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Nevada Wolf Pack 2006 Preview

Nevada Wolf Pack Football Preview By: Matt Fargo
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college football previews :#56 – Nevada Wolf Pack Preview

by: Matt Fargo

Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#56 – Nevada Wolf Pack 9-3 SU; 7-5 ATS

Fargo’s Take - Nevada snuck up on a lot of teams last season and that isn’t going to be the case again following a spectacular 9-3 season. The Wolf Pack had one of the best offenses in the country last season and it was also one of the strangest. The mini-shotgun or better known as the pistol, was a brand new look for opposing defenses and it found some great success. Nevada averaged 34.2 ppg on the season and that jumped to 37.1 ppg in WAC games following a learning curve during non-conference action. Most of the pieces are back in 2006 for the offense to shine once again. The defense was not very solid but it was just good enough to allow the offense to outscore most of its opponents. The one strength of the Wolf Pack defense was stopping the run and while that will once again be the strong suit, they need to find a way to better defend the pass as they were torched on many occasions. Nine wins will be a stretch again but another bowl game is not.

Returning Starters on Offense – 7 Head coach Chris Ault, in his third different stint at Nevada, installed this offense last year and it is now considered one of the most potent attacks around. Quarterback Jeff Rowe flourished in the new system as he passed for 2,925 yards and 21 touchdowns while tossing just 10 interceptions. This is not a pass oriented offense however as balance was proven with 200 ypg rushing and 250 ypg passing. The main cog of that running game, WAC Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Mitchell, has departed but Robert Hubbard, who gained 719 yards on 5.9 ypc looks like the perfect guy to step in and not miss a beat. The receiving corps is stacked with experience while the offensive line returns three of its starters from last season. Opposing teams have a year of game film to look at so the preparation should be better which might cut down on the Nevada production slightly.

Returning Starters on Defense – 7 The Wolf Pack allowed 31.9 ppg last season which was 101st in the country but it was actually an improvement from 2004. With seven starters coming back along with two starters from 2004 who missed last season, the unit could be considerably better. It all starts in the secondary where Nevada allowed a whopping 269.3 ypg, 104th in the nation, and while Joe Garcia is one of the best cornerbacks in the conference, he had no supporting cast last year as injuries hit hard. There isn’t much experience coming back as Garcia is the only returning starter but there is some solid depth thanks to the players that had to step in last season. It should improve but it will be very slight. The front seven is strong and experienced and the rushing defense that held six teams to fewer than 100 yards on the ground remains the backbone.

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Schedule - Not only do teams have an idea of what to expect now but the schedule takes a big step up in class. The Wolf Pack open the season at Fresno St., a team they beat last year in the regular season finale to gain a share of the WAC title. Four straight non-conference games follow that with the first three coming against Arizona St., Colorado St. and Northwestern, the latter two being played in Reno. Four of the final seven games are at home with the first six games in that stretch all being winnable. The first three home games are against San Jose St., New Mexico St. and Utah St., three of the worst teams in the conference. The season finale is at home against Boise St. and the Wolf Pack will need to pull the same magic it did against Fresno St. last year to pull that one out.

You can bet on… Nevada was very undervalued last season but that will not be the case in 2006. The Wolf Pack closed last year with eight wins in their last nine games including a bowl win over Central Florida, only the third bowl win in school history. If Nevada can pull out two or three wins in its first six games, another bowl is a likely guarantee but that opening stretch is brutal. The Wolf Pack have been predictable against the spread over the last two seasons, going 6-0 ATS as a home favorite and 0-7 ATS as a road dog. While those unblemished records will likely start to reverse out this year, it might not happen right away as the road games where they will be receiving points are extremely tough and the home games where they will be favored are as easy as they get.