Nevada vs. unlv Recap

Ok, so the cannon will stay blue, is that any surprise?

The only surprise that should come from this game is how poor we played. Yes we won, no we didn’t do it how we were supposed to. That’s not to say there weren’t any good things but the bad outweighed the good:

Need to improve on

1. I don’t know where these stupid turnovers are coming from, but they will kill us. Courtney Randall, hold on to the damn ball!

2. I know it’s a rivalry so there’s going to be penalties (in the stands too) but it needs to stop. 1 or 2 is ok, but 5+ in a game in unacceptable.

3. The secondary is starting to give up big plays again, this needs to stop immediately.

4. Our special teams looks horrible. We’re giving up huge return yardage; we got lucky that unlv did not return one on us. Drake, just when I was starting to be lenient on you, you go and kick another kickoff out of bounds? You have less responsibility than you had last year, stop f***ing up!

What I’m liking and you should too

1. Red zone defense. Our defense has a LOT of work to do to get to where we need to be, but our defense when backed up into the 20, is impressive.

2. Linebacker play. Brandon Marshall has stepped him game up! James-Michael Johnson has kept him game up! This is a good linebacking core and they are playing impressively.

3. Offensive production. This offense can NOT be stopped. I know it’s unlv but our average yards per play was 7.5. That’s retarded…in a good way. And aside from incompletions and the 1 interception, I don’t think there were more than 3 plays that we did not gain positive yardage.

The bottom line is we played horrible. We struggled to pull away from one of the worst teams in college football. This game should have been over after the 1st quarter, we let them hang around way to much. Nevada is ranked #21 in the AP Top 25 this week. We don’t deserve it. Rankings are supposed to tell you where you stand in a certain group. Being ranked #21 means that we should be able to beat everyone else from #22-120 right? Well I’m sorry but that’s not going to happen. USC, Texas, Penn State, Oklahoma State, Florida State, West Virginia, UCLA…yea, not going to happen. We have the talent and the personnel to beat them but we’re not playing like we should. Our last 6 quarters of play has not been Nevada football, that needs to change next week against SJSU and it needs to continue till after the bowl season otherwise this season can end up as a huge disappointment.

Breaking Down the Nevada Offense

There’s a lot of talk going on about a BCS game this year, but is it really a possibility? Abso-f***ing-lutely. To understand how this is possible however, we have to get to know the team. I’ve taken the time to go through 4 aspects of the game, offense, defense, coaching, and special teams. Hopefully I can convince you that this team is for real, but more importantly I hope I can educate you on what we have in our arsenal. I’ll be updating the blog in installments over the next 2 days so come back and make sure you don’t miss anything. And don’t worry, once I post the 4 aspects I’ll tell you what needs to happen to get that BCS game.

Offense

This offense is potent. Plain and simple. There's a reason we were the #1 offense last year and most likely will be again this year.

Let’s start with the quarterback. If Colin Kaepernick was in a BCS conference he would be in the running for the Heisman. #10 is as dual-threat as one can get, in fact he’s a triple threat, the first in college football. He can run like a gazelle, throw like a pitcher (go figure), and evade tacklers like a matador. He continues to put up amazing numbers and even more impressive is the diminishing number of mistakes he's made since his 1st two seasons. This kid is crisp and composed, and to think that for some reason no other school offered him a scholarship for football…hmm.

Vai Taua has been running the ball like a work-horse. #34 has been doing this for two years now and seems more comfortable than ever in this role. But guess what, he’s not the only runner. The Pack is stacked at the RB position, #29 Lampford Mark, #5 Mike Ball, and #35 Courtney Randall are all capable of being 1st string RB’s for us and many other teams out there.

The Receiving core might be the most impressive part of this offense. Most teams are lucky to have 1 WR who can make a difference. We have 5. #15 Rishard Matthews has been seeing the majority of the catches, followed by #82 Tray Session. These two could easily be the #1 wide-out at a Pac-10 school. But it doesn’t stop there #14 Chris Wellington has been seeing less and less balls thrown his way over the past 2 years but is a team player and is there when needed. #19 Malcolm Shepherd only has 4 catches this year but for 71 yards. If there is a worst receiver it’s #19, but he’s not bad at all. You get where I’m going with this? Now here’s the funny thing, our best receiver has the least catches. He’s got the most talent and the best hands on the team. There’s a reason Oregon State had originally laid claim to #4 Brandon Wimberly, this kid is ridiculously good. Last year he put up 733 yards, it doesn’t seem like he’ll get those same numbers this year but he’s only a sophomore. Look for him to be used in the running game as well. Using him on an end-around is a great option as this kid is elusive when he’s 1-on-1. I would start watching him now because you’ll be seeing him on Sunday’s in the near future. Remember Nate Burleson? Well if you ask me, he’s better. When the game is on the line, look for Kaepernick to go to #4 or to Virgil Green.

#85 Virgil Green is going to the NFL. If he wants to that is. I played basketball with him last year and this kid was dunking over me, out rebounding me, and just completely man-handling me. Now I’m no basketball player, but I can hold my own down on the block. Not only does he make and maintain great blocks like a tight end should, but he’s got great hands and maintains possession like a receiver. Think of Visanth Shiancoe of the Minnesota Vikings except better at blocking.

The offensive line is looking strong and is still opening up the holes it was last year. If anything they are more mobile than they were last year. Kaepernick has plenty of time to set up in the pocket (when he wants to) and their picking up the blitz when teams dare to bring it. #62 John Bender is the anchor of this line and his experience is going to be crucial.

Later today I will break down the coaching.

Tomorrow defense and special teams.

Wednesday what needs to happen to get that BCS game.