada Southern bad, but even if they played in the WAC it's doubtful that they'd be .500 this season.  They lost to Washington State, for the love of God!

AND NEVADA MADE THEM LOOK LIKE THE SECOND COMING!!!

The sad part is that SMU didn't beat the Wolf Pack with a superior game plan: they beat Nevada by just showing up and playing football.

Homer: Fffffffff.....
(loud organ blast)
Ned Flanders (next door): Well, that was the loudest profanity I've ever heard.

IT'S IN REVELATION, PEOPLE!!!

I'll try to put up post-game thoughts to-morrow, but I can't guarantee my sanity even by then.

Wow...

If Ault led the Army of the Potomac at Fredricksburg

The Almost Halftime Report

I'll get right to the point...this is a travesty.

I will point out that the officiating has definately had an effect in this game.  Jonathan Amaya was flagged for a facemask when he grabbed jersey; Brandon Wimberly was blocked about 20 yards past the line of scrimmage - no call.  And holding? you bet!  It's bad...really bad.

But it is obvious that this team is completely unprepared or just flat out not ready for this game.  They appear as if they're trying to run drills and expect that to stop a team who was obviously prepared for the game and ravenous for the attack.

They look like lemmings.

Now there is no denying where the buck stops (AULT), but there is actually someone else whos thurough incompetence would dumbfound even Alexander Samsonov: Ken Willson.

If SMU is Germany and Nevada is Czarist Russia.

I forgot to mention this in the last post; I completely forgot that, of all the losses the Pack has felt in the past few weeks, losing Nigel Burton and re-inserting Wilson as DC was, possibly, THE difference maker in this game.

There was a reason why Wilson was promoted out of the DC role before: he is a complete failure.

What is it with you and failure?

But the good-ol'-boy system is alive and well, and rather than eliminating an egregiously weak link Wilson was made the assistant head coach, drawing a salary while having little if any real influence.

Now there's no excuse: Wilson needs to be run out of town blindfolded and tied backwards to a horse while we season ticket holders get to throw blunt objects and rotten fruit, mostly blunt objects...and spit.  Lots and lots of spit.

But the buck does stop with Ault, and he should have known better; for that matter, he should have done the right thing and cast off Wilson two years ago.

Ault is no Harry Truman, though.

Thanks, guys, you've ruined Christmas.

And you've made SMU look like frickin' Texas.

Eat 'em up, eat 'em up...

Here we go; with kickoff just twenty two hours away, or thereabouts, it's last pre-game posting time.  I thought my comrade would add just one, but...c'est la vie.

So far everything I've heard from everywhere and anywhere about this game is that it should be one high-scoring sockfest, and there really is no evidence to the contrary.  But there seems to be nearly unanimous concord amongst would-be prognosticators: Mustangs goin' down.  Reading the ESPN Bottom Line a few moments ago Nevada was shown to be the favorite of 91% of the replying pollsters.

Although the story of the game, for some reason, is June Jones returning to Hawai'i; not Ault, not Kaep, a little of the prolific, Flanders-style rushing attack, but mostly Jones returning to face his former fans.  Not that it's not a nice footnote, but it really is something of an aside in the issue: an SMU team, once glorious, long hapless, tastes some success for the first time since 1986 (6-5-0), 1985 (6-5-0), and 1984 (10-2-0) not including the 6-6 season in 2006 or the no-team years 1987-1988; Nevada's historic year of sorts; Ault being Ault, good or bad; &c. &c.

But the Pack is the universal favorite in spite of recent setbacks faced by the Wolf Pack, many of which most people haven't seemed to notice or care about.  The announcement regarding Taua and his incredulous accademic record came out this past weekend, but those happy few discussing this game continue to include him in their synopses.  Now the suspension/expulsion of Messrs. Willson and Davis...the lumps seem to keep coming; almost like a Higher Power exerting influence in order to beleaguer the beloved Wolf Pack; I'm pretty sure that this sort of smiting is what happened to men's basketball vs. Nevada Southern last month.

Yet, regardless of the influence of a few bad eggs, mistakes, injuries, or Vinz Clortho, I believe that it will take Ault harnessing every ounce of his storied bowl-choking powers to blow this game.  Not because Nevada can be that dominating, which I believe it can, but, really, what can SMU do about it?

The "bend but don't break" pass defence worked well enough against Fresno State (who is a better team then SMU, might I add), allbeit with a little fairy dust from the officials.  I think that SMUs passing game should be similar: fairly gaudy numbers, but with a disproportionately small showing of points.

