The first home game for Nevada this season didn’t disappoint (depending on who you ask.) Despite a wild, sloppy game, Nevada was able to improve to 1-1 after beating Sac State 20-17.
Sac State is one of the better programs in the FCS, but Nevada’s performance wasn’t on par with its expectations. A wild fourth quarter that included a pick-six, touchdowns that were called back due to penalties, and a missed field goal that ultimately sealed the tight win for the Pack.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter:
10:55: Rodney Hammond
Jr. 5-yard TD run (Grant Meadors PAT)
Sac State 7 – Nevada 0
2nd Quarter:
13:04: 35-yard FG by Grant Meadors
Sac State 10 – Nevada 0
7:34: 37-yard FG by Joe McFadden
Sac State 10 – Nevada 3
1:02: Chubba Purdy 3-yard TD run (Joe McFadden PAT)
Sac State 10 – Nevada 10
0:53: Ernest Campbell 75-yard TD pass by Cardell Williams (Grant Meadors PAT)
Sac State 17 – Nevada 10
0:01: 40-yard FG by Joe McFadden
Sac State 17 – Nevada 13
4th Quarter:
2:25: Jonathan Maldonado 36-yard pick six (Joe McFadden PAT)
Sac State 17 – Nevada 20
Final: Sac State 17, Nevada 20
Offense
Nevada’s first drive was similar to Sac State’s, facing a fourth and short. The Pack was also able to convert with the help of a few rushes by QB Chubba Purdy. Nevada was on the edge of the red zone on its first drive, but an interception by Sac State safety Koa Akui quickly ended the pressure.
The first points of the game for the Pack came at the 7:34 mark of the second quarter after a 37-yard field goal by Joe McFadden.
After a turnover on downs, Nevada’s offense brought it under the two-minute warning of the first half before a Purdy three-yard rushing TD to tie the game at 10. Nevada was then able to push it downfield in the final seconds and kicked a field goal with one second left of the first half, cutting the deficit to a four-point game at halftime.
Nevada reached midfield to start the second half, but Akui got his second interception of the day on a tipped pass by Purdy. Neither team scored in the third quarter, with Nevada only able to pick up 111 total yards in that quarter.
The first drive of the fourth quarter pushed Nevada into the red zone, but an overthrown pass by Purdy on fourth down prevented the Pack from getting on the board.
The Wolf Pack got the ball back around the eight-minute mark, driving it down to Sac State’s 26-yard line with 2:35 left. Nevada faced a fourth & second, but an incomplete pass to Marcus Bellon gave Sac State the ball back.
Nevada’s offense completed 412 total yards with Purdy leading both the passing (144) and rushing (115) departments. Despite the high number of yards, Purdy said after the game that it didn’t feel like the team picked up 412 yards.
“As an offense, we had 412 yards, but it felt like we had 60 because we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot,” Purdy said. “We’ve got to be able to finish our drives, like coach was saying in the red zone. If we finish those drives in the red zone, it’s a completely different kind of game.
Defense
Nevada’s defense quickly forced a fourth down on the first drive, but Sac State was able to convert. The Hornets took off after that, driving down to the three-yard line and scoring a touchdown on the opening drive.
Nevada did well holding Sac State down for the rest of the first quarter, but a Sac State fake punt from Nevada’s endzone put a brief pause on the Pack’s defensive momentum.
Sac State’s offense had to change up in the first quarter after QB Jadan Rashada was hit in the head in an attempt to slide. A targeting penalty was called on Nevada, and Rashada was taken out of the game. Tulsa transfer Cardell Williams finished it out, going 10-13 with 151 passing yards and 26 rushing yards.
With under a minute to go in the first half, Williams threw a 75-yard bomb to Ernest Campbell to retake the lead, pushing it to 17-10. Sac State ended the first two quarters with 252 total yards.
Leaving the Hornets scoreless in the third quarter, Nevada’s defense carried that momentum into the fourth.
“Defensively, the second-half shutout just continued to rise up and get stop after stop, and so I was really proud of the way these guys dug in,” head coach Jeff Choate said. “There was no panic on the sideline. It was next-play mentality, and they supported one another the entire game. I felt like it was a sloppy game in a lot of respects, and that’s frustrating when you come off going into an environment like Penn State.”
After the turnover on downs by Nevada’s offense with just over two minutes to go, all Sac State needed was a few first downs to end the game at 17-13.
Defensive edge Jonnathan Maldonado had a different idea. Williams threw a pass up the middle and was picked by Maldonado, who took it 36 yards the other way for a pick six, giving Nevada a 20-17 lead with just over two minutes to go.
“It’s super unreal, man,” Maldonado said. “I catch the ball, it feels like a video game if I’m being honest. I catch the ball, and I’m running to the end zone. I’m like, did I really just score? The crowd is going crazy and stuff like that.”
After the pick six, Sac State drove down into Nevada territory. With under 20 seconds to go, the Hornets had two different game-winning touchdowns taken away via holding penalties. Sac State faced a third and 23 with 17 seconds left and managed to get to Nevada’s 24-yard line.
With the game on the line, kicker Grant Meadors lined up for a 41-yard field goal to tie the game. The kick went wide right, and despite an unsportsmanlike penalty on Nevada, the Wolf Pack took the slim 20-17 win.
“As the immortal Chris Ault says, we found a way to find a way, and ultimately, that’s what it came down to,” Choate said.
What’s Next
Nevada will stay home to host Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 23. The Blue Raiders are currently 0-2 and haven’t scored more than 14 points in their first two games.
Kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. PST.
