Nevada outruns UH, 28-20
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
RENO, Nev. — Some hunched over, silently unwrapping the stained tape from their wrists and ankles. Others cursed, the type of rage heard after a self-inflicted stubbed toe.
Associated Press
"This hurts because we messed up," running back Mike Bass said in the University of Hawai'i locker room following yesterday's 28-20 Western Athletic Conference football loss to Nevada in Mackay Stadium.
Nevada free safety Ronnie Hardiman catches Hawai‘i running back Mike Bass from behind in the first half at Mackay Stadium in Reno, Nev.
UH fell to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the WAC. Nevada, which was 2-10 in its first WAC season last year, is 1-2 and 1-0.
"We have to play better and we have to coach better," UH coach June Jones said.
The Warriors arrived by charter flight Thursday night, studied and rested at a spacious hotel away from downtown Reno's chaos, and crafted a gameplan to counter Nevada's hit-or-miss offense and immature defense.
But in the desert heat, it all unraveled, with the Warriors left gasping from the Wolf Pack's power running game and multiple-blitz defensive schemes.
In this town where clocks are absent from hotel lobbies and casinos, time could be found on the Wolf Pack's side. Nevada had possession for 36 minutes, 38 seconds — compared to UH's 23:22 — and assembled three double-digit drives, resulting in Damon Fine's two field goals and one of Jermaine Brown's two scoring catches.
"Every time I looked up, the clock kept burning," UH slotback Craig Stutzmann said. "Every second was precious, and they had the ball most of the time."
Disregard the meaningless drives at the end of each half, and the game became a battle of quality possessions. Each team had eight possessions — four in each half. But despite six drives into the red zone (between the Nevada 20 and end zone), the Warriors managed 20 out of a possible 42 points.
Once, the Warriors were stranded at the 1 before summoning placekicker Justin Ayat. Another time, Tim Chang was intercepted when his 20-yard pass went one way and receivers Ashley Lelie and Stutzmann went the other.
"We didn't execute down there (in the red zone) as well as we had in the past two years," Jones said. "We missed a field goal, and had opportunities other times and had to settle for field goals. So many times that's the difference in the ball game."
Still, the Warriors had chances after closing to 25-20 on Chang's 5-yard pass to redshirt freshman Chad Owens, a late addition to the travel roster, and in the final minute, when they were down 28-20.
But by then, the Warriors were exhausted from the chase.
"They were tired, really winded," Nevada safety Ronnie Hardiman said. "No matter what people say, it's not easy to play in high altitude. This place dries you out."
As significant as the altitude — Mackay Stadium is 4,100 feet above sea level — was the Wolf Pack's young defense, which featured a starting lineup of six sophomores and three freshmen.
The Wolf Pack opened with their safeties playing zone, enabling Chang to hit Lelie and wideout Justin Colbert on inside screens, and Stutzmann and slotback Channon Harris on crossing patterns.
"We started working on them," Chang said.
Associated Press
But then the Wolf Pack went against popular wisdom, opting to defend the Warriors' four receivers one on one. The twist was the Wolf Pack shifted their defensive front, going to a 5-1 alignment. The five defensive linemen stormed the gaps with stunts and twist moves, inside linebacker Daryl Towns keyed on Bass, and Hardiman tracked Chang.
Hawai‘i’s Ashley Lelie is tackled by Nevada’s Carl LaGrone after catching a pass from quarterback Tim Chang. Lelie finished with eight catches for 93 yards.
Chang went from seeking moving targets to becoming a moving shooter. He was sacked six times (UH relinquished 10 sacks in 12 games last season), chased several times and floored twice after releasing passes.
"Everything broke down," UH left tackle Lui Fuata said.
The Nevada defensive backs were able to jam the UH wideouts near the line of scrimmage, disrupting pass patterns and making it difficult for Chang to find receivers using only blind memory.
"We got up on them and pressed them," Hardiman said.
Nevada's offense did the rest, eating away yards and time with a bullish running attack. Chance Kretschmer, a redshirt freshman who received a football scholarship last week, ran for 162 yards. None of his 31 carries went for negative yards.
Nevada's blockers "knocked us around," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "Then (Kretschmer) found a seam and kept going and going and going. We couldn't stop him."
On Nevada's final possession, Kreschmer extended drives on three third-down runs.
In a game of pick-your-poison, when the Warriors managed to slow Kretschmer, quarterback David Neill would throw to Nate Burleson or Brown.