I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it deserves a refresher:
SMU-
PF: 335 PA: 349 Dif: -14
Nevada-
PF: 487 PA: 326 Dif: +161
Dif-
PF: Nevada +152 PA: Nevada -23

And at running back, the Pack has Mark getting the start, backed up by fan favorite Mike Ball and Courtney Randall:

Lampford Mark-
Carries: 44 Yards: 286 YPC: 6.5 Long: 23 (TD) TD: 3
Mike Ball-
Carries: 19 Yards: 201 YPC: 10.6 Long: 89 (TD) TD: 5
Courtney Randall-
Carries: 20 Yards: 149 YPC: 7.5 Long: 57 TD: 3

Ball definately has the capability of rushing for 100+; the other two probably would if presented with the opportunity.  These three on their own will account for the offense being able to dust off and open up the old Air Wolf.  Not saying that Kaep will pass for gaudy numbers, but he can, and we actually have receivers who can, you know, CATCH THE BALL!

Long story short, Nevada can't 'stop' SMU anymore than France can 'stop' the German Empire, but they sure can slow them down.  On the open field Nevada should be able to win; if this game goes down into the trenches then the Wolf Pack has the decided advantage.

Let's go, Pack!  Despite the indicators, though, Pack fans everywhere should knock on every piece of wood they can find to help dispel lingering bowl tradition.

Upcoming articles for the off-season:
Season Statistical Review
Introducing Ourselves to the New Public Enemy #1 (can HE translate 1-AA success into FBS winnage?)
A Look at California-Nevada All-time Series

Just for Google:  Bobby Hauck is Public Enemy #1, may he suffer horrific indignity.

Nevada vs. SMU: All-Time Football Data

Nevada (8-4, 7-1 WAC) vs. Southern Methodist (7-5, 6-2 C-USA), Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, December 24, 2009.

These two teams had no history with one another prior to Nevada joining forces with the Western Athletic Conference for the 2000 season, and have not played one another since the Mustangs jumped ship for Conference USA (how's that workin' out?!).  The Wolf Pack leads this series with three wins sandwiched between two losses; Chris Ault is 0-1 vs. SMU.

For the record, Nevada is 3-6 and Chris Ault is 1-4 all-time vs. June Jones, all while Jones served as the head coach at Hawai'i.

Scoring vs. SMU:
Nevada: 98 SMU: 88 (Nevada +10)
Nevada PPG: 19.6
SMU PPG: 17.6

Scoring vs. Jones:
Nevada: 258 Jones: 313 (Jones +55)
Nevada PPG: 28.666666666666666666666666666667
Jones PPG: 37.777777777777777777777777777778

Scoring Ault-led Nevada vs. Jones-led Hawai'i:
Ault-Nevada: 155 Jones-Hawai'i: 183 (Jones-Hawai'i +28)
Ault-Nevada PPG: 31
Jones-Hawai'i PPG: 36.6

The Series:

October 28, 2000
Southern Methodist: 21 vs. Nevada: 7

November 3, 2001
Nevada: 35 vs. Southern Methodist: 14

November 2, 2002
Nevada: 24 at Southern Methodist: 6

September 27, 2003
Nevada: 12 vs. Southern Methodist: 9

November 13, 2004
Southern Methodist: 38 vs. Nevada: 20

The series vs. Jones (Ault-coached games denoted with an asterisk):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By the way, this is Stalin; non sequitur? Fire Chris Ault? NEVER!

Opponent Comparisons

Nevada and SMU have no common opponents...wah!  There are, however, FIVE SMU opponents with the Nevada connection in 2009, so we do have that going for us around here.

Washington State:
Defeated SMU 30-27 in overtime at home on September 19, 2009 for their only win of the season.
Lost to Hawai'i 20-38 at home on September 12, 2009.

Texas Christian:
Defeated SMU 39-14 at home on October 3, 2009.
Defeated Colorado State 44-6 at home on October 17, 2009.
Defeated UNLV 41-0 at home on October 31, 2009; happy Nevada Day, Nevada Southern!?
Will play Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on January 4th, 2010.

Navy:
Defeated SMU 38-35 in overtime at SMU on October 17, 2009.
Defeated Louisiana Tech 32-14 at home on September 12, 2009.
Defeated Notre Dame 23-21 at Notre Dame on November 7, 2009.
Lost to Hawai'i 24-17 at Hawai'i on November 28, 2009.
Will play Missouri in the Texas Bowl on December 31, 2009.

Tulsa:
Lost to SMU 13-27 at SMU on October 31, 2009.
Lost to Boise State 21-28 at home on October 14, 2009.

UTEP:
Lost to SMU 31-35 at SMU on November 14, 2009.
Defeated New Mexico State at NMSU 38-12 on September 19, 2009.

