2011 Nevada Football Predictions

Written by Steve Janus

With a 20-13 win over Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, the Nevada Wolf Pack concluded the 2010 season with a 13-1 overall record. The Wolf Pack tied Boise State and Hawaii with a 7-1 WAC mark, which included a thrilling 34-31 overtime win over Boise State late in the year. Nevada will look to repeat as champions in their final season in the WAC, as they will jump ship with Fresno State and Hawaii to the MWC in 2012 (Boise State joins MWC this season). Defending their title won’t be easy, as the Wolf Pack have just 12 starters back from last year, and must replace their two best offensive players in quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua. Here is a look at what head coach Chris Ault will send to the field on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the WAC.

Offense:

Replacing Kaepernick is going to be a huge challenge for the Wolf Pack. Kaepernick now only threw for 3,022 yards and 21, but was second on the team with 1,206 rushing yards and led the team with 20 rushing rushing touchdowns. It looks as though senior Tyler Lantrip will get first crack at taking over the starting job, but redshirt freshman Cody Fajardo and sophomore Mason Magleby are also in the mix.

Taua led the Wolf Pack with 1,610 rushing yards and was second to Kaepernick with 19 rushing touchdowns. While it will be easier to replace Taua, it’s unlikely they get the same production out of this spot in 2011. Junior Mike Ball and senior Lampford Mark combined for 672 yards and seven touchdowns in limited action in 2010. The hope is that Ball will finally emerge into the player the Wolf Pack had envisioned, while Mark and junior Nick Hale step up and contribute as the primary backups.

Nevada returns brings back two of their top three receiving threats in senior Rishard Matthews and junior Brandon Wimberly. Matthews led the team with 56 catches for 879 yards and five touchdowns, while Wimberly hauled in 41 passes for 482 yards. Added to the starting mix will be senior wide out Tray Session, who had 17 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns in 2010. Overall this unit has some solid talent, but their production will depend on what the Wolf Pack get out of the quarterback position.

The strength of the offense will come up front on the offensive line, where the Wolf Pack return senior center Jeff Meads, junior guard Chris Barker, and junior tackle Jeff Nady. These three will be joined by a couple of veterans, as senior Scott Frisbie looks to step in at the open guard spot, while senior Steve Haley takes over at the other tackle slot. This unit has to stay healthy for the Wolf Pack to have any chance of winning the WAC in 2011.

Defense:

A big reason the Wolf Pack were able to win 13 games in 2010 was the big improvements they made on the defensive side of the ball. Nevada went from allowing 28.5 ppg in 2009, to just 21.4 in 2010. On the defensive line Nevada returns the starting duo of seniors Zack Madonick and Brett Roy in the middle, but must replace both starters at defensive end. The key loss here is defensive end Dontay Moch, who led the team with 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. It looks like the plan is to start junior Albert Rosette and redshirt freshman Brock Hekking.

At linebacker the Wolf Pack return seniors James-Michael Johnson and Brandon Marshall. With the lack of experience on the outside on the defensive line, these two have to really step up their game in 2011. Johnson led Nevada with 88 tackles to go along with 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, while Marshall added 63 tackles and was second on the team with seven tackles for loss. Senior DeAndre Boughton will join Johnson and Marshall in the middle of the field after mainly serving as a backup in 2010.

Nevada wasn’t great against the pass in 2010, allowing 249 yards per game, but it was a big improvement from the 298 yards they allowed in 2009. This year the return starting safeties Duke Williams and Marlon Johnson and also bring back starting corner Isaiah Frey. Look for junior Khalid Wooten to step in at the other corner spot. This should be one of the top secondaries in the WAC this season.

2011 Prediction: 3rd WAC – If it wasn’t for the fact that Nevada gets Fresno State, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech, and Idaho all at home, I would have them picked much lower in the standings. I just feel like the loss of Kaepernick is going really keep this team from making a big run again in 2011. I think the defense should be solid, but I really have some big concerns on the offensive end with the loss of Kaepernick and Taua.

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