What’s sweeter than getting your first conference win in over two years? Well, for Jeff Choate, it has to be picking up your second conference win and doing so in back-to-back games.
It wasn’t a pretty
offensive performance for either side, but Nevada was able to hold off just enough to beat Wyoming 13-7 and spoil the jersey retirement of former Wyoming QB Josh Allen.
Scoring Summary
2nd Quarter:
1:12: Carter Jones 8-yard TD pass to Jett Carpenter (Joe McFadden PAT)
Nevada 7 – Wyoming 0
3rd Quarter:
9:09: Joe McFadden 41-yard FG
Nevada 10 – Wyoming 0
1:27: Kaden Anderson 5-yard TD pass to Evan Svoboda (Erik Sandvik PAT)
Nevada 10 – Wyoming 7
4th Quarter:
Joe McFadden 43-yard FG
Nevada 13 – Wyoming 7
Final: Nevada 13, Wyoming 7
Offense
First drives for Nevada’s offense have usually started out slow, but there was some added tempo to start this game. Nevada drove down deep into Wyoming territory for 11 plays and 49 yards, fueled by six rushes for 33 yards.
Nevada faced a fourth down and brought out Joe McFadden for a 42-yard field goal, but the kick was wide left and Nevada remained off the scoreboard to start the game.
Following the fake punt and a slew of penalties against Wyoming’s defense, Nevada marched down to the red zone but faced another fourth down. McFadden lined up for another field goal, but an offsides penalty gave Nevada the ball back.
It took a third-down play, but Carter Jones threw up a floater to Jett Carpenter for a touchdown and the first points of the game. Nevada would go into halftime with a slim 7-0 lead. Jones finished with 58 passing yards and the touchdown play. He also picked up 34 yards on the ground on three carries.
Nevada relied on its run game again in this one, picking up a total of 213 yards on 40 carries. Caleb Ramseur led it for Nevada with 88 yards on 19 carries.
Defense
Wyoming opened its first drive by copying and pasting Nevada’s results. The Cowboys went 11 plays for 60 yards, and on a 30-yard field goal attempt, the kick was wide right and kept Wyoming off the scoreboard as well.
Nevada got an early trick play out late in the second quarter when punter Bailey Ettridge faked a punt deep in its own territory and converted by running it in himself.
Wyoming put together three drives in the second quarter but wasn’t able to convert. The Cowboys lined up for a 54-yard field goal but missed it by miles to end the first half. Wyoming finished the first half with 118 total yards and ended the game with 220.
The second half started with an aggressive Nevada defense. A quick three-and-out on the Cowboys’ opening drive gave Nevada the chance to go up 10-0 in the second half.
Wyoming was able to capitalize on a fumble by Jones and turned it into its only points of the game on a 5-yard TD pass by Kaden Anderson. After Nevada marched down for another field goal late, Wyoming had a chance to win the game with just over two minutes to go.
Anderson led the Cowboys downfield on a 17-play, 77-yard drive that took them all the way to Nevada’s five-yard line. It looked like Wyoming would take this game late, but some tough defense and forced incompletions was all the Wolf Pack needed to seal its second straight win.
What’s Next
Nevada will head back home to end the season in the battle for the Fremont Cannon. UNLV is looking to lock up the Mountain West after beating Hawaii the other night and pushing to 9-2.
Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. PST at Mackay Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29.