Southern Methodist went 2-3 versus these teams, and these teams collectively went 5-3 against 2009 Nevada opponents.

SMU vs. these teams:
PF: 138 PA: 151 Dif: -13

More to come...hoo-ray; 12 days 'til game day!

We meet again, Dr. Jones.

Boy, having this much time away from Wolf Pack football makes things somewhat more difficult when you have to get back into the swing of things, but here goes nuthin'.  Prepare for the Mustangs!

I hope everyone is having a very safe Pearl Harbor Day; while I was traveling down Virginia Street this morning I was almost hit head on by an elderly gentleman, who possibly served at Cantigny although I can't be certain, driving a behemoth of a truck who, when he tired of traveling behind a car driving a sane speed, swung out into the oncoming traffic in order to pass, nearly hit me, and in the process was nearly plowed out of life by a bus.  It's not often we get a snow like this one, so please drive safe for my sake and yours.

I guess we have plenty of time to delve into most of this SMU business, so we won't hit it all at once.  Besides, we want people to keep checking in, right...am I right!?

*cough*

Anyway, let's look at SMU.  The Mustangs finished second in their division (West) of Conference USA with a 6-2 conference record; overall Jones and crew went 7-5.  Their season record is as follows:

September 9, 2009 (W)
SMU: 31 vs. Stephen F. Austin: 23
(SFA is out of the FCS Southland Conference, where they finished 6-1, 10-3 overall.)

September 12, 2009 (W)
SMU: 35 at UAB: 33
(UAB finished 5-7, 4-4 in CUSA, for 5th place in the East Division.)

September 19, 2009 (L)
Washington State: 30 vs. SMU: 27 (OT)
(Washington State finished 1-11 and only scored more than 20 points twice [once vs. Hawai'i]; here's that single win.)

October 3, 2009 (L)
TCU: 39 vs. SMU: 14
(TCU, from the MWC, finished undefeated and is facing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.  Need I say more?)

October 10, 2009 (W)
SMU: 28 vs. East Carolina: 21
(East Carolina finished 9-4, 7-1 in CUSA, and defeated Houston for the conference crown; here is that once conference loss.)

October 17, 2009 (L)
Navy: 38 at SMU: 35 (OT)
(Navy is 8-4 with their game vs. Army still pending, including wins over Notre Dame, Delaware, and, well, SMU, and a losses to Ohio State [27-31], Pitt, Temple, and Hawai'i.)

October 24, 2009 (L)
Houston: 38 vs. SMU: 15
(Houston finished 7-5, 6-2 in CUSA, first place in the West Division, and losing to East Carolina 32-38 in the conference championship game.)

October 31, 2009 (W)
SMU: 27 at Tulsa: 13
(Tulsa finished 5-7, 3-5 CUSA, 4th place in the West Division; the Golden Hurricane blew [and I really mean that] through most of October and November accumulating 6 consecutive losses before defeating a really bad Memphis team 33-30 in OT to close out the season.)

November 7, 2009 (W)
SMU: 31 vs. Rice: 28
(Rice finished 2-10, 2-6 in CUSA, 5th place in the West Division.)

November 14, 2009 (W)
SMU: 35 vs. UTEP: 31
(UTEP finished 4-8 overall, 3-5 in CUSA for third place in the hapless West Division.)

November 21, 2009 (W)
Marshall: 34 vs. SMU: 31
(Marshall finished 6-6 overall, 4-4 in CUSA for fourth place in the East Division and a bowl bid.)

November 28, 2009 (W)
SMU: 26 vs. Tulane: 21
(Tulane is really, really bad.  They finished 3-9 overall, 1-7 in CUSA for dead last in the West Division.)

SMU-
PF: 335 PA: 349 Dif: -14
Nevada-
PF: 487 PA: 326 Dif: +161
Dif-
PF: Nevada +152 PA: Nevada -23

What Sagarin has to say:

56 Nevada     A = 73.61 W- 8 L-4 Schedule=66.95(82) vs. Top 10: 0-1 vs. Top 30: 0-1
ELO CHESS=71.98  61
PREDICTOR=74.82  53

88 SMU         A = 66.24 W-7 L-5 Schedule=65.91(90) vs. Top 10: 0-1 vs. Top 30: 0-1
ELO CHESS=70.19 69
PREDICTOR=62.19 103

By Conference
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC (FBS) Mean = 66.35 Simple = 66.74 Average = ( 9)  Teams = 9
10 CONFERENCE USA (FBS) Mean = 64.83 Simple = 64.69 Average = ( 10) Teams = 12

More on this later.