"If we respected their run, they would pass," UH middle linebacker Chris Brown said. "It was really frustrating. And they kept pounding and pounding it to us. I'm not saying the altitude or temperature was a factor, but we were winded."
Said Chang: "Our bodies were cramping from the heat. But sometimes you're going to have these games. It's better than playing in rain or snow. In football, you have to adjust to nature. It's not like a video game where you can pick the weather."
How they scored
At MacKay Stadium, Reno, Nev.
HAWAI‘I 10 3 0 7 — 20
NEVADA 7 6 12 3 — 28
FIRST QUARTER Time UH NEV
UH—FG Justin Ayat 18 11:43 3 0
NEV—Jermaine Brown 17 pass from David Neill (Damon fine) 8:18 3 7
UH—Channon Harris 1 pass from Tim Chang (Ayat kick) 4:32 10 7
SECOND QUARTER
NEV—FG Fine 24 8:21 10 10
UH—FG Ayat 30 1:23 13 10
NEV—FG Fine 40 0:00 13 13
THIRD QUARTER
NEV—Nate Burleson 9 pass from Neill (kick blocked) 12:05 13 19
NEV—Brown 7 pass from Neill (pass failed) 9:25 13 25
FOURTH QUARTER
UH—Chad Owens 5 pass from Chang (Ayat kick) 9:14 20 25
NEV—FG Fine 22 2:55 20 28
Attendance—15,876.
Scoring drives
First Quarter
• HAWAI‘I — 9 plays, 79 yards, 3:17 elapsed time. Justin Ayat 18 field goal. Big play: Tim Chang 30 pass to Craig Stutzmann. Time: 11:43. Score: Hawai‘i 3, Nevada 0.
• NEVADA — 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:25 elapsed time. Jermaine Brown 17 pass from David Neill. Damon Fine kick. Big plays: Neill 16 pass to Nate Burleson, Neill 19 run. Time: 8:18. Score: Nevada 7, Hawai‘i 3.
• HAWAI‘I — 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:46 elapsed time. Channon Harris 1 pass from Chang. Ayat kick. Big plays: Chang 15 pass to Ashley Lelie, Chang 30 pass to Harris. Time: 4:32. Score: Hawai‘i 10, Nevada 7.
Second quarter
• NEVADA — 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:57 elapsed time. Fine 24 field goal. Big plays: Neill two 17 passes to Burleson. Time: 8:21. Score: Hawai‘i 10, Nevada 10.
• Hawai‘i — 15 plays, 50 yards, 6:58 elapsed time. Ayat 30 field goal. Big plays: Chang 16 pass to Lelie, Chang 16 pass to Stutzmann. Time: 1:23. Score: Hawai‘i 13, Nevada 10.
• NEVADA — 7 plays, 42 yards, 1:15 elapsed time. Fine 40 field goal. Big plays: Neill 39 pass to Dan Bythwood, 11-yard personal foul penalty against UH. Time: 0:00. Score: Hawai‘i 13, Nevada 13.
THIRD quarter
• NEVADA — 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:51 elapsed time. Burleson 9 pass from Neill. Kick blocked. Big play: Chance Kretschmer 33 run. Time: 12:09. Score: Nevada 19, Hawai‘i 13.
• NEVADA — 18 plays, 92 yards, 8:16 elapsed time. Brown 7 pass from Neill. Pass failed. Big play: Neill 27 pass to Burleson. Time: 2:27. Score: Nevada 25, Hawai‘i 13.
FOURTH quarter
• Hawai‘i — 12 plays, 84 yards, 3:58 elapsed time. Chad Owens 5 pass from Chang. Ayat kick. Big plays: Mike Bass 22 run, Chang 24 pass to Bass, Chang 21 pass to Tafiti Uso. Time: 9:14. Score: Nevada 25, Hawai‘i 20.
• NEVADA — 15 plays, 61 yards, 6:16 elapsed time. Fine 22 field goal. Big plays: Kretschmer three first down runs on third down. Time: 2:55. Score: Nevada 28, Hawai‘i 20.
Stars of the game
• DAVID NEILL, Nevada quarterback — Completed 21 of 28 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
• CHANCE KRETSCHMER, Nevada running back — 31 carries for 162 yards.
• NATE BURLESON, Nevada receiver — Seven catches for 92 yards and one touchdown.
